Happiness is two different things,
What you take and then what you bring.
One is pleasure,
one's discipline,
one's devotion,
one's just a ring.

Desire and reward.
Long term and short term joy.
Don't waste your heart,
don't waste your heart.
One has nothing to do with the other...
And the world is all cousins not brothers

Hard to take you off of my love
one's an instant,
one takes some will.
One gives life,
and one makes you kill.
one's the means and ones for the end...

Desire and reward.
Long term and short term joy.
Don't waste your heart,
don't waste your heart.
One has nothing to do with the other...
and the world is all cousins not brothers

Don't you give in,
You're beginning.



Lyrics submitted by harrymuse

Track duration: 03:42


Two Kinds Of Happiness song meanings
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21 Comments

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  • 0
    My Interpretation:I have a strong feeling that he's refering to the good old give and take thing. I can also see the sexual implications, but the lines

    "One gives life,
    and one makes you kill"

    gave me the impression that Julian is talking about ego gratisfaction vs being pure at heart. Being geniunly nice to yourself and others is energy rewarding (gives life) while ego gratisfaction is short term joy and the fundamental reason to why wars are going on (makes you kill). I found that that theory makes sense for most of the rest of the lyrics as well, i'd like to elaborate but i'm getting tired now.
    Flag hou5ekeepingon January 01, 2012   Link
  • 0
    Lyric Correction:I think this song is about Julian becoming a father. The two lines "One gives life, and one makes you kill." reflects that beautifully since he's always been in the spotlight and can basically be with any girl he wants but when he finally settled down with one woman and then became a father, he saw how beautiful and rewarding love can really be when he finally got to hold that child in his hands. Anywho, that's just my two cents.
    Flag DeliriousReBelon December 28, 2011   Link
  • +2
    General Comment:I believe he is separating the aspects of love from lust. And he states that one should not give up their heart to lust. Love definitiely takes more time (to grow) and it's more difficult to sustain, but the rewards are much greater. In the song, he's beginning to understand why it is more important to love than to merely lust. He's "beginning" to get it...
    Flag MaryMaryQuiteContraryon August 16, 2011   Link
  • +2
    Lyric Correction:Julian finally posted the real lyrics!

    juliancasablancas.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/…
    Flag CrotchetTheLeperon June 29, 2011   Link
  • 0
    Lyric Correction:figured out another one: "one you laugh" it's actually "one X (possibly gives) you life"
    Flag francisson June 04, 2011   Link
  • 0
    Lyric Correction:"What's lovely is that one's for the end"

    I'm pretty sure it's "One's the means, and one's for the end."
    Flag fixableon May 15, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Bought Angles the day it came out and this song instantly became one of my favorite songs by The Strokes.
    Flag JayoftheDeadon May 09, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think this song is referring to emotional happiness and sexual happiness....one is devotion, one is just deranged. That's why it says one has nothing to do with the other. When you are in a relationship, it's easy to be tempted by lust...this is just what this song says to me anyways...
    Flag maga8586on May 04, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The last lines are:

    Don't you give in
    You'll beat them
    Flag LarsenBon May 02, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:at 1:45 minutes and seconds in to the song Julian sounds like David Bowie or Ric Ocasek of the Cars... He's voice has really come around. No?
    Flag grOverzealouson April 23, 2011   Link

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