Bittersweet Symphony
Andrew Oldham Orchestra Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
Try to make ends meet
You're a slave to money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places
Where all the veins meet yeah,

No change, I can't change
I can't change, I can't change
But I'm here in my mold
I am here in my mold
But I'm a million different people
From one day to the next
I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no

Well I never pray
But tonight I'm on my knees yeah
I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah
I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now
But the airways are clean and there's nobody singing to me now

No change, I can't change
I can't change, I can't change
But I'm here in my mold
I am here in my mold
And I'm a million different people
From one day to the next
I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no
I can't change
I can't change

'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
Try to make ends meet
Try to find some money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places
Where all the things meet yeah

You know I can't change, I can't change
I can't change, I can't change
But I'm here in my mold
I am here in my mold
And I'm a million different people
From one day to the next
I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no

I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no,
I can't change
Can't change my body,
No, no, no

I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
Been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Ever been down




Have you ever been down?
Have you've ever been down?

Overall Meaning

Bittersweet Symphony by the Andrew Oldham Orchestra/The Verve explores the struggles of living in a society driven by money and material gain. The lyrics emphasize the hopelessness that comes with trying to provide for oneself, knowing that it ultimately means nothing in the grand scheme of things since life is fleeting. The chorus, "Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life, try to make ends meet, you're a slave to money, then you die," illustrates this sentiment. The singer of the song takes the listener down a path he has traveled before, one that leads to places where "all the veins meet," implying that all humans ultimately end up in the same place in the end.


The verses deal with the struggles of accepting oneself and one's limitations. The line, "No change, I can't change, I can't change, I can't change, but I'm here in my mold, I am here in my mold," represents the feeling of being trapped in one's own personality and ways of being. The singer acknowledges that they are a "million different people from one day to the next," but that their basic essence remains the same. The singer expresses a longing for something more significant than what material possessions can offer, hoping for a sense of togetherness and the recognition of his struggles.


Interpretations of the lyrics vary, and some view the line "I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down" as an invitation for the listener to come with the singer on their journey of self-discovery. Others see it as a warning, with the singer suggesting that the path is not for everyone and can lead to feelings of hopelessness.


Line by Line Meaning

'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
Life is like a symphony that is a mix of pleasant and unpleasant moments


Try to make ends meet
Trying hard to make enough money to survive


You're a slave to money then you die
Living a life where everything revolves around making money, until you eventually die


I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
I'll take you on the same path I have always taken


You know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet yeah
The path that leads to places where everyone gathers and connects with each other


No change, I can't change
I am stuck in my ways and cannot change them


But I'm here in my mold
I am comfortable with who I am and my lifestyle


I am here in my mold
I am content with my identity and circumstances


But I'm a million different people
I am capable of varying behaviors and identities


From one day to the next
I can be different every day


I can't change my mold
I am not interested in changing who I am


Well I never pray
I am not religious and do not pray


But tonight I'm on my knees yeah
However, tonight I yearn for something to ease my anxieties


I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah
I want to hear music that I can relate to with my personal struggles


I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now
Music has a therapeutic effect on me, and it has freed me from my worries


But the airways are clean and there's nobody singing to me now
There is no music to listen to right now, and my mind feels empty and lost


I can't change my mold
Once again, I am not interested in changing who I am


'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
Life is always going to be a mix of pleasant and unpleasant moments


Try to find some money then you die
Striving to make enough money to survive, until eventually death comes


You know I can't change, I can't change
I have accepted that I cannot change who I am


Can't change my body
I am physically incapable of changing myself


I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
Once again, I'll take you on the same path I have always taken


Been down
I have traveled this path before


Ever been down
Have you ever traveled this path before?




Lyrics © Abkco Music, Inc.
Written by: KEITH RICHARDS, MICK JAGGER, RICHARD ASHCROFT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@NightRunner417

What everybody else said. It's truly bizarre how "This Could Be The Last Time" morphed into this beautiful thing, and then this beautiful thing morphed into "Bittersweet Symphony", one of the greatest songs ever made. Sometimes you just gotta put down the "you stole this!" pitchfork and torch and just appreciate the music. This to me is a rare, brilliant example of how one song can be made from another and work OH so well. 🙂

@timster1995

Yeah I can still hear the violin riff melody in this version and the way they play the chords in expression even chords progression isn’t copyrighted but the expressed way is and in the same rhythm and the strings and the melody is exactly the same so Bittersweet Symphony is too awfully close to this!

@efan2012

Indeed. It's honestly amazing. The Last Time imo is one of the Stones's more underrated songs, then Oldham did this version which is gorgeous. Then BS came out all those years later and is iconic on it's own right.

@Deep.Purple

Except the Verve got permission from Decca to use that clip and then Decca did what a lot of crooks did... tell them that the deal wasn't enough and they would have to give them 100% of the royalties from the Verves song through extortion. Alan Kline also a notorious crook jumped in and demanded 100% and signed it away for $1. Kline did the same thing to George Harrison. AND if that all isn't enough the STONES took the song "The last time" from the Staple Singers. Which you can still go listen to and hear the same lyrics and melody. The Stones didn't really change anything in the song and the staple singers never got a dime from it. The music industry is F-ed up. Crooks one and all.

@nell580

The verbe just put the lirycs on this masterpiece.

@jorgegonza8681

How about RIDING SOLO

36 More Replies...

@Rumeiyuh

It literally feels like you're walking in paradise listening to this. Imagine hearing this live

@PM-vv3uc

Maybe it feels a little bit more like walking down a street without paying attention to passers-by. In doing so, I arbitrarily push other passers-by aside and just walk over a car. I don't really have a clue how I got this idea.

@cllewis1

@@PM-vv3uc Man, I felt the same way and I don't know why.

@jimmanuel9512

I feel like I’m swinging from star to star

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