Once she came like a vision in the night,
I fell in love before the morning arrived,
She wore a blue dress to combat the heat,
Drank beer from a bottle and danced in the street,
Then I heard her singing something fairly familiar,
A tale of two lovers in the thick of the summer,
There in the moment we kissed in the hammock,
We argued over which Bad Religion album was better,
I thought ‘No Control’ or ‘Suffer’.

Then she became queen of the neighbourhood parties,
While I was an unknown boy along for the ride,
Kept the guitar right by my side,
It was better than conversing with the kids I didn’t like,
But on the fourth of July when the fireworks rang out,
She met a new boy who was more hip and less strung out,
I drove home with fire in the sky,
Fiddled with the dials and stumbled across something,
That you were always humming.

As time tables suggest,
We were only just friends,
In constant motions covering stilts,
I’ll give you a dollar for another ride home,
Or something to mix with your Coke.

Well maybe if you want to wander around outside tonight,
Meet me in Lake Ariel after midnight,
Or really whenever, I only want to talk,
I only want to relive what was lost.

As time tables suggest,
We were only just friends,
In constant motions covering stilts,
I’ll give you a dollar for another ride home,
Or something to mix with...

As time tables suggest,
We were only just friends,
In constant motions covering stilts,
I’ll give you a dollar for another ride home,
Or something to mix with your Coke.

Overall Meaning

The Menzingers's song Time Tables is a nostalgic and romantic ballad about a past relationship that never truly blossomed. The song begins with vivid imagery of how he met the woman who he fell in love with "like a vision in the night." She was carefree, wearing a blue dress and drinking beer out of a bottle, dancing in the street. Their connection was immediate and deep, as they bonded over music, arguing over which Bad Religion album was the better one.

However, things didn't progress as he had hoped. She became the queen of their neighborhood parties, while he was still just an unknown boy along for the ride. He tried to connect with her through music, keeping his guitar by his side, but eventually, she moved on with a different man. The song closes with the singer reflecting on the past and hoping to relive what was lost, but realizing that they were never more than just friends.

The theme of the song is rooted in the idea that time and circumstance often dictate the course of our lives, and sometimes, despite our best intentions and efforts, things just don't work out the way we want them to. The singer has accepted this fact and is left with only memories and the hope of connecting with what he once had.

Line by Line Meaning

Once she came like a vision in the night,
She appeared suddenly and unexpectedly, like a dream or an apparition in the darkness of the night.

I fell in love before the morning arrived,
I quickly and deeply fell in love with her, even though she had only been there for a short time.

She wore a blue dress to combat the heat,
She chose to wear a blue dress to keep cool in the hot weather.

Drank beer from a bottle and danced in the street,
She drank beer from a bottle as she danced outside in public, enjoying the moment and letting loose.

Then I heard her singing something fairly familiar,
I recognized the song she was singing and it felt comforting and familiar to me.

A tale of two lovers in the thick of the summer,
The song she was singing was about two people in love during the hot summer months.

There in the moment we kissed in the hammock,
We shared a tender moment when we kissed while lying in a hammock together.

We argued over which Bad Religion album was better,
We had a playful argument about which album from the punk rock band Bad Religion was the best.

Then she became queen of the neighbourhood parties,
She became very popular and well-liked at the local parties and gatherings.

While I was an unknown boy along for the ride,
I was mostly just along for the ride in her social circle, not as well-known or popular as she was.

Kept the guitar right by my side,
I always had my guitar with me, as it was a comfort and a way to express myself.

It was better than conversing with the kids I didn’t like,
Playing guitar was a preferable activity compared to talking to people I didn't enjoy being around.

But on the fourth of July when the fireworks rang out,
On a particular night when fireworks were going off, something significant happened.

She met a new boy who was more hip and less strung out,
She started seeing a new guy who was cooler and less stressful than I was.

I drove home with fire in the sky,
I left the party feeling hurt and angry, as the fireworks lit up the sky above me.

Fiddled with the dials and stumbled across something,
I absentmindedly messed with the radio while driving and came across something unexpected.

That you were always humming.
I heard a song that you used to always hum, reminding me of our past together and the memories we shared.

I’ll give you a dollar for another ride home,
I offer to pay you for a ride home, as a way to spend more time with you and have a chance to talk.

Or something to mix with your Coke.
I also suggest getting a drink to mix with the soda you were drinking, as another way to extend our time together.

Well maybe if you want to wander around outside tonight,
I suggest going for a walk together, enjoying the night air and each other's company.

Meet me in Lake Ariel after midnight,
I suggest meeting up at a specific location after midnight, creating a sense of adventure and spontaneity.

I only want to talk,
I clarify that I just want to have conversation and reconnect, without any ulterior motive.

I only want to relive what was lost.
I express my desire to revisit and remember the good times we had in the past, before things changed between us.

As time tables suggest,
The passage of time indicates and confirms something about our relationship.

We were only just friends,
We were never really more than friends, no matter how much we might have wished we were.

In constant motions covering stilts,
We were often moving and changing, trying to keep up with each other and maintain an unsteady relationship.

I’ll give you a dollar for another ride home,
I repeat my offer of paying for a ride home, reflecting my hopefulness and persistence.

Or something to mix with your Coke.
I again suggest getting a drink together, as a simple way to spend more time together and prolong the conversation.

As time tables suggest,
Time keeps moving forward, and certain truths can't be denied or changed.

We were only just friends,
We had a platonic relationship that never went further, despite our feelings for each other.

In constant motions covering stilts,
We were often trying to stay afloat and maintain our connection, even though it was difficult and often unbalanced.

I’ll give you a dollar for another ride home,
I repeat my offer of paying for a ride home, hoping to keep the conversation and connection going for a little longer.

Or something to mix with your Coke.
I suggest getting another drink together, as a way to add some sweetness and enjoyment to our time together.

Contributed by Landon A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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