I would recommend everyone listens to this song before reading this post:
I first heard this song when Jenny & Johnny supported Bright Eyes at the Leeds O2 Academy back in 2011. After the concert, James and I bought the album from Amazon and I put it on my phone to listen to on my daily commute.
Ever since, I keep going back to this song. I always get a section of the lyrics in my head, and it makes me want to listen to it again after months of listening to other stuff.
Anyway, here are the lyrics:
It’s been one long year of Saturday nights
In the city of a billion suns
Sleeping through the afternoon
With your latest only one
You had her every way from Sunday
And on Monday morning too
You used to dine out on a dollar
With a switchblade in your coat
You had your young mind in the gutter
You had your feet on the ground
See you on the way up
On the way down
See you on the way down
On the way up
See you on the way up
On the way down
It was poverty that kept you sweet
And dreams that kept you young
The money started rolling in
You stopped having any fun
You used to dine out on a dollar
With a switchblade in your coat
You had your young mind in the gutter
You had your feet on the ground
See you on the way up
On the way down
See you on the way down
On the way up
See you on the way up
On the way down
You used to dine out on a dollar
With your switchblade in your coat
You had your young mind in the gutter
You had your feet on the ground
See you on the way up
On the way up
See you on the way down
On the way up
See you on the way up
On the way down
I’m probably totally wrong about the literal meaning, but to me the song is about the transition between student life and a full time job.
You go from “one long year of Saturday nights”, “Sleeping through the afternoon”, and having to “dine out on a dollar” then the “money started rolling in” and “you stopped having any fun“.
The lines that stick out the most to me are these:
It was poverty that kept you sweet
And dreams that kept you young
I get this in my head so much because it’s so true. Poverty keeps you sweet and dreams keep you young, because you have so many options ahead of you and the sky is the limit.
But when you start earning a living, you forget about your dreams and get stuck in the humdrum of work – rest – play and living for the weekend.
