Daily Archive

Lyrics:

Well I walked over the bridge
Into the city where I live,
And I saw my old landlord.
Well we both said hello,
There was nowhere else to go,
‘cuz his rent I couldn’t afford.

Well relationships change,
Oh I think it’s kinda strange,
How money makes a man grow.
Some people they claim,
If you get enough fame,
You live over the rainbow.
Over the rainbow.

But the people on the street,
Out on buses or on feet,
We all got the same blood flow.
Oh, in society,
Every dollar got a deed,
We all need a place so we can go,
And feel over the rainbow.

But sometimes,
We forget what we got,
Who we are.
Oh who are are not.
I think we gotta chance,
To make it right.
Keep it loose,
Keep it tight.
Keep it tight.

I’m in love with a girl,
Who’s in love with the world,
Though I can’t help but follow.
Though I know some day,
She is bound to go away,
And stay over the rainbow.
Gotta learn how to let her go.
Over the rainbow.

Sometimes we forget who we got,
Who they are.
Oh, who they are not.
There is so much more in love,
Than black and white.
Keep it loose child,
Gotta keep it tight.
Keep it loose child,
Keep it tight.

Message:

There is definitely more than one message in this song, and what draws me to it is how much different it begins than ends.  Amos Lee starts by describing people in general…who we are, what makes us similar. Then in the last verse he’s describing a woman he must let go of.  When the song is broken down though, it’s easier to grasp some of the messages. Here are some lyrics I can relate to.

• “But the people on the street, out on buses or on feet, we all got the same blood flow.”

  • Now that I’m in Guatemala and clearly a foreigner in this country, I’m reminded of how I’m different daily. My hair, my skin, my gringo use of the language. Yet it helps to remind myself that I do have things in common with Guatemalans and that people all over the world are more similar than we think.

• “We all need a place where we can go, and feel over the rainbow.”

  • It’s difficult right now because I don’t have this place. Well, at least not a physical place anyway, so I’ve had to turn to writing to make me feel more comfortable and at ease. Music helps a lot too if I just need to relax. And of course conversations with people I’m close to make me feel more at home.

• “Sometimes we forget what we got. Who we are, and who we are not.”

  • Taking things for granted and losing perspective. These should both be added to the seven deadly sins. It’s easy to forget this sometimes in a completely different culture.

• “I’m in love with a girl who’s in love with the world.”

  • Well…not in love exactly…but I haven’t felt this way for someone in a long time.

• “There is so much more in love than black and white.”

  • Enough said.