Uniform
DLCL Lyrics
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By the river′s edge
You say your cigarette needs a light
This second is the rest of my life
Tell all my pillows softly
"I'm just as worn as you"
You′ve been away for ages, stay awhile
Or cut me down with a clinical smile
You look just like me
With your collar red
And your knees stained green all night
In your uniform torn down the side
Meet by the bank where the bridge is gone
We stayed up 'till the break of dawn
Until you wonder, hushed in a whisper
"Just how long is forever?"
Tune out the sound completely
Cover your eyes
Figures dressed in your bed
Discreetly dream of you and I
You look just like me
With your collar red
And your knees stained green all night
In your uniform torn down the side
In the pictures that I tore
Of your collar, red like wine
Do your rubber legs still shake
Through the night in my uniform?
“Uniform” by DLCL is a slow ballad about the desire for a lost lover or a past love. The song touches upon the feeling of loneliness and the longing for someone who’s no longer with them. The first verse describes a person standing by a river's edge with cigarette in hand, asking for a light. The singer tells their pillows that they are as worn out as they are and requests their lover to stay with them for a while. However, the lover is distant and detached, only giving a smile that feels clinical and cold.
The choruses of the song repeat the phrase, “You look just like me, with your collar red and your knees stained green all night, in your uniform torn down the side”. These lines suggest that the lover is a reflection of the singer, as they too are wearing a uniform that is ripped and worn out. The uniform metaphor could symbolize the past and how it’s been tattered by time. The singer wonders if the lover still thinks of them, and if their rubber legs still shake through the night in uniform.
The bridge of the song has the two lovers meeting at the bank where the bridge is gone, staying up all night until the singer realizes that “just how long is forever?” Their memories are covered over as they try to forget the sound of the reality of the situation outside the room they share. “Uniform” speaks to the idea of being stuck in the past and longing for what was lost, and the emptiness that comes with that state of mind.
Line by Line Meaning
Your rubber legs
Your unsteady legs
By the river's edge
Beside the riverbank
You say your cigarette needs a light
Asking for a lighter for your cigarette
This second is the rest of my life
Feels like this moment is everything
Tell all my pillows softly
Speak gently to my pillows
"I'm just as worn as you"
I am just as tired as my pillows
You've been away for ages, stay awhile
You've been gone for a long time, please stay for a bit
Or cut me down with a clinical smile
Or reject me coldly with a smile
You look just like me
You resemble me
With your collar red
Your collar is colored red
And your knees stained green all night
Your knees are green-colored from staying up all night
In your uniform torn down the side
Your uniform is ripped on one side
Meet by the bank where the bridge is gone
Meet by the riverbank where the bridge is absent
We stayed up 'till the break of dawn
We stayed awake until sunrise
Until you wonder, hushed in a whisper
You ask in a soft voice
"Just how long is forever?"
"How long feels like forever?"
Tune out the sound completely
Block out all noise
Cover your eyes
Close your eyes
Figures dressed in your bed
The shapes on your bed
Discreetly dream of you and I
Secretly imagine you and me together
In the pictures that I tore
In the photos that I ripped
Of your collar, red like wine
Of your red-colored collar
Do your rubber legs still shake
Do your unsteady legs still tremble
Through the night in my uniform?
Throughout the night in my ripped uniform?
Contributed by Declan C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.