Déjà vu
Crosby/Nash Lyrics
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I would probably know just what to do
Don't you?
If I had ever been here before on another time around the wheel
I would probably know just how to deal
With all of you
And I feel like I've been here before
And you know it does make me wonder
What's going on under the ground
Do you know?
Don't you wonder?
What's going on
Down under you
We have all been here before
We have all been here before
We have all been here before
We have all been here before
We have all been here before
We have all been here before
The lyrics to Crosby/Nash's "Deja Vu" explore the idea of reincarnation and the cyclical nature of time. The singer ponders the possibility that they have been in this situation before and that if they had, they would know how to handle it. The opening lines introduce the concept of deja vu and suggest that it may be linked to past lives. The singer questions what is happening beneath the surface, both literally and figuratively, and wonders if others share their sense of awareness of past lives.
The repetition of the phrase "we have all been here before" reinforces the cyclical nature of time and implies that events, relationships, and experiences are repeated across lifetimes. The song's contemplative tone invites listeners to consider their own sense of deja vu and invites them to ponder the possibility that they, too, have lived past lives. The song's overall message is one of interconnectedness and the idea that our actions and experiences echo across time.
Line by Line Meaning
If I had ever been here before
If I had experienced this specific situation or place prior to this instance
I would probably know just what to do
I would possess familiarity and knowledge that would allow me to respond appropriately
Don't you?
Do you not feel the same sentiment or share the same experience?
If I had ever been here before on another time around the wheel
If I had encountered this same perturbation or cycle of life before
I would probably know just how to deal
I would have understanding to skillfully contend with the situation
With all of you
Including everybody present in this circumstance
And I feel like I've been here before
I experience a sense of déjà vu, where I recall having undergone this occurrence earlier
And you know it does make me wonder
It does invoke a feeling of curiosity and suspicion within me
What's going on under the ground
What unnoticed or unidentified activity is occurring beneath our actions or circumstances
Do you know?
Do you possess the insight or comprehension to answer the previous inquiry?
Don't you wonder?
Do you not share the same interest or intrigue with the previous question?
What's going on
What is occurring or transpiring in general
Down under you
Beneath your persona or directly involving you
We have all been here before
We, as human beings, have had comparable experiences to this present situation
We have all been here before
We, as a society, have been subject to similar recurring cycles
We have all been here before
Collectively, we have undergone this same particularity previously
We have all been here before
Reiterating that all humans have faced similar situations or circumstances in the past
We have all been here before
Continuing to emphasize that history repeats itself in various forms
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CAITLIN CROSBY, JAY DYLAN NASH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind