Funny the Way It Is
Dave Matthews Band Lyrics
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On a beautiful day.
Sunshine in the grass,
And the children play.
Sirens passin',
Fire engine red.
Someone's house is burning down,
On a day like this.
The evening comes,
And we're hanging out,
On the front step and a car goes by,
With the windows rolled down.
And that War song is playing â??Why can't we be friends?â??
Someone is screaming and crying in the apartment upstairs.
Funny the way it is.
If you think about it.
Somebody's going hungry,
And someone else is eating out.
Funny the way it is.
Not right or wrong.
Somebody's heart is broken,
And it becomes your favorite song.
The way her mouth feels in a lover's kiss.
Like a pretty bird on the breeze,
Or water to a fish.
The bomb blast brings a building crashing to the floor.
Hear the laughter,
While the children play war.
Funny the way it is.
If you think about it
One kid walks ten miles to school,
Another's droppin' out.
Funny the way it is.
Not right or wrong.
On a soldier's last breath,
His baby's being born.
Standing on a bridge.
Watch the water passing underneath,
It must have been much harder,
When there was no bridge, just water.
Now the world is small,
Compared to how it used to be,
With mountains and oceans,
And winters and rivers and stars.
There's the sky,
The jet plane so far out of my reach.
Is there someone up there looking down on me?
A boy chase a bird,
So close but every time,
He never catch her,
But he can't stop trying.
Funny the way it is.
If you think about it
One kid walks ten miles to school,
Another's droppin' out.
Funny the way it is.
Not right or wrong.
On a soldier's last breath,
His baby's being born.
Funny the way it is.
Not right or wrong.
Somebody's broken heart,
Becomes your favorite song.
Funny the way it is.
If you think about it.
One kid walks ten miles to school,
Another's droppin' out.
Standing on a bridge.
Watch the water passing underneath,
It must have been much harder,
When there was no bridge, just water.
Now the world is small,
Compared to how it used to be,
With mountains and oceans,
And winters and rivers and stars.
The song "Funny the Way It Is" by Dave Matthews Band delves into the complexities of life and how people react, perceive, and cope with it. The first verse sets up a stark contrast between the beauty of the environment and the noise and chaos happening around the singer. Even in the midst of a flawless day, someone's home is burning down in the distance, and sirens are ringing. The second verse continues this contrast, with a War song playing while someone cries in the apartment above.
The chorus "Funny the way it is" is a recurring phrase that follows the juxtaposition explored throughout the rest of the song. Matthews is highlighting some of the absurdities in the way our world works- the privileged versus the hungry, the broken-hearted versus the romanticizing listener, the dying soldier versus their child's birth- in a manner that is both reflective and philosophical.
The final verse features Matthews on a bridge, marveling at how small the world feels and recognizing the bridges and connections that are now possible. The song closes with the gentle reminder that some things may seem bizarre or senseless from one angle but may also present moments of beauty and restorative power.
Line by Line Meaning
Lying in the park,
On a beautiful day.
Sunshine in the grass,
And the children play.
Sirens passin',
Fire engine red.
Someone's house is burning down,
On a day like this.
The pleasant scene of children playing in the park is interrupted by the sound of emergency vehicles rushing to someone's house, reminding us of the harsh realities that can occur even on a beautiful day.
The evening comes,
And we're hanging out,
On the front step and a car goes by,
With the windows rolled down.
And that War song is playing â??Why can't we be friends?â??
Someone is screaming and crying in the apartment upstairs.
While enjoying the evening, a car passes blasting the song 'Why can't we be friends?' but the sound of someone's distress from the upstairs apartment reminds us that the world is not always friendly.
Funny the way it is.
If you think about it.
Somebody's going hungry,
And someone else is eating out.
Funny the way it is.
Not right or wrong.
Somebody's heart is broken,
And it becomes your favorite song.
Life can seem ironic and contradictory when we consider the unequal distribution of basic human needs as one person goes hungry, another enjoys the luxuries of fine dining; or how someone's pain can lead to a beautiful art form that others admire.
The way her mouth feels in a lover's kiss.
Like a pretty bird on the breeze,
Or water to a fish.
The bomb blast brings a building crashing to the floor.
Hear the laughter,
While the children play war.
The intensity of human experiences can vary immensely, from a beautiful kiss to a devastating bomb blast, and yet others can remain relatively unaffected and continue playing games.
One kid walks ten miles to school,
Another's droppin' out.
On a soldier's last breath,
His baby's being born.
Life can be unpredictable and unfair, with some struggling to receive an education while others choose to drop out, and even in the face of death there can be moments of new life.
Standing on a bridge.
Watch the water passing underneath,
It must have been much harder,
When there was no bridge, just water.
Now the world is small,
Compared to how it used to be,
With mountains and oceans,
And winters and rivers and stars.
Technology and progress have made a profound impact on the world, making it more connected and accessible than ever before, and yet we can still appreciate the natural wonders of the world that once isolated us.
There's the sky,
The jet plane so far out of my reach.
Is there someone up there looking down on me?
A boy chase a bird,
So close but every time,
He never catch her,
But he can't stop trying.
As humans, we can feel small in the grand scheme of things, wondering if anyone is paying attention to us, yet we continue to strive towards our goals even if we never quite reach them.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BOYD C. TINSLEY, CARTER A. BEAUFORD, DAVID JOHN MATTHEWS, LEROI H. MOORE, STEFAN K. LESSARD, TIM REYNOLDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ash Orr
Lying in the park on a beautiful day
Sunshine in the grass, and the children play
Siren's passing, fire engine red
Someone's house is burning down on a day like this
The evening comes and we're hanging out
On the front step and a car rolls by with the windows rolled down
And that war song is playing, why can't we be friends?
Someone is screaming and crying in the apartment upstairs
Funny the way it is, if you think about it
Somebody's going hungry and someone else is eating out
Funny the way it is, not right or wrong
Somebody's heart is broken and it becomes your favorite song
The way your mouth feels in your lovers kiss
Like a pretty bird on a breeze or water to a fish
A bomb blast brings a building crashing to the floor
You hear the laughter while the children play war
Funny the way it is, if you think about it
One kid walks 10 miles to school, another's dropping out
Funny the way it is, not right or wrong
On a soldier's last breath his baby's being born
Standing on a bridge, watch the water passing under me
It must've been much harder when there was no bridge just water
Now the world is small, remember how it used to be
With mountains and oceans and winters and rivers and stars
Watch the sky, the jet planes, so far out of my reach
Is there someone up there looking down on me?
Boy chase a bird, so close but every time
He'll never catch her, but he can't stop trying
Funny the way it is, if you think about it
One kid walks 10 miles to school, another's dropping out
Funny the way it is, not right or wrong
On a soldier's last breath his baby's being born
Funny the way it is, not right or wrong
Somebody's broken heart becomes your favorite song
Funny the way it is, if you think about it
A kid walks 10 miles to school, another's dropping out
Standing on a bridge, watch the water passing under me
It must've been much harder when there was no bridge just water
Now the world is small, remember how it used to be
With mountains and oceans and winters and rivers and stars
Izzy Hernandez
I have literally been using humming apps for like the past 3 years to find this song. I once heard it in the background while eating at hooters. I’ve been jamming it a ridiculous amount of times
LastPuppy
three years??????
Silly Goose
@LastPuppy better question is, eating at hooters????
LastPuppy
@Silly Goose i mean i understand it , femboy hooters just opened up so i get it 👀
Silly Goose
@LastPuppy bona petite
Brandon Lounsbury
Please explain a humming app. I'm curious I have plenty of songs that I can pinpoint from late 2000s and early 2010s that I know the melody but nothing else. It's maddening.
Jj
Man this hits so hard in todays age 🤘🏽🔥🔥🔥
Bo
I dont think I've ever fallen for one song out of a band's entire discography when I was kid more than I did 'Funny the Way It Is' by Dave Matthews Band
bananaman
HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS MAN????
John
Truth