Funky Squaredance
Phoenix Lyrics
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I ain't got much to win, not much to lose
Under the burden of my loneliness
It feels so hard to win, so hard to lose
I won't enjoy my collection of stamps
When I'm six feet under the ground
Lonely streets and dusty roads
Lord it's a long way to go back home
Under the burden of your heart of stone
You shrug your shoulders as I decompose
Please keep a eye on those red haired boys
Someday they'll play drum with my shinbones
Now your chewing-gum on my coffin
Take me where I long to be
I can't believe that you want me to wear
The evening tails that will fit my corpse
I don't need a tuxedo
There's no bouncer in the after world
I only just left my dying bed and
Your making curtains out of my shroud
Don't you dig my grave with some excavator
Use a blood stained sword and a snow-white horse, please
A last ride in the city's hearse
Few miles away from heaven above
A few more minutes 'till they bury me
A few more weeks 'till worms lick my bones
I won't enjoy my collection of stamps
When I'm five feet under the ground
Stormy days and lonely nights
Lord it's a long way to go back home
In Phoenix's song Funky Squaredance, the lyrics describe the struggle of life with its ups and downs, its successes and failures. It speaks of both hopeful days and stormy nights, illustrating the duality of life. The singer is burdened with loneliness and finds it hard to succeed, yet at the same time, has little to lose. The lyrics paint a bleak picture of life, with lines like "I won't enjoy my collection of stamps when I'm six feet under the ground."
The song speaks of the end of life and the afterlife, where the singer is buried and taken on a final ride in a hearse. The lyrics suggest a desire to be buried in a more traditional way than with an excavator. The singer is described as having a heart of stone, while the red-haired boys are seen as a symbol of hope. The final lines, "Lord it's a long way to go back home," suggest both the length of the singer's journey towards death and the idea of returning home to a final resting place.
Overall, the lyrics of Funky Squaredance explore the darker aspects of life, such as loneliness, death, and the afterlife. The lyrics convey a sense of struggle and hardship, yet at the same time, there is a poetic beauty to them that makes them hauntingly memorable.
Line by Line Meaning
Hopeful days and stormy nights
Even though some days are good and others bad, life goes on.
I ain't got much to win, not much to lose
I don't have much to gain or lose in this life.
Under the burden of my loneliness
Feeling heavily weighed down by my solitude.
It feels so hard to win, so hard to lose
Life's challenges never seem to get any easier.
I won't enjoy my collection of stamps
All of my earthly possessions will be meaningless when I am dead.
When I'm six feet under the ground
When I am buried and gone from this world.
Lonely streets and dusty roads
Familiar, yet empty paths.
Lord it's a long way to go back home
The journey back to where one belongs (such as heaven) feels never-ending.
Under the burden of your heart of stone
You carry your emotional baggage with you everywhere you go.
You shrug your shoulders as I decompose
You show apathy towards my decay and eventual death.
Please keep a eye on those red haired boys
Make sure you watch over those who will survive me.
Someday they'll play drum with my shinbones
One day my body may be used as an instrument in a future generation.
Now your chewing-gum on my coffin
You are disrespecting my final resting place.
Take me where I long to be
Please let me rest in peace where I feel I belong.
I can't believe that you want me to wear
It is absurd for you to care about my appearance when I am dead.
The evening tails that will fit my corpse
Clothes that won't matter once I am dead.
There's no bouncer in the after world
No one checks who enters the afterlife.
I only just left my dying bed and
I just passed away.
Your making curtains out of my shroud
You are desecrating my death shroud.
Don't you dig my grave with some excavator
My burial should not be done in a disrespectful manner.
Use a blood stained sword and a snow-white horse, please
My burial should be done with dignity and honor.
A last ride in the city's hearse
My final journey through the city before being laid to rest.
Few miles away from heaven above
A short distance away from entering the afterlife.
A few more minutes 'till they bury me
A little more time until my burial.
A few more weeks 'till worms lick my bones
It won't be long until my body is consumed by nature.
Stormy days and lonely nights
Difficult times and feeling isolated from others.
Lord it's a long way to go back home
The journey back to where one belongs feels never-ending.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: AUGUST JOHNSON, CHRISTIAN MAZZALAI, FREDERIC MOULIN-VIDAL, LAURENT MAZZALAI, THOMAS CROQUET
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Debaser Deducer
I can't shake off this feeling..that I need to buy a phoenix album..
Marcelo
My mind keeps wondering...
Why did it take so damn long for me to know this BAND, this ALBUM, this SONG??!! 🤔
Simply LOVE IT!!!
Joe "Cobra" Belmondo
Probably the best song of Phoenix. Solo guitare is astonish 👏
Ross Turcotte
Really wish Roman would do more as a director. His videos were always dope, his collabs w/ Wes Anderson are generally charming and CQ was/is beyond slept on (the less said about that Charles Swan thing the better though). So is the score by another French band, mellow, in that flick too. Heck, mellow as a band in general are underrated asf. It's strange. Him & Sofia have many Venn diagram-y tendencies vibe wise and both are massively talented, it's not just nepotism. 🤷 ✨
rumpelstinski101
One of the best and most original music video ever. By the way, I don't know why but suddenly I want to buy phoenix records.
Carine II
Dancing for the hundredth million time to that song since the album release. Phoenix are awesome.
bahbz
I like this video! It works the same way my brain does when I let it wander. A series of thoughts and ideas flowing one after the other, seemingly disconnected. I like the way one idea has only maybe one molecule of similiarity to the next idea, one concept gives way to something seemingly unrelated. Thanks for sharing your brain Roman!
spacegirrrl
It made me laugh real hard in a good sense, I mean let's end on something big. . . The cosmos ! haha I loooooved the ending, At first I didn't realize that was actually actually the video, but then you get into the story no matter what he's telling you about then the random thing about being hypnotized. . . and i loved the commercial concept . . . really loved it, the photograph was quite nice. Anyway <3 going into my favs
Husejin Dervic
Two powerful creative forces come together for a great video: Phoenix and the Family Coppola
J-Force
The blinking idea is awesome! It rewards those with rhythm... Kinda. Empowered by Phoenix, you are a creative genius!