The actress is always breaking things
The things you made and she took you for
And I'm so tired I'd be lying
I hope the prairie buys you more

The fitness coast is growing near
The shores they don't stay blond this year
That's why the marble lawns stay clear
And warm in time

I want to stay but my time is wasting
The magic lands call my name
They want to fire a missile launcher
But I know I need to stay

We all know that by staying here
It'll be a good high this year
So what's the use to staying there
If you've got no use for time

The fitness coast is growing near
The shores they don't stay blond all year
The continent moves with growing fears
It's all for expensive lawn

I want to stay but my time is wasting
The magic lands call my name
They want to fire a missile launcher
But I know I need to stay

I know I need to stay
(And fight the day)
I know I need to stay
(And fight the day)
I know I need to stay
I know I need to stay


Lyrics submitted by Racazip

Date w/IKEA Lyrics as written by Scott Kannberg

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Date With Ikea song meanings
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10 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    Both assessments seem on par and are probably more in line with SM's intent. This song, however, takes on a more personal meaning for me. (and is what is so great about Pavement) I associate Ikea furniture with dorm rooms and mid-20's apartments. This song's lyrics (and its tempo) channel that yearning sense of being young. You want to stay, but you time is wasting. All these great opportunities are calling to you, but at the same time you're not sure whether or not you should stay. If you stick around you can always get high, but some mornings you wake up and wonder, "What's the use?"

    mwagner19446on October 02, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think that this song is about material possessions and wanting to leave them behind, but unfortunately, in society that is almost impossible, hence "i know i need to stay".

    Fustardon May 20, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song is about the fake and plastic nature of the California lifestyle. These guys have stated over and over again in numerous interviews that they are truely THE BAND OF THE 90's and that they are a CALIFORNIA ROCK BAND. It was simply a commentary on their surroundings.

    huntmstron April 20, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Both assessments seem on par and are probably more in line with SM's intent. This song, however, takes on a more personal meaning for me. (and is what is so great about Pavement) I associate Ikea furniture with dorm rooms and mid-20's apartments. This song's lyrics (and its tempo) channel that yearning sense of being young. You want to stay, but you time is wasting. All these great opportunities are calling to you, but at the same time you're not sure whether or not you should stay. If you stick around you can always get high, but some mornings you wake up and wonder, "What's the use?"

    mwagner19446on October 02, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song, to me, is about something that one wants to leave behind, but just can't. Yeah, that "thing" in this song is the glitzy, fake lifestyle of, say, Southern California. But it goes to a much larger extent. It's about leaving a bad relationship, a bad lifestyle, hell, a bad life, behind when you should fight or fix it.

    It has to be about getting older too, which fits - the Pavement guys were getting older at the time.

    InTheMouthOfAZombieon November 12, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Well when I hear this song and read the lyrics, I relate it to my experience of walking into Ikea and being sucked into this land of cheap furniture and I want to get away but I can't. And the fact that their stuff breaks easily. So the sort of droning tone of this song really reminds me of being in an Ikea store- a giant maze of crap that you buy anyway.

    rarebirdson February 19, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    "We all know that by staying here it'll be a good high this year So what's the use to staying there if you've got no use for time" its about how were all driven to make the easier decision to chase the "American Dream" we see portrayed in advertisements our entire life instead of

    bsmith24424on April 19, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    finding out what will make us the happiest and our lives the most meaningful

    bsmith24424on April 19, 2009   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning

    This is an answer song to their own "Summer Babe"

    malbuffon April 26, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    To me its about trying to be Bougie when you can't afford to be. It's about the pointlessness of bougieness. To me IKEA has always been cheap wanna be rich crap.

    Dashiton July 19, 2014   Link

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