We Used to Wait
Arcade Fire Lyrics
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I used to write letters
I used to sign my name
I used to sleep at night
Before the flashing lights settled deep in my brain
But by the time we met
By the time we met
The times had already changed
So I never wrote a letter
I never took my true heart
I never wrote it down
So when the lights cut out
I was lost standing in the wilderness downtown
Now our lives are changing fast
Now our lives are changing fast
Hope that something pure can last
Hope that something pure can last
It seems strange
How we used to wait for letters to arrive
But what's stranger still
Is how something so small can keep you alive
We used to wait
We used to waste hours just walkin' around
We used to wait
All those wasted lives in the wilderness downtown
Oh, we used to wait
Oh, we used to wait
Oh, we used to wait
Sometimes it never came (we used to wait)
Sometimes it never came (we used to wait)
Still moving through the pain
I'm gonna write a letter to my true love
I'm gonna sign my name
Like a patient on a table
I wanna walk again
Gonna move through the pain
Now our lives are changing fast
Now our lives are changing fast
Hope that something pure can last
Hope that something pure can last
Oh, we used to wait
Oh, we used to wait
Oh, we used to wait
Sometimes it never came (we used to wait)
Sometimes it never came (we used to wait)
Still moving through the pain
We used to wait
We used to wait
We used to wait
We used to wait for it
We used to wait for it
Now we're screaming
Sing the chorus again
We used to wait for it
We used to wait for it
Now we're screaming
Sing the chorus again
I used to wait for it
I used to wait for it
Hear my voice screaming
Sing the chorus again
Wait for it
Wait for it
Wait for it
In Arcade Fire's song We Used to Wait, the lyrics describe the realization that the world has changed drastically from the past. The singer reminisces over a time when they used to actively write letters and sign their name, and how they used to be able to sleep peacefully before technology's constant flashing lights infiltrated their thoughts. However, by the time the singer meets their love interest, the times have already changed, and they no longer write letters or express their true feelings. The bridge reflects on the idea that the fast-paced world can make our lives feel ephemeral and uncertain, and how we long for something pure that can last.
Throughout the song, the theme of nostalgia and the passing of time are apparent. The singer longs for the small things they used to do, waste time walking around, and waiting for letters to arrive. They reflect on how something as small as receiving a letter could keep someone alive. However, the phrase "sometimes it never came" signifies the change that technology has brought upon us, making instant gratification the norm. The singer wants to embrace the pain of the past and move forward, longing to walk again and sign their name on a letter to their true love, hoping that something pure and long-lasting can come of it all.
In conclusion, We Used to Wait speaks to the idea of how technology has changed our world, making us lose the essence of what it means to be human. The lyrics showcase the beauty and simplicity of the past, the longing for something pure in the chaotic present, and the hope and perseverance for something better in the future.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to write
I used to take time to express myself through writing
I used to write letters
I used to put my thoughts and feelings on paper and send them to people
I used to sign my name
I used to take ownership of my words by putting my name on them
I used to sleep at night
I used to have a peaceful mind and sleep soundly
Before the flashing lights settled deep in my brain
Before the constant stimulation of technology distracted me and affected me mentally
But by the time we met
By the time we crossed paths
The times had already changed
Society had already undergone a transformation
So I never wrote a letter
I stopped expressing myself through writing
I never took my true heart
I never shared my genuine feelings or emotions
I never wrote it down
I stopped recording my experiences or thoughts in a tangible way
So when the lights cut out
When technology fails or stops working
I was lost standing in the wilderness downtown
I found myself directionless and alone in an urban environment
Now our lives are changing fast
Our society and daily existence are evolving rapidly
Hope that something pure can last
Desire for a lasting, authentic experience or relationship
It seems strange
I find it curious
How we used to wait for letters to arrive
It's interesting how we used to anticipate and rely on physical correspondence
But what's stranger still
Even more puzzling is
Is how something so small can keep you alive
It's remarkable how even a small connection or message can provide hope and sustenance
We used to wait
We used to have patience
We used to waste hours just walkin' around
We used to pass time aimlessly
All those wasted lives in the wilderness downtown
All the unfulfilling or devoid experiences that people have in urban areas
Sometimes it never came (we used to wait)
Sometimes we never received that which we were waiting for
Still moving through the pain
Continuing to live with and endure emotional discomfort or hardship
I'm gonna write a letter to my true love
I will express my feelings in written form to my genuine romantic partner
I'm gonna sign my name
I will take responsibility for and be proud of my words
Like a patient on a table
Just as someone undergoing medical treatment must go through pain to heal
I wanna walk again
I desire a renewed sense of freedom and clarity
Gonna move through the pain
I will undergo suffering in order to grow and develop
We used to wait for it
We used to have patience for a desired outcome
Now we're screaming
Now we are demanding or pleading
Sing the chorus again
Repeat the message of the song's main theme
Wait for it
Have patience for something desired
Wait for it
Have patience for something desired
Wait for it
Have patience for something desired
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jeremy Gara, Regine Chassagne, Richard R Parry, Tim Kingsbury, William Butler, Win Butler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@andrea_myers
I'm almost 50. This song takes me back to my pen-palling days of my late teens and 20s - the 80s and 90s. I had around 30+ at one time. Spent a lot if time waiting on letters from favorite pen-pals, one guy in particular that I had fallen in love with - and he made me wait the longest time between letters. Back then it could be 2 - 3 months. Finally just never heard from him again. The few favorite pen-pals I had who were into the same music as I was, we'd copy our new music for each other and include the tapes with our packages, sometimes would send along Xeroxed copies of articles from music magazines. Gradually they disappeared or friended me on Facebook and we messaged instead til that faded out, too. Good times. I miss them.
@zealotmarux73
Thanks for sharing your story of the pre-digital era. Back then letter writing was the cheapest way to stay in touch with family & friends in comparison to long distance telephone calls &/or telegrams.
@martinharrison1504
Yes the good old pen-pal days. We used to wait indeed, but there was a magic in that waiting, and that's gone forever now in the age of facebook instagram or whatever. Times change. I expect in another 30 or 40 years something will have replaced the social-media sites as we know them now and people will look back on the good old days of the 2020's..
@jacquedaw
Yeah just saying this earlier, I miss the days of letter writing, we used to wait, time to reflect, now with social media it is all so immediate, no time to reflect, process or go deep.
@joshualucas7409
You're an amazing woman
@LeroOfTheKodiak
I'm 31. I listened to this freshman year of college back in 2011. What a trip these past 10 years have been. Hope all is well, brother.
@christinak5452
I spent so much of my youth waiting for something to happen, for something to change... Wishing my life away. Hoping and waiting.
@pras9258
I love you too 😢
@chadevantrimm3311
Uploaded 3 days before Christmas 2020. Perhaps its meaning is to impose something otherworldly upon us? We cannot control the world. It will not simply give us what we desire, or need. We can, however, write a letter to our true love, and sign our name. Wait for a response, as we walk through the pain. Merry Christmas, Christina!
@Annapaz25
@@chadevantrimm3311 I think Arcade Fire has been trying to help us change our hearts so that the world can change too. That's what I believe.