There is no need to throw your arms around
And there is no need to ask unless there is some doubt
If you are comfortable with two feet on the ground
You don't need wings now
You don't need wings now

Have you set down your course
Or are you out of control, my dear?
Or are you accidentally part of
Some involuntary movement here?
We thought we knew it so well
We could do it with our arms
Tied behind our backs
And our eyes shut tight

I thought i knew it so well i could stop
So i stopped and i can't...
Can't start again

Stand under the hole in your roof
Let the rain come in and fall down on your head
Cos it's a simple joy you can bring upon yourself
It's a simple something new, something else
Trees stand in a perfect line
Trees stand at attention

Not much time has passed
But already she likes concrete better than grass
And i don't think we'll last
So i stare up at the sky and it hurts my eyes
Maybe i'll go blind
Maybe all i'll see is, all i'll see is sunshine
Sunshine
Sunshine

I'm not trying to sound
I'm just trying to sound
I don't wanna sound like this
Sound like this
Sound like this

You're the last day of april every year
You're grey, feeling for something, anything, you can't have
Oversize, owning the road
Pulled by a current, tossed over in the wind

You focus your sights and try
Try to stare up at the sky
Does it hurt your eyes?
Maybe you'll go blind
Or maybe all you'll see is, all you'll see is sunshine
Sunshine

Walk in a straight line
You waste energy in the daytime
And i know exactly what i'm doing, doing
Sometimes
Sometimes......



Lyrics submitted by davewoody

Track duration: 05:55


Pinstripe (acoustic) song meanings
Add your thoughts

16 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment:pinstripe> pinstripe shirt, stuff you wear to work, think this song is about going to work on the train, it has a very repetative grinding rhythm at the start of it, of the repetition, over and over again of a man going into work, dur-dur-dur-dur-dur-dur-dur, this kind of sounds like, over and over again, or feels like at least, and the man is a bit confused "there is no need to ask unless there is some doubt" and hes singing about a girl that he sees as a bit of an angel, who is a renegade angel out of control , who is just starting to get comfortable in her own skin, "if [she] is comfortable with 2 feet on the ground, she doesnt need wings any more", and then it goes on to talk about the simple pleasures of life rain falling on your head, this sort of brings the man, the pair back to reality, that theyve been detached from the day to day lives of office drones, and bordem, corporate life, "trees planted in a single line" the girl seems to like city life, though prefer it to grass, and he doesnt think things are going to work out between them, so he stares up at the sky, pondering, maybe hell go blind or maybe all hell see is, all hell see is sunshine, and were back into the grind, the train again, (akin to go-betweens'cattle and cane) he doesnt know what he means, or is feeling about this girl or about life in general, hes just trying to sound, or perhaps not trying to sound... HE DOESNT WANT TO SOUND LIKE THIS, hes starting to get angry at his circumstances now, and i bit more passiontate, the bass is really kicking in, and hes just venting, his feelings how he feels about this relationship, he feels as if the girl is "the last day of april every year, shes grey, shes feeling for something she cant have" these lyrics speak for themselves, and these people, they are looking for more, they are staring into the cosmos hoping for the glimpse of a divine, but maybe all they will see is sunshine, maybe all they will be destined to do is, walk in the straight life of conformaity, wasting energy in the day time (going to an office drone job, that isnt right for them), epic ballad, imo its the marquee moon of the 90s
    Flag will752on October 05, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I remember way back when (before Beautiful Sharks was released), the lyrics section of the SFK website had commentary by Paul, and he referred to this as his favourite SFK song. Of course, that was half a dozen albums ago...

    And I always assumed that the 'last day of April' was a reference to Walpurgis Night, I've no idea why.
    Flag jetsam7on April 10, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i definitely think that this gorgeous song is about optismism, and the choice involved with perception.

    to me some of the lines elude to paul addressing a person who is bored with the mundane routine of everyday life and how the general population is caught up in their routine, i.e. like trees standing in a line, & 'liking concrete better than grass'.

    it's about choosing to see things in a better way. =]
    Flag meg;on April 26, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Theres someone who means so much to me. This is his favourite song... And I can see why.

    "already she likes concrete better than grass" moving away to the city... Like a cliche.

    "I don't wanna sound like this" hes being careful and doesn't want his words to be taken the wrong way... A way to say he cares? Not wanting to be too criticizing?

    "You focus your sights and try
    Try to stare up at the sky
    Does it hurt your eyes?
    Maybe you'll go blind" I think is obvious. Take a large load at once and you'll break underneath.

    "trees stand at attention" Controlling... Controlling the trees, shaping the world to be as you want it.


    Looking for something different... Going out to find it without thinking through completely what you could be throwing away. Just wanting to get out without thinking about the consequenses... Feeling a need for change...

    When really youre running away from something that is already great.
    "you don't need wings now"
    To me that means both greed, expecting and wanting too much, and that you don't need everything to be happy.
    "Or are you accidentally part of
    Some involuntary movement here?"
    Are you going to blame this on someone else?

    I could go on forever... I love this song.
    Flag OxyContinxGenocideon December 07, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:sometimes we just get too caught up in making a life that we forget to live..

    this song is my favourite.
    it's absolutely amazing.
    and pretty unique with the progressions.
    Flag -Amz-on November 10, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:To me, this song is about having all these restrictions on your life, either self imposed or otherwise, and all these things out of our reach and control (such as "already she likes concrete better than grass" - on a global scale a possible reference to urban sprawl but also on a personal scale someone close changing).

    Yet, there is this human ability to look at these things and either be pessimistic or optimistic, so when you stare at the sky it can either hurt your eyes, or you can see sunshine. I think this point is really enforced by being at the song's climaxes.

    Easily my favourite song. Ever.
    Flag snake_111on August 10, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:To me its definately about the deminishing, detiorating relationship. It speaks of someone who is gradually falling out of of love, and feels as if they have no control over their emotions - "are you accidentally part of Some involuntary movement here?".

    Both in the relationship thought it was strong enough, and simply stopped putting in effort. "We could do it with our arms Tied behind our backs". It continues to describe the inability to feel for a once blooming relationship -"So i stopped and i can't...Can't start again"

    The rain pouring down, being symbolic of tears shed over a disintergrating relationship - and being described as a simple joy - a simple way to relieve ones self of tension, anger, saddness - or any negative emotion. If you follow the "hole in your roof" metaphor further, the image of the same person, standing beneath the spot where once he had been crying, and now seeing sunshine; seems to suggest the person is considering leaving, ignoring the problem - simply being happy.

    Come to think of it, haven't we all had a relationship like this? haha.
    Flag mildewmatton June 05, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:okay, I had a thought about this. Just listening to it and then trying to connect it to the title, could it possibly be referring to a prisoner? Ya know, prisoner uniforms were once referred to as pinstripes, and several things in this remind me of a sort of prisoner moitf (concrete, walk in a straight line, no need to throw your arms around). If not a direct song about prison, perhaps it is more indirectly about wanting freedom, or something like that.
    Flag Grimsonon June 21, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this is just an amazing song, paul has a great voice and sings wiht such passion and meaning. the acoustic is better than the original from "eslewhere" however when played live with a full band it sounds just awesome and the whole crowd always sings along.
    it seems to be about decisions in life, maybe things will change, "maybe ill go blind", but "maybe all i will see is sunshine". These lines suggest it is quiet an optomistic song, trying to look on the brighter side of every decision made. Things happen, he just accepts these and gets on with his life.
    Flag Timmon May 10, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:dude, 5 minutes is nothing :P
    Flag Grimsonon March 30, 2003   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top
explain