Straight Lines
Dawn Landes Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Remember when we were young
How you asked everyone to marry you
All of those songs we sung
Changing all the words you used to make the heroine die
Why?

Remember when we were right
God threw his darts at stars in the night
I had a kite
You had a trampoline and a BMX bike
You didn't even like

I don't want to say it's breaking my heart
And I don't know where to start
Old friends are falling apart
Time like the name of a man
Covered and we both can whine
I miss the straight, straight lines

The old times

Remember when we got caught
Dirty hands and make-believe drugs
We never got
Give me all your money
Bank robbers and cowboy cops
Make-believe rocks

Remember when we held hands
Red rover and marching band
You had a tan
Staying outside that long's gonna make you man
Never going back, never going back again

I don't want to say it's breaking my heart
And I don't know where to start
Old friends are falling apart
Time like the name of a man
Covered and we both can whine
I miss the straight, straight lines

The old times
The old times




Remember when we were young
Remember when we were young

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Dawn Landes's song "Straight Lines" are nostalgic and sentimental, taking the listener back to memories of childhood and old times with a friend. In the first verse, the singer recalls their youthful playfulness and innocence, including games and modifying song lyrics. However, there is a sense of sadness and loss in the repeated line "I don't want to say it's breaking my heart, and I don't know where to start," suggesting that something has changed and the relationship is no longer the same. The second verse mentions adventures and pretend play, but again there is a sense of longing as the singer remembers things they did together that they won't go "back, back again" to.


Overall, "Straight Lines" is a bittersweet reflection on the fleeting nature of time and the difficulty of navigating changing relationships. The image of missing the "straight, straight lines" adds to the sense of loss, as straight lines suggest order and stability, while the passage of time disrupts those lines.


Line by Line Meaning

Remember when we were young
Reflecting upon a time in the past when they were kids


How you asked everyone to marry you
Recollecting how the singer's friend pretended to propose to people when they were young


All of those songs we sung
Reminiscing all the songs they used to sing together as kids


Changing all the words you used to make the heroine die
Recalling how the lyrics of the songs were altered by the singer's friend to make the characters die in a tragic way


Remember when we were right
Thinking back to a time when everything seemed perfect


God threw his darts at stars in the night
Metaphorically describing how the stars looked like darts thrown by God in the night sky


I had a kite
Recalling how the singer had a kite as a toy


You had a trampoline and a BMX bike
Remembering how the singer's friend owned a trampoline and a BMX bike


You didn't even like
Noting how the friend never actually enjoyed their bike


I don't want to say it's breaking my heart
Expressing hesitation in admitting heartbreak


And I don't know where to start
Admitting confusion about where to begin explaining the heartbreak


Old friends are falling apart
Recognizing how their friendship has deteriorated over time


Time like the name of a man
Time is personified like a name of a man


Covered and we both can whine
Acknowledging that they can both complain about time passing by and changing things


I miss the straight, straight lines
Longing for the simplicity and straightforwardness of the past


Remember when we got caught
Recalling a time when they got in trouble for doing something they weren't supposed to


Dirty hands and make-believe drugs
Describing what they were caught doing - playing with dirty hands and pretending to use drugs


We never got
They never got away with misbehavior


Give me all your money
Acting out being bank robbers and asking each other to hand over imaginary money


Bank robbers and cowboy cops
Imagining themselves as both the robbers and the cops playing out pretend scenarios


Make-believe rocks
Referring to things they pretended to have or use during their imaginative playtime


Remember when we held hands
Recalling a time when they were close friends who held hands


Red rover and marching band
Remembering games they played together - Red Rover and marching band


You had a tan
Noting how the friend had a tan from staying outside for too long


Staying outside that long's gonna make you man
Commenting on how their friend's tan made him look more grown-up


Never going back, never going back again
Acknowledging that they can never go back to that time again


The old times
Mentioning the past as a time when they were happy and carefree


The old times
Repeating the idea that the past was a simpler and happier time for them


Remember when we were young
Once again reflecting upon their youth and the memories they shared




Contributed by William Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

andra white

Remember when we were young
How you asked everyone to marry you
All of those songs we sung
Changing all the words you used to make the heroine die
Why?

Remember when we were right
God threw his darts at stars in the night
I had a kite
You had a trampoline and a BMX bike
You didn't even like

I don't want to say it's breaking my heart
And I don't know where to start
Old friends are falling apart
Time like the name of a man
Covered and we both can whine
I miss the straight, straight lines

The old times

Remember when we got caught
Dirty hands and make-believe drugs
We never got
Give me all your money
Bank robbers and cowboy cops
Make-believe rocks

Remember when we held hands
Red rover and marching band
You had a tan
Staying outside that long's gonna make you man
Never going back, never going back again

I don't want to say it's breaking my heart
And I don't know where to start
Old friends are falling apart
Time like the name of a man
Covered and we both can whine
I miss the straight, straight lines

The old times
The old times
Remember when we were young
Remember when we were young



All comments from YouTube:

curiousted

Charming video, Dawn. It fits your music perfectly. Nice job by all involved.

Mark Ogilvie

Thanks, Dawn for putting in a plug for community gardens and having fun with friends. Love your music!

mike crisp

Absolutely love this song & the new video is awesome

Mobarak Adil

Absolutely amazing , beautiful lyrics and voice

andra white

Remember when we were young
How you asked everyone to marry you
All of those songs we sung
Changing all the words you used to make the heroine die
Why?

Remember when we were right
God threw his darts at stars in the night
I had a kite
You had a trampoline and a BMX bike
You didn't even like

I don't want to say it's breaking my heart
And I don't know where to start
Old friends are falling apart
Time like the name of a man
Covered and we both can whine
I miss the straight, straight lines

The old times

Remember when we got caught
Dirty hands and make-believe drugs
We never got
Give me all your money
Bank robbers and cowboy cops
Make-believe rocks

Remember when we held hands
Red rover and marching band
You had a tan
Staying outside that long's gonna make you man
Never going back, never going back again

I don't want to say it's breaking my heart
And I don't know where to start
Old friends are falling apart
Time like the name of a man
Covered and we both can whine
I miss the straight, straight lines

The old times
The old times
Remember when we were young
Remember when we were young

dawns31

I really love this song and your video is great. Thank you!

Spooky-Pastel

I know this is widely known by Harry Potter fans but I really want Telltale to use this as their last song for the final season of the walking dead on the last episode during the credits. This is also a beautiful song and I love it so much

OasisDNA

This song is absolute perfection.

stickylittleleaves

LOVE THIS SONG one of those feel good songs that make you happy like yellow submarine lol

Drew Drewski

Dawn is an absolute angel.. So talented !!

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