i hate when people say the lyrics are random.
i think its about how when youre a kid, youd do anything to be a grown up, and when youre grown up, youd do anything to be a kid again. i agree for the most part with switchfootfreak
"My name is Jonas
I'm carrying the wheel"
his name is jonas, a child, and he is directing and is in control of his life.
"Thanks for all you've shown us
But this if how we feel"
hes thankful for what he has learned and what people have shown him, but he feels that being something else would be better.
"Come sit next to me
Pour yourself some tea
Just like grandma made
When we couldn't find sleep
Things were better then
Once but never again"
fast forword 20 years or so. someone is listening to his problems, like they used to when he couldnt fall asleep. he is reflecting as an adult about childhood. how great it was, but itll never be that good again.
"We've all left the den
Let me tell you 'bout it"
when we grow up, we leave the protection of our family. when i read "left the den" i think of a wolf den. when the baby wolf grows up, it leaves its den where it was protected, into the wilderness where it has to fend for itself. stupid analogy, but thats just how i think of it.
"The choo-choo train left right on time
A ticket cost only your mind
The driver said 'hey man, we go all the way'
Of course we were willing to pay."
now, back to childhood. using childish words like "choo choo train" instead of just "train" to show its a kid, he is "willing to pay" to be an adult, or "go all the way" in life
"My name is wepeel
I gotta box full or your toys
They're fresh out of batteries
But they're still makin' noise"
now that hes grown up, he is a different person. hes not jonas anymore, hes wepeel. he has memories or his childhood, or toys. "theyre fresh outta batteries" - theres no hope of going back. "but theyre still makin noise" - there are still strong memories of them.
"Tell me what to do
Now the tank is dry
Now the wheel is flat"
he has no direction in his life and if asking what to do. he has no will to move on ("tank is dry"), and even if he did, he still has obsticles (a wheel being flat, stopping him from moving along)
"And you know what else?"
in a kind of complaining way, that there are too many things going on.
"Guess what I received
In the mail today
Words of deep concern
From my little brother"
put simply, he has problems filling up his life
"The building's not goin' as it's planned"
being an adult isnt as great as he had thought as a kid.
"The foreman has injured his hand"
again, he has no direction in his life. a foreman is someone who has control over workers, so with the leader and controller out, the workers are left on their own.
"The dozer will not clear its path"
fits with the foreman, there is not path for him to follow, he has no direction.
"The driver swears he learned his math"
again, life as an adult isnt was he thought it would be as a kid.
This is a great surface reading of the song, but you forgot the most important lyric! The final line of the song is:
This is a great surface reading of the song, but you forgot the most important lyric! The final line of the song is:
"My name is Jonas"
Signaling that, now that he's been bested by a disillusioning adulthood, he's slinking back to his childhood self. I like how that wraps up the whole cycle.
"My name is Jonas"
Signaling that, now that he's been bested by a disillusioning adulthood, he's slinking back to his childhood self. I like how that wraps up the whole cycle.
i hate when people say the lyrics are random. i think its about how when youre a kid, youd do anything to be a grown up, and when youre grown up, youd do anything to be a kid again. i agree for the most part with switchfootfreak
"My name is Jonas I'm carrying the wheel" his name is jonas, a child, and he is directing and is in control of his life.
"Thanks for all you've shown us But this if how we feel" hes thankful for what he has learned and what people have shown him, but he feels that being something else would be better.
"Come sit next to me Pour yourself some tea Just like grandma made When we couldn't find sleep Things were better then Once but never again" fast forword 20 years or so. someone is listening to his problems, like they used to when he couldnt fall asleep. he is reflecting as an adult about childhood. how great it was, but itll never be that good again.
"We've all left the den Let me tell you 'bout it" when we grow up, we leave the protection of our family. when i read "left the den" i think of a wolf den. when the baby wolf grows up, it leaves its den where it was protected, into the wilderness where it has to fend for itself. stupid analogy, but thats just how i think of it.
"The choo-choo train left right on time A ticket cost only your mind The driver said 'hey man, we go all the way' Of course we were willing to pay." now, back to childhood. using childish words like "choo choo train" instead of just "train" to show its a kid, he is "willing to pay" to be an adult, or "go all the way" in life
"My name is wepeel I gotta box full or your toys They're fresh out of batteries But they're still makin' noise" now that hes grown up, he is a different person. hes not jonas anymore, hes wepeel. he has memories or his childhood, or toys. "theyre fresh outta batteries" - theres no hope of going back. "but theyre still makin noise" - there are still strong memories of them.
"Tell me what to do Now the tank is dry Now the wheel is flat" he has no direction in his life and if asking what to do. he has no will to move on ("tank is dry"), and even if he did, he still has obsticles (a wheel being flat, stopping him from moving along)
"And you know what else?" in a kind of complaining way, that there are too many things going on.
"Guess what I received In the mail today Words of deep concern From my little brother" put simply, he has problems filling up his life
"The building's not goin' as it's planned" being an adult isnt as great as he had thought as a kid.
"The foreman has injured his hand" again, he has no direction in his life. a foreman is someone who has control over workers, so with the leader and controller out, the workers are left on their own.
"The dozer will not clear its path" fits with the foreman, there is not path for him to follow, he has no direction.
"The driver swears he learned his math" again, life as an adult isnt was he thought it would be as a kid.
"The workers are goin' Home!" he has given up.
This is a great surface reading of the song, but you forgot the most important lyric! The final line of the song is:
This is a great surface reading of the song, but you forgot the most important lyric! The final line of the song is:
"My name is Jonas" Signaling that, now that he's been bested by a disillusioning adulthood, he's slinking back to his childhood self. I like how that wraps up the whole cycle.
"My name is Jonas" Signaling that, now that he's been bested by a disillusioning adulthood, he's slinking back to his childhood self. I like how that wraps up the whole cycle.