Some nights, I stay up cashing in my bad luck
Some nights, I call it a draw

Some nights, I wish that my lips could build a castle
Some nights, I wish they'd just fall off

But I still wake up, I still see your ghost
Oh Lord, I'm still not sure, what I stand for oh oh oh
What do I stand for? Oh what do I stand for?
Most nights, I don't know anymore
Oh whoa, oh whoa, oh whoa oh oh
Oh whoa, oh whoa, oh whoa oh oh

This is it, boys, this is war, what are we waiting for?
Why don't we break the rules already?
I was never one to believe the hype,
Save that for the black and white I try twice as hard and I'm half as liked,
But here they come again to jack my style

That's alright, I found a martyr in my bed tonight
Stops my bones from wondering just who I, who I, who I am, oh who am I, mm, mm

Well some nights, I wish that this all would end
'Cause I could use some friends for a change
And some nights, I'm scared you'll forget me again
Some nights, I always win, I always win

But I still wake up, I still see your ghost
Oh Lord, I'm still not sure what I stand for, oh
What do I stand for? Oh what do I stand for? Most nights, I don't know (come on)

So this is it? I sold my soul for this?
Washed my hands of that for this?
I miss my mom and dad for this?
No. When I see stars, when I see stars, that's all they are
When I hear songs, they sound like a swan, so come on
Oh, come on, oh, come on, oh come on!

Well that is it, guys, that is all, five minutes in and I'm bored again
Ten years of this, I'm not sure if anybody understands
This one's not for the folks at home, I'm sorry to leave, mom, I had to go
Who the fuck wants to die alone all dried up in the desert sun?
My heart is breaking for my sister and the con that she called "love"
But when I look into my nephew's eyes,
Man you wouldn't believe, the most amazing things, that can come from,
Some terrible nights, ah (oh whoa, oh whoa, oh whoa, oh oh)

Oh whoa, oh whoa, oh whoa, oh oh
Oh whoa, oh whoa, oh whoa, oh oh

The other night, you wouldn't believe the dream I just had about you and me
I called you up, but we'd both agree
It's for the best you didn't listen
It's for the best we get our distance, oh
It's for the best you didn't listen
It's for the best we get our distance, oh


Some Nights song meanings
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    My Interpretation

    For myself, I feel like it's about how a person's opinions/ideals are conflicted and change daily. It's an anthem for the kids who grew up during the 2 wars and their internal conflict in a world tainted by the war on terrorism. A person who wants to have strong convictions but is still unsure of himself (wonder just who I am, what do I stand for?), dealing with ten years of the war going on in the background and now unsure of his patriotism now that he is at enlistment age (not wanting to be trapped in a deployment or dying for a cause he might not believe in). At the same time the lyrics go from shallow; anti-establishment stereotypes, "jack my style," sex, believing he has no friends, to stronger opinions, the way the war is background noise for non-military people, his conflict over sadness for his sister being used vs his amazement at the life created from it; in the end he realizes that his opinions are not him and are not wisdom; that even if he expresses them it doesn't mean other people will change. As someone in the army, the verse that seem to reflect the current war really express what it feels like. You tend to judge soldiers who haven't deployed harshly, especially if they've been in long enough that they should have at some point, even when they might not have had any control over it; but at the same time, there is a lot of feeling no one can understand what you're going through leading up to a deployment (especially if you're going back to the same country again) and a lot of emotional/mental damage that you might never recover from. It's hard to find a meaning in the deaths in these countries now, that your battle buddies died for something that had nothing to do with them. The "this is not for the folks at home" line twists the "fight them over there" catchphrase, saying that we're sending our children out of sight to face the horrors of war so we don't have to have any contact with it here in the states.

    dioxinon November 25, 2012   Link

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