"I kind of spilled blood all over this project" Speace said of her third album, The Killer in Me. It marked a quantum creative leap from the artist's 2006 breakthrough effort Songs for Bright Street. While that release won her widespread critical acclaim and a loyal international fan base, The Killer in Me found the singer/songwriter forging into deeper, darker lyrical and musical terrain, borne largely out of relationships gone wrong, then right and wrong again. "This is the record that I needed to make," Speace states. "In many ways, it was the hardest thing I've ever done. And in some ways, it was the easiest. Writing the songs was emotionally difficult, deep and intense--it was kind of an exorcism. But in the end, the songs flowed pretty quickly. You write the things that you're afraid to say out loud."
The Fortunate Ones
Amy Speace Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The criers and cheaters
The ones you'll find down on our knees
We are the fortunate ones
We are the fortunate ones
We are fleers and fighters
Lying back biters
We are the fortunate ones
We are the fortunate ones
We're the lovers and liars
Starting small fires
Burning our hearts to the ground
And we are the fortunate ones
We are the fortunate ones
We are greedy and growling
Full moon howling
If only they hear it out load
We are the fortunate ones
We are the fortunate ones
We are the fortunate ones
The fuel in this crazy machine
For dreaming the things that we dream
For saying the things that we say when we say
We are light of day sleepers
Midnight mistreaters
Keeping the monsters at bay
We are the fortunate ones
We are the fortunate ones
We are the fortunate ones
The fuel in this crazy machine
For dreaming the things that we dream
For saying the things that we say when we say
We're the raging pretenders
The five time offenders
Hurting nobody more than ourselves
We are the fortunate ones
We are the fortunate ones
We're impossible light
And we're holding on tight
To hearts we took down from the shelves
We are the fortunate ones
We are the fortunate ones
In Amy Speace's song, The Fortunate Ones, the lyrics describe a group of people who may not necessarily have it all together or have an easy life. They are described as "drunks," "dreamers," "criers," "cheaters," "fleers," and "fighters." However, despite their flaws and struggles, they are still considered fortunate. They are the ones who are able to love and be loved, who are able to dream and have a voice. They are holding onto their hearts and fighting against the monsters, whatever those may be, in their lives. Through all of their imperfections and struggles, they are the ones who are able to see the beauty in life and consider themselves lucky.
Overall, the song is a celebration of imperfection and seeing the beauty in the struggles of life. It acknowledges that life is not always easy, but it is those who are able to push through the tough times and hold onto their dreams who are fortunate.
Line by Line Meaning
We are the drunks and the dreamers
We are the people who drink and the ones who dream, envisioning a different reality.
The criers and cheaters
We are the ones who cry and deceive, feeling as if we have no other way to cope.
The ones you'll find down on our knees
We are the ones who humble ourselves and take a moment to express our gratitude or plead for help.
We are the fortunate ones
Despite our flaws, we consider ourselves lucky for the opportunity to express ourselves and live life on our own terms.
We are fleers and fighters
We tend to run away from our problems but sometimes, when left with no other option, we will stand our ground and fight.
Lying back biters
We may not always be truthful and sometimes, when we feel helpless, we will resort to passive aggression.
Begging against a reprise
We plead to be given another chance, aware that we may not deserve it.
We're the lovers and liars
We tend to be passionate about love but also dishonest at times.
Starting small fires
We create intensity in our lives by starting small problems or conflicts.
Burning our hearts to the ground
Our passion for life can sometimes be destructive and leave us feeling empty.
We are greedy and growling
Sometimes our selfishness and desire for more overpowers us.
Full moon howling
We may express our dissatisfaction with life in a loud or disruptive way.
If only they hear it out load
If only others would listen and understand our struggles.
We are the fortunate ones
Despite our flaws, we consider ourselves lucky for the opportunity to express ourselves and live life on our own terms.
The fuel in this crazy machine
We are the ones who keep life interesting and dynamic, driving the world forward.
For dreaming the things that we dream
We have imaginative and unique ideas for our lives and the world around us.
For saying the things that we say when we say
We speak our minds and express our true feelings, often at the risk of being misunderstood.
We are light of day sleepers
We may appear to function well in society and get by, but deep down we struggle and question ourselves.
Midnight mistreaters
We may struggle with self-destructive behavior when no one is watching.
Keeping the monsters at bay
We do our best to control the negative thoughts and behaviors within us, preventing them from taking over.
We're the raging pretenders
We often put on a facade of being ok, despite feeling pain and turmoil beneath the surface.
The five time offenders
We tend to make the same mistakes over and over again.
Hurting nobody more than ourselves
Our mistakes and self-destructive behavior only causes pain and harm to ourselves.
We are the fortunate ones
Despite our flaws, we consider ourselves lucky for the opportunity to express ourselves and live life on our own terms.
We're impossible light
We seem luminous and full of hope and possibility, despite our struggles.
And we're holding on tight
We're doing our best to hold on to our positivity and belief in ourselves and the world.
To hearts we took down from the shelves
We took our hearts off the shelf, deciding to feel and experience life to the fullest.
We are the fortunate ones
Despite our flaws, we consider ourselves lucky for the opportunity to express ourselves and live life on our own terms.
Contributed by Violet V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.