Problems And Bigger Ones
Harvey Danger Lyrics


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Cross through the border states to the wrong side
And look away virginia
Him:
Spend every day like the past is a bridge crossing twenty years
Whispers away not so much
Get your poison tongue out of my ear
Here's a fact you cannot rise above:
We'll have problems and then we'll have bigger ones
From damage to damned control
You wanted to go alone though
I never said no
I never said no
Her:
Spiteful confrontations, trial separations,
It's just another present to get past
The man was very helpful but I knew he wouldn't stay
There used to be a baby but the baby went away
Forswear what you undergo
You wanted to go alone though
I never said no
I never said no
It doesn't make me cry to hear dylan say
Most likely you go your way
I'll go mine
I'll go mine
I'll go mine
Forswear what you undergo
You wanted to go alone though




I never said no
I never said no

Overall Meaning

The first verse of Harvey Danger's "Problems And Bigger Ones" is told from the perspective of a man who seems to be in a tumultuous relationship. Perhaps he is in a long-distance relationship, as he mentions crossing through border states to the "wrong side" and looking away from Virginia. The man seems to be resigned to the fact that every day is like a bridge crossing twenty years, showing that the days seem very long and hard to get through. He tells someone to get their poison tongue out of his ear, perhaps indicating that the other person is negative or abusive towards him. He then delivers the chorus, stating that problems are inevitable, but bigger ones will always follow. He mentions "damage to damned control", implying that the struggles in his relationship have led to a loss of control over his life.


The second verse switches to the perspective of a woman. She speaks of "spiteful confrontations" and "trial separations," suggesting that she and her partner have been fighting a lot and perhaps even broken up temporarily. She mentions a man who was helpful but knew he couldn't stay, which could indicate that she had a rebound relationship but ultimately realized it wouldn't last. She talks about a baby who went away, which could be interpreted as a miscarriage or the loss of a child. She, too, delivers the chorus, indicating that she knows that problems are inevitable and that her partner wanted to go it alone, but she never said no.


Perhaps the song is about two people who are in love but can't seem to stop fighting or overcome the obstacles in their relationship. They both seem to understand that problems will always arise in life, but they can't help feeling overwhelmed when everything seems to go wrong. Despite their struggles, they seem to be willing to keep going and to let each other go their separate ways if necessary.


Line by Line Meaning

Cross through the border states to the wrong side
Travel through areas that are potentially dangerous


And look away virginia
Refuse to acknowledge certain things and pretend they don't exist


Spend every day like the past is a bridge crossing twenty years
Live each day as if it's leading you towards a bridge that crosses two decades of your life


Whispers away not so much
Talk about something until it no longer has meaning


Get your poison tongue out of my ear
Stop saying hurtful things to me


Here's a fact you cannot rise above:
Here's a truth that you cannot ignore or deny


We'll have problems and then we'll have bigger ones
We will face difficulties, and then even bigger ones


From damage to damned control
From harm to complete loss of control


You wanted to go alone though
You wanted to do things on your own


I never said no
I never refused to let you do what you wanted


Spiteful confrontations, trial separations,
Meaningful and potentially harmful arguments, and temporary breakups


It's just another present to get past
It's just another challenge to overcome


The man was very helpful but I knew he wouldn't stay
Someone helped us out of kindness, but we knew it wouldn't last


There used to be a baby but the baby went away
There used to be something innocent and pure, but it's gone now


Forswear what you undergo
Abandon or reject what you're experiencing


It doesn't make me cry to hear dylan say
Bob Dylan's words don't make me emotional


Most likely you go your way
Most likely, you'll choose to do what you want


I'll go mine
And I'll do what I want


I never said no
Once again, I never refused to let you do what you wanted




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HUFFMAN, LIN, NELSON, SULT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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