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Good morning
Don't cop out
You crawled from the cancer to land on your feet
Are you crazy to want this
Even for a while?
We're making this shit up
The reasons for being are easy to pay
You can't remember the others
They just kind of went away
So you're driving, it's rush hour
The cars on the freeway are moving like slugs
When you drift off to wake up
Do you always hit the brakes?
We're done lying for a living
The strange days have come and you're gone
Either dead or dying
Either dad or trying to go
It's evening, you're tired
You sleep walk, a robot out on the street
Are you crazy to want this, even for a while? you're driving, it's rush hour
The cars on the freeway are moving backwards
Into a wall of fire
We're done lying for a living
The strange days have come and you're gone
Either dead or dying
Either dead or trying to go
Good morning
Don't cop out
Don't cop out
You crawled from the cancer to land on your feet
Are you crazy to want this
Even for a while?
We're making this shit up
The reasons for being are easy to pay
You can't remember the others
They just kind of went away
So you're driving, it's rush hour
The cars on the freeway are moving like slugs
When you drift off to wake up
Do you always hit the brakes?
We're done lying for a living
The strange days have come and you're gone
Either dead or dying
Either dad or trying to go
It's evening, you're tired
You sleep walk, a robot out on the street
Are you crazy to want this, even for a while? you're driving, it's rush hour
The cars on the freeway are moving backwards
Into a wall of fire
We're done lying for a living
The strange days have come and you're gone
Either dead or dying
Either dead or trying to go
Good morning
Don't cop out
Lyrics submitted by Little Butcher Boy
Track duration: 04:21
"Strange Days" as written by Matthew Good, Dave Genn
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The opening lyrics (Good morning/Don't cop out) are basically him telling this depressed person that it's just another day, and you can't just give up. Stay strong, keep your chin up, and all that.
Then at 'We're making this shit up/The reasons for being are easy to pay' is him saying that we focus on the negative things, and that if you look closer, reasons to live are everywhere. This, personally, is one of my favourite lines in this song, if not the absolute favourite.
The first line of the chorus (We're done lying for a living) is basically saying that you're done of pretending everything's alright...because it's not. Then 'The strange days have come and you're gone'...well, I could never draw a conclusion for the meaning of 'The strange days have come'. As for 'and you're gone', it's simply saying that your life is empty, and it's hardly as if you're living it. For 'Either dead or dying/Dead or trying to go' is basically a pessimistic outlook, saying that everyone is either already dead...or they're in the process of becoming so, or even trying to go; to escape your life (suicide).
'It's evening, you're tired/You sleep walk, a robot out on the street' this is saying that it was another exhaustive day, and you're restless in your life (sleep walking), and you act like a robot; you're automated, simply existing but not really living.
'You're driving/It's rush hour, the cars on the freeway are moving backwards/Into a wall of fire.' I think, heavy on the think, that this is saying that we spend our lives rushing to achieve-something,anything-all the while we're dying, falling into the wall of fire that is the end of our lives. This depressed person evidently finds living with the promise of dying empty.
Then at the end, when the first lines of the song are repeated...it's like saying, yeah, things are tough, but deal with it. Don't give up, things can only get better.
I can relate to this song, as I'm sure many, many people can, and I'd say it's a fantastic listen for anyone that feels like this. Don't give up, ever.
This song, to me, is about someone who realizes that their life, and that our western traditions and customs and way of life, it's all so useless and unreal.
I agree with everyone, that this song is about severe depression and the contemplation of suicide. My interpretation, however, is that Matt Good is trying desperately to talk people out of it.
"Good morning//Don't cop out//You crawled from the cancer to land on your feet." -- Don't take the easy way out and give in to your depression. You've already endured so much and fought through a lot to get to where you are, successfully. You DID land on your feet, even if your legs feel unsteady underneath you.
"Are you crazy to want this//Even for a while?" -- Even if you don't really intend to kill yourself, are you crazy for even considering the idea?
"We're making this shit up//The reasons for being are easy to pay." -- You're just picking out the bad things in your life, piecing them together, trying to give yourself more reasons to keep yourself miserable. All the things you have to go through in life are a small price to pay for the privilege of actually LIVING. You're just making up excuses, because realistically everything you go through only makes "being" more worthwhile in the long run.
"You can't remember the others//They just kind of went away." -- This interpretation can go one of two ways. It's either about others that have committed suicide that just drifted into oblivion, forgotten. OR it is about the people in your life that would miss you if you were gone, but your depression encompasses so much of you that you can't even consider them. They don't register in your mind; it's as if they don't exist.
"You're driving//It's rush hour//The cars on the freeway are moving like slugs." -- You have to endure monotonous tasks of every day life.
"When you drift off//To wake up//Do you always hit the breaks?" -- You've been in this position before. This depression and these thoughts of suicide have hounded you before, and didn't you always stop before you actually ended yourself? You always wake up from it; you always reconsider.
"We're done lying for a living//The strange days have come and you're gone//Either dead or dying//Either dead or trying to go." -- You're done pretending that everything is okay and suffering through the same routines every day that never seem to get any better. You're empty inside, and the only thing you can think about is your depression. You're gone--you've put yourself in a stubborn mindset that things can't improve and you're better off dead, even though you should know that it isn't the case.
"It's evening//You're tired//You sleep walk//A robot out on the street." -- After a long day [or a long LIFE], you're just worn out and haggard and ready for everything to be over. You're on automation, not allowing yourself to even feel anything anymore.
"Are you crazy to want this//Even for a while?" -- The idea of suicide is still playing on your mind, and you're still mulling over whether or not it is an appropriate solution.
"You're driving//It's rush hour//The cars on the freeway are moving backwards//Into a wall of fire." -- You're caught up in your own problems, but everyone else is in or HAS been in the same position. Everyone gets "stuck in rush hour" at some point. What if they all gave in to self-destruction the way you are considering? "Into a wall of fire" is the visual of everyone else in the world in your very same position giving in to the very same temptation as you.
Chorus is the same.
"Good morning//Don't cop out." -- The final blow, once again reiterating that this is NOT the way to handle things. Keep things in perspective. Stay strong. Don't give up on your life.
I agree with everyone, that this song is about severe depression and the contemplation of suicide. My interpretation, however, is that Matt Good is trying desperately to talk people out of it.
"Good morning//Don't cop out//You crawled from the cancer to land on your feet." -- Don't take the easy way out and give in to your depression. You've already endured so much and fought through a lot to get to where you are, successfully. You DID land on your feet, even if your legs feel unsteady underneath you.
"Are you crazy to want this//Even for a while?" -- Even if you don't really intend to kill yourself, are you crazy for even considering the idea?
"We're making this shit up//The reasons for being are easy to pay." -- You're just picking out the bad things in your life, piecing them together, trying to give yourself more reasons to keep yourself miserable. All the things you have to go through in life are a small price to pay for the privilege of actually LIVING. You're just making up excuses, because realistically everything you go through only makes "being" more worthwhile in the long run.
"You can't remember the others//They just kind of went away." -- This interpretation can go one of two ways. It's either about others that have committed suicide that just drifted into oblivion, forgotten. OR it is about the people in your life that would miss you if you were gone, but your depression encompasses so much of you that you can't even consider them. They don't register in your mind; it's as if they don't exist.
"You're driving//It's rush hour//The cars on the freeway are moving like slugs." -- You have to endure monotonous tasks of every day life.
"When you drift off//To wake up//Do you always hit the breaks?" -- You've been in this position before. This depression and these thoughts of suicide have hounded you before, and didn't you always stop before you actually ended yourself? You always wake up from it; you always reconsider.
"We're done lying for a living//The strange days have come and you're gone//Either dead or dying//Either dead or trying to go." -- You're done pretending that everything is okay and suffering through the same routines every day that never seem to get any better. You're empty inside, and the only thing you can think about is your depression. You're gone--you've put yourself in a stubborn mindset that things can't improve and you're better off dead, even though you should know that it isn't the case.
"It's evening//You're tired//You sleep walk//A robot out on the street." -- After a long day [or a long LIFE], you're just worn out and haggard and ready for everything to be over. You're on automation, not allowing yourself to even feel anything anymore.
"Are you crazy to want this//Even for a while?" -- The idea of suicide is still playing on your mind, and you're still mulling over whether or not it is an appropriate solution.
"You're driving//It's rush hour//The cars on the freeway are moving backwards//Into a wall of fire." -- You're caught up in your own problems, but everyone else is in or HAS been in the same position. Everyone gets "stuck in rush hour" at some point. What if they all gave in to self-destruction the way you are considering? "Into a wall of fire" is the visual of everyone else in the world in your very same position giving in to the very same temptation as you.
Chorus is the same.
"Good morning//Don't cop out." -- The final blow, once again reiterating that this is NOT the way to handle things. Keep things in perspective. Stay strong. Don't give up on your life.
good morning
don't cop out
[basically saying, Goodmorning dont do your worst]
you crawled from the cancer to land on your feet
[you came from something so shitty but you made it]
are you crazy to want this
even for a while?
[simply saying, do you think your crazy cause you wanna live?]
we're making this shit up
the reasons for being are easy to pay
[dont really know that line]
you can't remember the others
they just kind of went away
[you dont remember what it was like to have something great, cause everything just went away]
so you're driving, it's rush hour
the cars on the freeway are moving like slugs
[everythings just going slow and theres nothing you can do about it]
when you drift off to wake up
do you always hit the brakes?
[when you dream of something better are you REALLY planning on doing it or are you slamming on the breaks before you even try]
we're done lying for a living
[your done lying to yourself]
the strange days have come and you're gone
either dead or dying
either dad or trying to go
[basically your giving up way to early, and you have to try or be dead]
it's evening, you're tired
you sleep walk, a robot out on the street
[your so tired of life, you just walk the streets just to find osme reason to be anymore]
are you crazy to want this, even for a while?
[are you still happy what you've chosen as your life] you're driving, it's rush hour
the cars on the freeway are moving backwards
into a wall of fire
[seems like everyones moving backwards into the good times they had, when you have nothing good to look back upon]
we're done lying for a living
the strange days have come and you're gone
either dead or dying
either dead or trying to go
[what i said earlier]
good morning
don't cop out
[right here hes saying DONT GIVE UP, GO FOR GOLD]
to me this song is about not giving up not throwing on the breaks when something gets tough, giver gas and fuckin run that bitch, and dont think for a second cause you have nothign good to look back upon that there is nothing to look foreward too...
thats my enterpitation.
At the same time, it's also about anyone who feels depressed and disconnected from themselves and the people in their lives, and is on the verge of giving up.
Going to work, coming home, going to bed, waking up and forcing yourself back to work. Why? What for? There used to be reasons, but you've forgotten them so you just keep faking.
A pointless life, working a meaningless job so that you can have money. Why? So that you can have money, a nice house. A nice house that you only sleep in, because you're so exhausted from work.
This song is about waking up to the lack of meaning in your life and just waiting to die so it can be over.