Nothing New
Isidore Lyrics
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Where have you been
Your blinding eyes
What have they seen
The people down in Lincoln town
Wore their hats upon their sleeves
I heard some talk in old New York
I never saw it for myself
It's just what I believe
It's somebody else now
And they are not you
The difference just burns me
But that's nothing new
Nothing new
I wrote a song in Wollongong
It made me sad for days
The hotel man from Turkestan
Soaking up the rays
I wish I'd been a woman then
I might have been amazed
The better I make it
The worse that I do
And it's so ancient
But that's nothing new
Nothing new
The music was liquid
Somehow it slipped through
Ah, it all escapes me
But that's nothing new to you now
The truth was a lie and
The ointment was glue
I was found missing
But that's nothing new
Nothing new
The feeling was absent
Red wine was blue
The gift is the present
But that's nothing new to you now
And there's nothing more to do now
Oh, now it's all for nothing
Oh, now it's all for nothing
Oh, now it's all for nothing
Oh, now it's all for nothing
Oh, now it's all for nothing
Oh, now it's all for nothing
Oh, now it's all for nothing
Oh, now it's all for nothing
They blind their eyes
What have they seen
The lyrics to Isidore's song "Nothing New" reflect on the idea of changing times and the confusion that comes with it. The singer seems to be addressing someone they care about, possibly a child. The first verse asks where they have been and what they have seen with their "blinding eyes." The following verses describe different experiences and observations the singer has had in various places, including Lincoln town and old New York. However, the singer did not witness these things firsthand, but rather, they believe them to be true. The chorus repeats the phrase "it's somebody else now, and they are not you," which expresses the idea that things have changed and are no longer the same.
The second verse delves into the singer's personal feelings and experiences. They wrote a song in Wollongong that made them sad for days, and they encountered a hotel man from Turkestan. The singer regrets not being a woman at that time, which suggests that they missed out on something important. The chorus repeats with slight variations, emphasizing the idea of the difference between the past and present. The third verse describes the music as liquid, but something that slipped through, and compares truth to a lie and ointment to glue. The final lines suggest that despite all the confusion and uncertainty, the gift is in the present moment.
Line by Line Meaning
My little one
Addressing someone the singer knows or cares for.
Where have you been
Asking where they have been and what they have been doing.
Your blinding eyes
Commenting on the brightness of their eyes, or the intensity of their gaze.
What have they seen
Positing a rhetorical question, pondering on what the person's eyes have borne witness to.
The people down in Lincoln town
Referring to some people living in Lincoln town the artist is aware of.
Wore their hats upon their sleeves
Indicating the behavior of those residents who proudly showed off their badges of identity or place.
I heard some talk in old New York
Recalling an instance where the singer overheard some people talk in New York City.
Just ask the autumn leaves
Suggesting that one can rely on the season and the natural universe for verification of truth.
I never saw it for myself
Admitting that the artist doesn't have firsthand knowledge of the events discussed but has heard discussions on them.
It's just what I believe
Stating a belief that the artist holds in the absence of other evidence.
It's somebody else now
Realizing that the person or situation has undergone changes without their input or control.
And they are not you
Acknowledging that the current state of affairs is not what the artist had hoped for or expected.
The difference just burns me
Admitting that the change is painful or affecting.
But that's nothing new
Sighing that this type of feeling or situation is quite common.
I wrote a song in Wollongong
Recalling writing a song in Wollongong that inspired some emotions or sensations.
It made me sad for days
Revealing that the song had a powerful impact on the artist's emotional state.
The hotel man from Turkestan
Referring to a specific person, most likely a hotel worker in Turkestan who the artist met.
Soaking up the rays
Describing how the hotel man was taking in the sun, possibly relaxing or enjoying his free time.
I wish I'd been a woman then
Reflecting on a past moment where the singer wishes they could change their gender identity to meet some ideal situation.
I might have been amazed
Suggesting that a different gender may have rendered them more easily impressed in that particular scenario.
The better I make it
Depicting how the artist's attempts to improve or fix something end up taking a turn for the worse.
The worse that I do
Acknowledging that it's easy to make things worse despite one's good intentions.
And it's so ancient
Asserting that the cycle of failure and frustration is a pattern with a long history.
But that's nothing new
Sighing that this type of feeling or pattern is quite familiar.
The music was liquid
Describing the characteristics of music in a metaphorical way, using the idea of liquid to suggest its fluidity.
Somehow it slipped through
Describing how the music seemed to escape or evade the singer's grip or comprehension.
Ah, it all escapes me
Confessing that the singer is struggling to grasp the truth or essence of a thing.
But that's nothing new to you now
Indicating that the person being addressed already understands that the artist is often confused or disoriented.
The truth was a lie and
Commenting that things are not as they appear.
The ointment was glue
Continuing on this theme of things appearing other than what they are, as if everything has been turned on its head.
I was found missing
Suggesting that the singer feels lost or off-balance in their life or situation.
But that's nothing new
Sighing that this type of feeling or disorientation is familiar.
The feeling was absent
Describing how some unnamed feeling or sentiment was not present in a particular context.
Red wine was blue
Again highlighting how things seem to be other than what they really are: wine isn't blue, so the artist seems to be questioning reality or perception.
The gift is the present
Offering a new way of looking at things by suggesting that a present is a gift in and of itself.
But that's nothing new to you now
Indicating that the person being addressed already understands that the artist has a unique or eccentric way of looking at things.
And there's nothing more to do now
Concluding that the situation can't be fixed or improved upon any further.
Oh, now it's all for nothing
Expressing disappointment or despair in the current state of things.
They blind their eyes
Commenting on how some people refuse to see or understand the truth.
What have they seen
Returning to the rhetorical question about what people have borne witness to, and what they choose to acknowledge as true.
Contributed by Caleb T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.