Anyone Who's Anyone
Fleet Foxes Lyrics

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Charlie never had to get too hot
Just try sticking with the girl you got
Other women they would seem secure
They're just as fragile as her

I heard Sanders in a new good space
She found Johnny in the strangest place
At the back of the hotel downtown

Blood on the side of his mouth

Is there anything that I can do
All my sympathy it went to you
I heard you were looking so strung out
Smiling and tumbling down

The seasons will change
The things you perceive
The company will keep disturbing your sleep

It's so much better in the sunlight
I'm just a little mirage
It's so much better in the sunlight
I'm just a little mirage
It's so much better in the sunlight
I'm just a little mirage
It's so much better in the sunlight
I'm just a little mirage

Oh, oh

Overall Meaning

The first verse of Fleet Foxes' "Anyone Who's Anyone" speaks to the fragility of relationships and the importance of staying faithful to the one you have. Charlie is portrayed as someone who didn't have to work too hard to keep his partner happy, while other women may seem more attractive but are just as fragile as his own. The chorus shifts the focus to someone else entirely, Sanders, who has found Johnny in an unexpected place with blood on his mouth. The singer expresses sympathy for Sanders and acknowledges that they are looking "strung out" but offers no specific help.

The second half of the chorus contains the titular line of the song and sets up the following verse to talk about change and disruption. Seasons and company will come and go, disturbing sleep and perception. The final repetition of "It's so much better in the sunlight" seems to suggest that the singer is aware of their own limitations and their own role in creating or distorting reality.

Overall, "Anyone Who's Anyone" captures the fleeting nature of relationships, the disruptions of daily life, and the importance of staying grounded in reality even as our surroundings shift and change.

Line by Line Meaning

Charlie never had to get too hot
Charlie was never the one who had to try too hard

Just try sticking with the girl you got
Just stay with the girl you currently have

Other women they would seem secure
The other women might appear to be perfect, but they're just as flawed

They're just as fragile as her
The other women are equally as vulnerable as the current girl

I heard Sanders in a new good space
Sanders is doing well in a new place

She found Johnny in the strangest place
Sanders found Johnny in a peculiar location

At the back of the hotel downtown
Johnny was at the rear of the downtown hotel

Blood on the side of his mouth
Johnny had blood near his mouth

Is there anything that I can do
Is there anything that I can help you with

All my sympathy it went to you
All of my kindness is directed towards you

I heard you were looking so strung out
I heard you weren't doing well mentally