As Legs Get Slower
Akai Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Less time to do what we have to
Function fills where once was laughter
Conversation gives way to chatter
Fresh distractions keep getting staler
Like recorked wine a few weeks later
Crimson smiles serve as reminders
And even when we're happy with our lives
We catch ourselves thinking of better times
Thoughts flicker on and off like street lights
Casting ???? spots on the darkest nights
And as we look around our home we
Question all the things we own
All the things once so important
Are now all broke and go unnoticed
A metaphor for friends and family
'cause sometimes they can come in handy
Of sentimental things catch dust
gathers on the things we love
There's nothing healthy about giving in
So thinking about what could have been
--choose to be
The worst things always taste so sweet
And all that's left is to pretend
Is things we make smile again
In "As Legs Get Slower," Akai reflects on how as we age, time seems to pass by more quickly. Our days become filled with obligations and responsibilities, leaving less time for fun and laughter. We become more easily distracted by things that are ultimately unsatisfying and lose touch with the connection to people that once mattered to us. Our lives become filled with things that we thought were important, but they end up collecting dust and losing their meaning, much like relationships that once seemed essential.
The song talks about how even when we are content with our lives in the present, we still find ourselves longing for the past. The memories of what once was cast a flickering light on our present, illuminating the darker moments. As we look around our homes and our lives, we question our choices and wonder if we are truly happy. The song's last lines speak to the idea that in the end, all we can do is pretend that the things we have are enough to make us smile again.
Line by Line Meaning
As legs get slower life moves faster
As we age and become less physically capable, time seems to go by quicker.
Less time to do what we have to
We have less time to accomplish the things we need to do.
Function fills where once was laughter
Responsibilities and practicality takes over our lives where we used to just have fun and enjoy ourselves.
Conversation gives way to chatter
Meaningful conversations are replaced with shallow small talk.
Fresh distractions keep getting staler
New distractions quickly lose their appeal and become boring.
Like recorked wine a few weeks later
Similar to how wine that has been re-corked loses its flavor after a short amount of time, new distractions lose their excitement quickly.
Crimson smiles serve as reminders
Memories of past happiness bring bittersweet feelings of nostalgia.
That once we were a little kinder
We realize that we may not be as compassionate as we used to be.
And even when we're happy with our lives
Even when we are content with our current situation,
We catch ourselves thinking of better times
We find ourselves reminiscing about the past and wishing for better times.
Thoughts flicker on and off like street lights
Memories come and go, like flickering street lights.
Casting???? spots on the darkest nights
Memories can bring a glimmer of hope in the darkest of times.
And as we look around our home we
When we reflect on our life and our possessions,
Question all the things we own
We begin to question the value of our possessions.
All the things once so important
Things that were once essential to us seem insignificant now.
Are now all broke and go unnoticed
Our possessions have lost their value to us and we do not appreciate them anymore.
A metaphor for friends and family
This can be compared to our relationships with friends and family.
'cause sometimes they can come in handy
Sometimes we keep people close because they may be useful to us in the future, rather than having a genuine relationship with them.
Of sentimental things catch dust
Items that hold sentimental value to us get neglected and collect dust.
Gathers on the things we love
This can also apply to our relationships, where we lose sight of the value of those that we love.
There's nothing healthy about giving in
It is not productive to give up or resign oneself to a negative outlook.
So thinking about what could have been
Worrying about missed opportunities will not change the situation.
--Choose to be
We have the power to decide our attitude towards life.
The worst things always taste so sweet
Sometimes we are attracted to negative things, even though they are not beneficial for us.
And all that's left is to pretend
Sometimes, we pretend that everything is okay, even when it is not.
Is things we make smile again
The only thing we can do is to try to find happiness in the things we have left in our life.
Contributed by Jackson A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
jrwhayward
Fun story from a couple years back with one of these piece of crap mechanisms.
So basically, I had been into vinyl for a few years by then, using a Lenco 'Goldring'/HMV turntable from the 60's, beautiful piece of kit, with gorgeous playback (good vinyl on it sounds better than any of my CDs, both run through my 5.1 system and I've tested both)
Anyway, my little sister wanted to get into vinyl too, mainly newer stuff, so my dad gives her a spare 'OnDial' brand unit that he had (which had ironically been replaced with a 'GPO', as in the company now known as BT/UK Post Office, brand unit with a very similar mechanism), which was one of those 'all in one' things with a tape deck, Bluetooth, and of course a turntable, with one of these godawful mechanisms.
Well, about a week after she gets the thing, she gives me a shout and asks me to fix her turntable; the arm & stylus simply refused to stay in the groove and just slid everywhere, and no matter what we tried, it wouldn't go. Even for the times it briefly worked, it sounded crap. In the end, we took it to be a write-off as she didn't want to risk her new vinyl being damaged, but now she had nothing to play it on.
Well, that had to change, and fortunately, she had her 18th birthday coming up. I was pretty much broke (I was still in college) so the budget was £20, and I hit Ebay to see if I could land something decent.
In the end, I found an old (circa 1987) Thorn EMI Ferguson music centre with speakers, combining a tape deck, radio and turntable, which I believe used a Toshiba mechanism (I'm fairly sure the unit might have been a re badged Toshiba, as the new stylus and belts were for a Toshiba), sold for £10 (plus £10 shipping) as 'spares and repairs, but the motors run and the power works'.
Back then, just as I am now, I was a massive Techmoan fan, and from watching these videos of various 'spares and repairs' items being repaired with a simple belt change, I decided I'd try it on the Ferguson and give it to my sister so she had a proper turntable, and one that was reasonably decent quality to boot.
Well, a 4 hour repair job in my bedroom, having to basically strip the entire thing back to component level to access the belts (the tape deck belts were almost totally inaccessible until I re-read the diagram and realised a component could be moved), but my efforts paid off, and I had one very happy sister a day later on her birthday.
On test with her new vinyl (and a copy of MJ's Thriller I bought to go with the deck , which by the way, should be in everyone's vinyl collection 😁), the system worked absolutely flawlessly, and had a pretty decent sound too, way better than the OnDial that's for sure.
Moral of the story; don't buy crappy turntables, and always pay attention to Techmoan, since you're guaranteed to learn something that might just save the day, like what happened here 😊
Sam
totally agree.
Regrettably,
I bought into the vinyl resurgence without looking into anything and got a record player a few years a go for Christmas that a few months later when i
learned about the destructive needle,
begged my mother to buy another turntable, one i had researched and looked good:
the audio technica at-lp60.
When it arrived,
i was massively disappointed
as it had the same arm which meant the same pressure on records.
The only thing “good”
about it was the needle,
everything else was just decorative.
Techmoan
This £5 component (or variants of it) is used in most novelty budget record players. That’s fair enough when you’ve paid only £30 for a player to listen to some worn old records as a bit of fun. Perhaps not so great when this same £5 component forms the heart of your £100+ record player bought to play new limited edition £25 vinyl albums. It’s your choice how to spend your money - but it’s also nice to know exactly what it is you’re paying for and just how much care and attention as well as respect for you as a customer has been put into making the thing you’re paying your hard earned money for.
Bob
Amen
Matt Green
I love Matt's withering distain for poor-quality stuff. As others have said, this is a PROPER MOAN. Great stuff!
NCOT Technology
We need a second channel called "Proper Moans" with just the short edited rants in it.
AmEv7fam
"The record that they bought is worth more than the record player that they put it on."
That's LPL levels of savagery.
BeardsNTools
Oh yeah we love LPL burns directed at the locks
Warren Cash
Something has gone very wrong if you hear 'nothing on 1, 2 is binding' on this channel.
AmEv7fam
@Sheng He And Linus reviewed a $1000 HDMI cable. Just because something costs so much, it doesn't inherently mean it's worth that much.
Sheng He
The Crosley cruiser costs around $60.
warci
got stung on this one: gave my sister a record player for her birthday and didn't want to cheap out so thought I'd spend a little money. 200€ later this piece of garbage arrived in a shiny silver housing with a dead brand name on it. I wish this video existed a few years ago because I still curse that plastic joke every time I see it at her place.