Wasted Years
Cold(Year Of The Spider) Lyrics
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Makes you think you're everything they ever said you were
Like to take some time
Clear away everything I've planned
Was it life I've betrayed
For the shape that I'm in
It's not hard to fail
Did I drink too much
Could I disappear
And there's nothing that's left but wasted tears
There's nothing left but wasted years
If I could change my life
Be a simple kind of man try to do the best I can
If I could take the sides
I'd derail every path I could
I'm about to die
Won't you clear away from me give me strength to fly away
Was it life I've betrayed
For the shape that I'm in
It's not hard to fail
It's not easy to win
Did I drink too much
Could I disappear
And there's nothing that's left but wasted tears
There's nothing left but wasted years
There's nothing left but wasted years
There's nothing left but wasted years
Was it life I've betrayed
For the shape that I'm in
It's not hard to fail
It's not easy to win
Did I drink too much
Could I disappear
And there's nothing that's left but wasted tears
Was it life I've betrayed
For the shape that I'm in
It's not hard to fail
It's not easy to win
Did I drink too much
Could I disappear
And there's nothing that's left but wasted tears
Was it life I've betrayed
For the shape that I'm in
It's not hard to fail
It's not easy to win
Did I drink too much
Could I disappear
And there's nothing that's left but wasted tears
The lyrics to Cold's "Wasted Years" are a lament about the struggle to live up to expectations, the toll that can take on one's life, and the desire to break free of those constraints. The song opens with the realization that the game of life can make you feel like you're living up to everything that people have said about you, but in reality, it can be suffocating. The singer then expresses the desire to take some time to clear away everything they've planned in order to reconsider the direction their life has taken.
The chorus repeats the idea that the years have been wasted, and suggests that the singer is haunted by their own failures and the sense that they have betrayed themselves and their own potential. The second verse builds on this theme, imagining a simpler life as a "simple kind of man" who does their best, and the desire to "derail every path" in order to find a way out of the limitations that have been placed on them. The final lines of the song express a desperate desire for escape, and the recognition that years have been wasted in the struggle to achieve something that may not even be worth achieving.
Overall, "Wasted Years" is a song about the pressure to conform and the toll that can take on one's life. It speaks to the difficulty of reconciling the expectations of others with one's own desires and needs, and the pain of realizing that one's life may not be everything it could have been.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a game life plays
Life has a way of making us believe certain things about ourselves
Makes you think you're everything they ever said you were
It reinforces the beliefs we've been told about ourselves
Like to take some time
I need a break
Clear away everything I've planned
To remove everything I've tried to control
Was it life I've betrayed
Did I betray what life has to offer me?
For the shape that I'm in
Considering the current state that I'm in
It's not hard to fail
Failure is easy
It's not easy to win
Winning requires effort and hard work
Did I drink too much
Did I overindulge in something that made me forget my responsibilities?
Could I disappear
Is it possible for me to escape from my problems?
And there's nothing that's left but wasted tears
All that's left is regret and sadness
If I could change my life
If I had another chance
Be a simple kind of man try to do the best I can
I would aim to be an uncomplicated, honest person who does their best
If I could take the sides
If I could choose a different path
I'd derail every path I could
I would deviate from the standard paths in life that didn't work for me
I'm about to die
I feel like I'm running out of time
Won't you clear away from me give me strength to fly away
Please give me space and encouragement to leave behind things that weigh me down
There's nothing left but wasted years
All that's left are the years I've wasted
Was it life I've betrayed
Did I betray the opportunities life gave me?
For the shape that I'm in
Considering my current state
It's not hard to fail
Failure is easy
It's not easy to win
Success requires effort and hard work
Did I drink too much
Did I overindulge and waste my time?
Could I disappear
Is it possible to escape from my pain and regret?
And there's nothing that's left but wasted tears
All I have now is regret and sadness
There's nothing left but wasted years
All that's left are the years I've wasted
There's nothing left but wasted years
All that's left are the years I've wasted
There's nothing left but wasted years
All that's left are the years I've wasted
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JEREMY D. MARSHALL, KELLY HAYES, RONALD WARD, RONALD WARD, JR., SAMUEL MC CANDLESS, SAMUEL ALAN MC CANDLESS, TERRY BALSAMO
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