The Promise of a Warning

I've been meaning to post the following for a little while now, as I think they really do deserve to be read. It was Michael Stipe who introduced me to the idea of writing lyrics down and sharing them with people because, in his opinion, it allows the words to breathe and, consequentially, take on new and different meanings. Now, these that follow are by no means mine. They're taken from a track on the latest iDLEWiLD masterpiece, 'Warnings/ Promises', thats in all good, and probably a number of less-than-good, record shops now. However, to me, it showcases this band's uncanny knack of writing tracks that I feel really reflect either the way I feel at a certain point in time (Low Light, American English) and in general (I'm Happy to Be Here Tonight, Little Discourage, The Bronze Medal, Live in a Hiding Place). This track? Well, it's a little of both. So read, contemplate, read again if you must, and let me know what you think. At the end of the day, I just hope you enjoy what follows.

BLAME IT ON OBVIOUS WAYS

All the mistakes I've made
I've made because
I didn't really know myself very well
And by this stage
I feel like I really shouldn't know myself
I'm forced into a sponsored silence
Where I'm only paid if I don't say
What I want to say

Open up your arms and say, "I can't throw it all away"
Open up your arms and say, "I can't give it all away"
I couldn't even care what you'll say
You change
You change everyday
And blame it on your obvious ways

I gamble my praises
And fill the jukebox full of my favourite phrases
As we cling to the nightclub walls
We whisper the words
We whispered them wrong
And so we screamed out the wrong words
In to our own song
And with a kiss that tasted like drugs
Which tastes like we'll never, ever make it home

Open up your arms and say, "I can't throw it all away"
Open up your arms and say, "I can't give it all away"
I couldn't even care what you'll say
You change
You change everyday
And blame it on your obvious ways

Throw me around
First you've got to calm me down
Don't you think you
Should calm me down before you throw me around?

You throw me in to another move I came and make
It changes everyday
Open up your arms and say, "Give it all away"
I couldn't even care what you'll say
You change
You change everyday
And blame it on your obvious ways

(Woomble, Jones, Stewart, Fox, Newton (2005))