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It's not cold enough
Please put this side up
She is moving through
Can we show our faces now?
I'm not interesting
She's not turning green
Shameful as it seems
Can we show our faces now?
Endless climb
I am blind
Why can't I leave?
Color blind
Speaking a phrase
Instantly grown
I am blind
Waiting in line
Why am I sure?
Please put this side up
She is moving through
Can we show our faces now?
I'm not interesting
She's not turning green
Shameful as it seems
Can we show our faces now?
Endless climb
I am blind
Why can't I leave?
Color blind
Speaking a phrase
Instantly grown
I am blind
Waiting in line
Why am I sure?
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First, lets brush up on our "Cobain skills", shall we? Great!
Kurt Cobain admitted himself that almost none of the songs prior to "in utero" had any meaning in the lyrics. He just jotted down words folks, he wasn't that deep, but made a nice impression of it.
the times when his song has an overall meaning it is usually sarcastic and not what ppl think. perfect example "come as you are" is not about being yourself as most ppl think.
now for "big long now". this song is pretty straight forward though. it is a bout a girl he likes and can't get her attention. example "She is moving through Can we show our faces now? I'm not interesting. She's not turning green" - he is trying to make a girl jealous / get her attention, by being seen with someone else, and later he says "Endless climb I am blind" meaning its a lost cause why is he torturing himself over this girl, and then "i am blind, waiting in line" means trying to get her attention is like waiting in line and again he is blind for not seeing its hopeless.
Imagine in the car idled and the couple starts to breath the effects of exhaust in a closed-tight garage. Two apprehensive lovers in a suicide pact.. they've discussed this before. He struggles to stay the course "cold"... she's defaults and wants her window side up. His sinking feeling that "moving through" are her 'intentions' to will life onwards; that maybe he was an egregious fool. He pouts again about how that no one loves him "uninteresting". She not sick "green" from the poison monoxide because her window side was shut up was sparing her. "Shameful as it seems" they are ineffective to change the other. The stone faces are on so it's 'enough' to stop it from happening, this time. They're simply not benefiting to one another. No one else will know their unease and sorrow if he decides to live.
"Endless climb, I am blind" Eventually it WILL END and NOT BE PRETTY.
"What can I hear, called a lie" This girl is the most honest thing within his world although he will eventually not be persuaded enough to continue living.
"Speaking a phrase, Instantly grown" She unveils that she's carrying his unborn.
"I am blind, Waiting in line" Now unfazed about being a family guy death continues as the theme. He has seen the writings on the wall "Why am I sure" but always leaves room for hope.
Imagine in the car idled and the couple starts to breath the effects of exhaust in a closed-tight garage. Two apprehensive lovers in a suicide pact.. they've discussed this before. He struggles to stay the course "cold"... she's defaults and wants her window side up. His sinking feeling that "moving through" are her intentions to will life onwards; that maybe he was an egregious fool. He pouts again about the no one loves him "uninteresting". She not sick "green" from the poison monoxide because her window side was shut up was sparing her. "Shameful as it seems" they are ineffective to change the other. The stone faces are on so it's enough to stop it from happening this time. They're simply not benefiting to one another. No one else will know their unease and sorrow if he decides to live.
"Endless climb, I am blind" Eventually it WILL END and NOT BE PRETTY.
"What can I hear, called a lie" This girl is the most honest thing in his world he although eventually not enough to persuade him to continue living.
"Speaking a phrase, Instantly grown" She unveils that she's carrying his unborn.
"I am blind, Waiting in line" Now unfazed about being a family guy death continues as the theme. He has seen the writings on the wall "Why am I sure" but always leaves room for hope.
"What can I hear, called a lie" This girl is the most honest thing within his world although he will eventually not be persuaded enough to continue living.
"I am blind/ Speaking a phrase"
That line seems to refer to the possible opening of an extraterrestrial spacecraft and subsequent "blinding" of the writer who witnessed it, due to the lighting inside the ship. Then, the writer can hear some sort of jargon, "Speaking a phrase."
That's just my two cents.
"In this climb,
I am blind
Why can't I hear?
Colour blind
Speaking a phrase
Instantly grown
I am blind
Waiting in line
Why am I shown?"
This song is about life itself, life is the climb, we're all blind, at least to start off with. You can probably figure out the rest of the lyrics if you have 2 brain cells and actually thought about it. Wow, you small minded fools, what a surprise, most of you have labeled this as another song about drug addiction, but Kurt was more in depth then that, and that's what you all seem to be blind to. It's quite demeaning towards him to believe almost all his songs are to do with drugs, you aren't real fans, you're just a pathetic attempt at them. Try using your brains.
He was talking about all you sheep, "waiting in line", but then wonders why he is shown, shown more then most of you will ever know, Kurt was just curious as to why such a responsibility was given to him, he was given more answers then some of us receive, but he didn't want them.
and another correction - in the seventh paragraph I meant: waiting in a constant state of heroin use.
Beginning with the phrase ‘it’s not cold enough’ implying he’s usage of heroin. Allegorically, this phrase positions the speaker as a person who chose (wants to chose) not to take the ordinary “route for life” society chose for him (the speaker doesn’t have to be a drug user).
‘Please put this side up’ represents the “route”, or it’s beginning (the subway card thing…).
‘She’s moving through’- double meaning (as explained before). She can be she (she’s moving in that “route”) – but also that certain she represents people in general, and moreover as a group, who’s taken that route (leaving the speaker behind).
‘Can we show our faces now’- rhetorical. We can’t. We are freaks. I support the interpretation – ‘show our real faces’.
And now – ‘I’m not interesting enough’ – I’m not interesting at all because if you don’t embrace the route you’re not interesting – no one even looks at you. ‘She’s not turning green’ (she’s not jealous) – a rehearse.
The next lines describe the “route” as it looks through the speaker’s eyes. ‘Endless climb’ is the “route” - It’s an endless struggle (as posted here before). A route the speaker would like to leave – ‘why can’t I leave’. And: ‘he is blind’ (‘I am blind’) - because it is filled with so many details, so many trees that you can’t see the forest. ‘Color blind’ everything looks (is) the same: same color – on the route.
‘Speaking a phrase/instantly grown’- generally meaning the irony of success (and for this speaker…). In Kurt’s case, no doubt about it, ‘phrase’ means the song ‘smells like teen spirit’. ‘Instantly grown’- he’s meteoric success after smells.
I am blind- emphasizing the situation hasn’t changed for the speaker. ‘Waiting in line’ – for death (line can also mean Heroin line – waiting in a constant heroin use for death).
‘Why am I sure?’ – leaving a room for doubt (in himself), and also apposing worshiping. Especially blind worshiping (think for yourself!! Maybe I’m wrong. Doubt me).
Personally, I also think the girl in the song is Toby.