Close to Home
The Get Up Kids Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waited for you to come around
Every word you wrote
Down, we read it over to know
Would they believe in us now?
There's no shame like no
Sound from sources hits close to home
Everything that we've found
Says make your own destiny, but
You're unaware that you should be scared
Maybe you'll learn from mistake that we make
Not waiting forever
We know you'll never be there
Not waiting forever
If you get out, see you there
Summer swallowed us whole
Waited for you to come around
There's no shame like no
Sound from sources hits close to home
Everything that we've found
Says make your own destiny, but
You're unaware that you should be scared
Maybe you'll learn from mistake that we make
Not waiting forever
We know you'll never be there
Not waiting forever
If you get out, see you there
You're not awake as I'm aware
Maybe we had all you figured
Absolutely wrong
There's been a misunderstanding
We've had all along
Maybe we had all you figured
Absolutely wrong
You can read about
About it when we're gone
In "Close to Home," The Get Up Kids explore themes of youthful uncertainty, self-discovery, and the confusion that often comes with growing up. The verses' opening line, "Summer swallowed us whole," conjures an image of the singer and his companions surrendering to the season's sticky heat and emotional intensity. As they wait for their friend to "come around," they pore over his written words, wondering if they still believe in each other. The chorus touches on the isolating feeling of not being heard, the searching for one's own path, and the hope of reuniting with a friend who has drifted away. The bridge adds a layer of complexity as the singer and his friends realize they may have misjudged their friend, and both parties might be better off letting go. Ending with the line, "You can read about it when we're gone," suggests that their blended stories hold as many interpretations as the song itself and may never be resolved.
In terms of songwriting, "Close to Home" features a strong structure with clear verses, chorus, and bridge sections that progress the story naturally. The repeated line in the verses, "Every word you wrote down, we read it over to know" mirrors the themes of examining written words in contrast with the in-person interactions that form the heart of the song. The song's instrumentation and melody are simple, allowing the lyrics to take center stage.
Line by Line Meaning
Summer swallowed us whole
The summer engulfed and consumed us completely
Waited for you to come around
We hoped and waited for you to show up
Every word you wrote
We read and analyzed every word of your writing
Down, we read it over to know
We read and re-read to understand precisely
Would they believe in us now?
We wondered if others would have faith in us after reading your words
There's no shame like no
Nothing compares to feeling embarrassed or disappointed
Sound from sources hits close to home
Hearing certain things hits right at the heart and makes us vulnerable
Everything that we've found
From our experience, we have learned that
Says make your own destiny, but
It's preferred to create your path, but
You're unaware that you should be scared
It's possible that you don't realize the potential danger
Maybe you'll learn from mistake that we make
Perhaps you'll gain insight from our errors
Not waiting forever
We're not going to wait for too long
We know you'll never be there
We're aware that you're unlikely to show up
If you get out, see you there
If you decide to participate, we'll see you then
You're not awake as I'm aware
It seems like you're still not fully conscious
Maybe we had all you figured
Perhaps we understood you completely
Absolutely wrong
But we were entirely mistaken
There's been a misunderstanding
We've had a misinterpretation all along
You can read about
In case you're curious, you can learn about
About it when we're gone
Once we're no longer here to explain it in person
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave
Written by: JAMES DAVID SUPTIC, JAMES MATTHEW DEWEES, MATTHEW PATRICK PRYOR, ROBERT STEVEN POPE, RYAN MICHAEL POPE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
morijustice
summer swallowed us whole;
we waited for you to come around
every word you wrote down,
we read it over to know... would they believe is us now?
there's no shame like no sound from sources hits close to home
everything that we've found says make your own destiny
but you're unaware that you should be scared
maybe you'll learn from mistake that we make
strungoutboy21
This song brings back some great memories. What a great band.
William Junior
Eu amo essa música desde de adolescente de uma forma que nem sei explicar
theinfamousped
I believe there will never be, nor was there ever before, a better "WOOO!" thrown into a song.
Shawn Ryan
2:23
Crashdrums
One of their most underrated songs, ever.
Furious Hawk
"Summer swallowed us Whole....... waiting for you to come around"
Gets me ❤️
d t
every single time
Scott
This song, and album, and this band in general is soooo underrated.
Mark Carey
I wish I was born before the 90s so I could listen to the get up kids as a teen when it was the trend.I love these guys
Nelson3300
86 😘