Stay the Same
Bonobo Lyrics

A night train
The singer is on a train at night.

Midnight
It is exactly midnight when the singer is on the train.

Bags gathered round my feet
The singer has packed their possessions and placed them around their feet.

Possessions
The things that the artist owns.

Some lessened
The artist has reduced the number of possessions they have.

To carry with me
The singer has only brought the possessions they can carry with them.

Heavy and
The possessions that the singer has brought are heavy.

Soothing
There is something calm and peaceful about the heaviness of the possessions.

Like a gentle symphony
The heaviness of the possessions is comforting, like a soft and gentle music.

I rest my
The artist takes a break and sits down.

Head right
The singer leans their head backwards.

Back upon my seat
The back of the artist's head is touching the back of the seat.

It's hard
The surface that the singer is leaning against is firm and unyielding.

And cold tho'
The surface against which the singer leans their head is also cold.

The best thing for me
Despite being hard and cold, leaning against the surface is good for the singer.

This train is
The train that the artist is on is in motion.

Movin'
The train is moving at a steady pace.

But my heart is stationery
The singer's emotional state is not changing even though they are physically moving on the train.

Seasons change
The natural cycle of seasons moves forward.

It won't ever be the same
The future will never be exactly like the past.

I'm hopin'
The artist expresses a desire for the future.

I won't stay the same
The artist doesn't want to remain the same.

Reasons strange
The reasons that motivate people to act can be strange or difficult to explain.

Why we always play these games
The artist is questioning the reasons behind why people often engage in behavior that is emotionally complex or confusing.

I left it
The singer has left something behind.

With you
The singer gave or left something with someone else.

I hope that was discreet
The singer wants to keep the thing they left behind private or secret.

I made sure
The artist took care to do something properly or thoughtfully.

I put it
The artist placed the thing they left behind somewhere.

Upon the cellar doors
The singer placed the thing they left behind on the doors to a cellar.

It's hanging open
The door to the cellar that the singer left the thing on is open.

When you read it while I weep
The artist is crying as the person they left the thing with reads it.

Last time
The last time the artist experienced something similar.

The last time
The artist is reminded of a previous experience.

It flickers through me
The memory of the past experience is vivid and moves through the singer.

So vivid
The memory is clear and sharp.

It rushes from my head down to my feet
The memory has a physical effect on the singer, causing a strong emotional response that affects their whole body.

We're laughing we're joking
The people around the singer are happy and joking around.

Through ??? to my defeat
The singer doesn't know what is happening to them, but the happiness around them only makes them feel worse.

Seasons change it will never be the same
The constant progression of time ensures that the past can never be truly repeated.

I'm hoping I won't stay the same
The artist wants to change and grow.

Reasons strange
The reasons behind why people do what they do are often difficult to explain.

Why we always play these games.
The singer is questioning why people engage in complex or messy emotional behavior.