Neon Trees – Girls and Boys in School

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  General Comment:Singer Tyler Glenn explained the story behind this song to Artist Direct: "It's basically about my younger siblings and seeing my little sister go through high school. Once you're past high school age and you're on the other side, you see how petty and small the drama in high school is. I based the lyrics on those funny experience of noticing how small and narrow that age thinks. They think their lives are over if something happens or someone is talking about them or there's a rumor. They don't realize that there's so much more ahead of them, and it's such a small part of life. Basically, the song is about that. It's a commentary on youth in general."

  Flag FloridaGuyon October 27, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:i think the song is about a guy who's in love with his best friend (another guy)but no one knows for sure that he's gay "Play me down my lover, Like we're undercover"
  
  But everyone is suspicious and everyone is "asking questions"
  "Like we're in our freshman year
  Like all the girls and boys in school"
  
  Questions for questions, I've got a question
  Would you ever dance with me like that?
  Questions for questions, I've got a question
  Would you ever dance with me like that?
  
  I don't want your lover
  Like my younger brother
  He's patronized another
  But I think it's serious this time
  I don't want you fading
  Acting like you hate me
  It's just like all your paper cuts
  They cut you in the coldest spots
  
  Fuck all the rest and forget the rules
  Like all the girls and boys in my school
  Questions for questions, I've got a question
  Would you ever dance with me like that?
  
  I said to this end
  Don't hurt your best friend
  Keep playing along again
  
  I keep playing along again
  
  Would you ever
  Keep playing along again
  

  Flag lindseyroseson August 24, 2011   Link

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    i accidentally hit post, and i don't know how to edit. so to finish-
    
    so he's baisically debating whether he should take the chance he finally decides to in the lines
    "Fuck all the rest and forget the rules
    Like all the girls and boys in my school
    Questions for questions, I've got a question
    Would you ever dance with me like that?"
    
    But at the he decides it not worth it and keeps playing along
    
    "I said to this end
    Don't hurt your best friend
    Keep playing along again"
    

    Flag lindseyroseson August 24, 2011  
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  General Comment:Interpretations don't have to be very complex.. I think this song is about a guy liking his best friend and is asking her if they could be more.
  
  "I don't want you fading
  Acting like you hate me", that could mean that he hopes that the idea of him wanting to take the relationship further won't make her mad, or that the relationship won't ruin the friendship.
  
  But if you just listen to it and try not to over-analyze, he wants to be lovers. "Would you ever dance with me like that?" Maybe he's asking his best friend to prom?

  Flag pizzazombieon June 04, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:I like how very similar this is in sound and lyric to The Little Ones song Lovers Who Uncover. It sounds like a law suit lol

  Flag Juddmanon May 04, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:i think the song is about how he's in love with his friend's girlfriend...using all the quotes @blackkat923 used...song is on repeat though...b/c its awesome...

  Flag decaturATL404on April 25, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:I actually think that this song is about a guy who is in love with his best friend but he knows that she isn't in love with him and is probably with someone else
  
  "Would you ever dance with me like that?"
  
  I think that he also knows that the guy that she is with is cheating on her (and maybe has before)
  
  "He's patronized another
  But I think it's serious this time."
  
  he knows that telling her would only mess up their friendship.
  
  "I don't want you fading, acting like you hate me."
  
  And even though he knows this he still wants to tell her that he wants her
  
  "Fuck all the rest and forget the rules
  Like all the girls and boys in my school
  Questions for questions, I've got a question
  Would you ever dance with me like that?"
  
  But he doesn't want to hurt her so he just decides to pretend like he doesn't know and like he doesn't want to be with her in the end.
  
  "I said to this end
  Don't hurt your best friend
  Keep playing along again"
  
  That may be a stretch but thats what I've always gotten when I've listened to this song. Whatever it's about it's got a great beat and is one of my favorite songs by Neon Trees. :)

  Flag blackkat923on January 20, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:great song! cool funky beat!

  Flag XtraELITEon November 18, 2010   Link

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  My Interpretation:I very much feel that this song is about cheating, and more specifically, with someone that person has already cheated with in the past. "Play me down my lover", to mean downplaying someone to appear as though nothing special is happening, nothing unusual. "Our anticipation, and our bad behaving", a la the excitement surrounding doing something illicit; "it's like we learned our lesson but conveniently forgot the rules", perhaps having been caught or otherwise trouble resulting from their first go round, but they don't care and are willing to risk it again.
  
  "I've got a question, would you ever dance with me like that?" and "would you ever play along again?" meaning the person asking the other if they'd be willing to play the game again, to play along in their sketchy activity, etc.
  
  I figure that the whole "don't hurt your best friend" bit involves reluctance to hurt the person who will be cheated on, and thus caution must be taken to ensure they don't find out the truth.
  
  I love this song and can relate to it completely. It's brilliant!

  Flag Stickgoaton July 20, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:This song is my favourite on the entire album. I think it's about a girl who pretends to like a guy, and shows that through her actions. And by that she's hurt 'her best friend.' I'm not good at song meanings, so might as well make the most of it, haha.

  Flag ItsEstrellaon July 13, 2010   Link

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