Something Better Left Unknown

Mood: Contemplative
Music: Metric - "Gimme Sympathy"
Medicine: Respiratory Physiology


I think it's time for another song interpretation!

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"Gimme Sympathy" - Metric

Get hot, get too close to the flame
Wild open space
Talk like an open book, sign me up
Got no time to take a picture
I'll remember someday, all the chances we took

Chorus:
We're so close to something better left unknown
I can feel it in my bones
Gimme sympathy
After all of this is gone, who'd you rather be?
The Beatles or the Rolling Stones?
Oh, seriously, you're gonna make mistakes, you're young
Come on baby, play me something
Like, "Here comes the sun"

Don't go, stay with the all-unknown
Stay away from the hooks
All the chances we took

Chorus

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It's a really simple message, to me. You can interpret it a couple different ways, in fact, I believe it was written to describe the upward direction the band took in going from an indie band with a small following, to a more successful band, that branched out to the more popular side of music.

But I like this interpretation...

Get hot, get too close to the flame. Wild open space. Talk like an open book, sign me up.

The opening line is about that intense feeling you share with someone else. You pour your heart out, talk like an open book, and it leaves you wanting more.

Got no time to take a picture, I'll remember someday all the chances we took.

Things move quickly, but there's no time to stop and think about it, about getting burnt. You give your all, put your heart on the line. You take the risk.

We're so close to something better left unknown. I can feel it in my bones. Gimme sympathy.

It's almost better to leave it be, to put your guard up, to avoid getting hurt. It's almost better to walk away, because you'll most likely just end up getting hurt. But you want it... you can feel it to your very core. You can feel it in your bones. Sympathy here could be used as if to say, "Sympathize with me." As in, I hope you understand where I'm coming from, and that you feel it too.

After all of this is gone, who'd you rather be? The Beatles or the Rolling Stones? Oh, seriously, you're gonna make mistakes, you're young. Come on baby, play me something like, "Here comes the sun"

This is my favorite part of the song. The Beatles and the Rolling Stones are obviously very influential bands. To me, however, the Rolling Stones represent a relationship that comes into your life, that you remember and cherish, but it doesn't last your entire life. The Beatles, of course, were bigger than the Rolling Stones. They represent the person you want to share your entire life with. Who would you rather be? Give it a shot, don't be afraid to take a chance. You're young, you're going to make mistakes. With the last line of the chorus, the singer's basically saying: "show me that you're that person." Metaphorically, play me a song by the Beatles.

Don't go, stay with the all-unknown, stay away from the hooks, all the chances we took.

This is the tipping point, where you're thinking about it. Do you stick around with all that's unknown about the future? Do you avoid getting hooked? Even with all the chances you've taken, it's hard to decide

I doubt that's as detailed as the song was intended to be, but I like lyrics that evoke feelings from within. Lyrics full of emotion and depth. In any case, hope you enjoyed my take on the song!

"Come on baby, play me something like, 'Here comes the sun'"