Present Tense
Radiohead Lyrics
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This dance
It's like a weapon
It's like a weapon
Of self defense
Self defense
Against the present
Against the present
Present tense
I won't get heavy
Don't get heavy
Keep it light and
Keep it moving
I am doing
No harm
As my world
Comes crashing down
I'll be dancing
Freaking out
Deaf, dumb, and blind
In you I'm lost
In you I'm lost
I won't turn around when the penny drops
I won't stop now
I won't slack off
Or all this love
Will be in vain
Stop from falling
Down a mine
It's no one's business but mine
Well, all this love
Has been in vain
In you I'm lost
In you I'm lost
In you I'm lost
In you I'm lost
The lyrics to Radiohead's song "Present Tense" appear to be about the power of dance as a form of self defense against the present moment. The repetition of the phrase "this dance, it's like a weapon" suggests that the act of dancing can be used as a means of protecting oneself. The present tense, which is the focus of the title, is a source of anxiety and stress for the singer, and he turns to dancing as a way of coping with it.
Throughout the song, the singer emphasizes the importance of not taking things too seriously and learning to go with the flow. The lines "I won't get heavy/Don't get heavy/Keep it light and/Keep it moving/I am doing/No harm" suggest that he will not let the present tense weigh him down, but instead will continue to dance and stay in motion. The phrase "Deaf, dumb, and blind" invokes a sense of detachment and escape from reality, indicating that dancing can be a way of disconnecting from the stresses of the world and finding solace in the motion and rhythm.
The repeated phrase "In you I'm lost" adds a layer of emotional depth to the song, suggesting that the singer may have turned to another person for support in their struggle against the present moment. The final lines, which caution against falling down a mine and emphasize the importance of self-reliance, further underscore the idea that dancing is a tool for self-preservation.
Line by Line Meaning
This dance
The act of dancing
This dance
The act of dancing
It's like a weapon
Comparing the act of dancing to a weapon
It's like a weapon
Comparing the act of dancing to a weapon
Of self defense
Using dancing as an act of self defense
Self defense
Using dancing as a method of self defense
Against the present
Dancing to combat the present moment
Against the present
Dancing against the present moment
Present tense
In the current state
I won't get heavy
I won't become too serious
Don't get heavy
Don't take things too seriously
Keep it light and
Keep things easy and simple
Keep it moving
Keep going forward
I am doing
I'm doing well
No harm
Not causing any damage to anybody
As my world
As my life
Comes crashing down
Falls apart
I'll be dancing
Dancing in the face of adversity
Freaking out
Feeling overwhelmed
Deaf, dumb, and blind
Unable to grasp what's happening
In you I'm lost
Feeling lost without you
In you I'm lost
Feeling lost without you
I won't turn around when the penny drops
I won't change my behavior when the situation becomes clear
I won't stop now
I won't quit
I won't slack off
I won't slow down
Or all this love
Or everything I've put into this
Will be in vain
Will be for nothing
Stop from falling
Prevent from failing
Down a mine
Into a dangerous or hopeless situation
It's no one's business but mine
It's my own responsibility
Well, all this love
All the effort and emotion put into this
Has been in vain
Has been wasted
In you I'm lost
Feeling lost without you
In you I'm lost
Feeling lost without you
In you I'm lost
Feeling lost without you
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Colin Greenwood, Jonathan Greenwood, Edward John O'Brien, Philip Selway, Thomas Yorke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@juancamacho5746
This dance..
It's like a weapon..
Of self defense..
Against the present..
Present tense
I won't get heavy
Don't get heavy
Keep it light and
Keep it moving
I am doing
No harm
As my world
Comes crashing down
I'll be dancing
Freaking out
Deaf, dumb, and blind
In you I'm lost..
I won't turn around when the penny drops
I won't stop now
I won't slack off
Or all this love
Will be in vain
Stop from falling
Down a mine
It's no one's business but mine
Well, all this love
Has been in vain
In you I'm lost..
@khaledbishry828
[
For the people that want to read the lyrics to enjoy both at the same time
Verse 1]
This dance, this dance
Is like a weapon, is like a weapon
Of self-defence, of self-defence
Against the present, against the present
The present tense
No, I won't get heavy, don't get heavy
Keep it light and keep it moving
I am doing no harm
As my world comes crashing down
I'll be dancing, freaking out
Deaf, dumb, and blind
[Chorus]
In you, I'm lost
In you, I'm lost
[Verse 2]
I won't turn around or the penny drops
Won't stop now, won't slack off
Or all this love will be in vain
To stop from falling down a mine
It's no one's business but mine
Where all this love has been in vain
[Chorus]
In you, I'm lost
In you, I'm lost
In you, I'm lost
In you, I'm lost
@hendrosetyow3072
This song made the love my life (who is my wife now) realized that she longer feels alone anymore as she has me now as life partner. When the line hit "In you I'm lost" she was stricken in the heart like how I was when I first heard it.
I never understands the meaning of the song, but I understands how love should feels by this song,
"I won't turn around when the penny drops
I won't stop now
I won't slack off
Or all this love
Will be in vain"
This gave me courage.
Thank you
@estebansanchezoeconomo6827
My best friend died last week. When I met him, we didn't like each other until we find out both of us played Radiohead. He was 35 five and it wasn't supposed to happen. This was one of the first songs we played together, and I'm playing it at his funeral next week. His wife put it to him at the hospital when he was in a coma, before he was disconnected. This band was with me in my hard teenage years when I almost committed suicide, and their music helped me through it. And now they'll be signifying all my life, reminding me of my friend, Cesar.
@t_64
I’m sorry for your loss buddy. Rest easy Cesar.
@chrisd5964
What are lovely comment, my condolences. Every Christmas Day I light a candle for my mother and blow it out at the end of the day in memory of her, the sweetest woman who always made Christmas special for us kids, hope you find a way to remember Cesar like this.
@angelromero9523
Losing a close friend is difficult, youre honoring him through the music you two shared together.
@sinforoso6036
Lo siento mucho mi amigo se suicido hace un año y ha sido horrible no tener con quien escuchar buena musica.
@Elcanaldemaxiok
Nuestra banda sonora del día a día, que en paz descanse César, es evidente que tenía un excelente gusto, musical como de compañía/amigos... Te mando un fuerte abrazo
@giovannylopezhurtado3874
I'm an english student, and I was searching a Present Tense video to practice and I found this. I came looking for copper and found gold.
@darcykvlogs9522
Welcome to our cult
@ardifreelancer7082
the rose is red, the violets blue
the honey is sweet, and so are you.
is the tenses correct ?
@luis.borges
and now your life is changed forever