It was originally written to appear on the album Clarity. The band played the song live many times during the Clarity tour, and a demo recording of it was included on the 2009 re-issue of Clarity.
The song is available as a downloadable song for the music video game series Rock Band as part of a Jimmy Eat World three-song pack, along with "Lucky Denver Mint" and "Futures".
Sweetness
Jimmy Eat World Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whoa oh oh oh oh oh
Sing it back
Whoa oh oh oh oh
String from your tether unwinds (string from your tether unwinds)
Whoa oh
Whoa oh
Up and outward to bind (up and outward to bind)
Whoa oh
I was spinning free
Whoa oh oh oh oh oh
With a little sweet and simple numbing me
Are you listening
Whoa oh oh oh oh oh
Sing it back
Whoa oh oh oh oh
So tell me what do I need (tell me what do I need)
Whoa oh
Whoa oh
When words lose their meaning (when words lose their meaning)
Whoa oh
Whoa oh
I was spinning free
Whoa oh oh oh oh oh
With a little sweet and simple numbing me
Yeah, stumble 'til you crawl
Whoa oh oh oh oh oh
Sinking into sweet uncertainty
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh (ah ahh ahh ahh ahh)
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh (ah ahh ahh ahh ahh)
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh (ah ahh ahh ahh ahh)
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh (ah ahh ahh ahh ahh)
(Are you listening)
(Are you listening)
If you're listening
Whoa oh oh oh oh oh
If you're listening (are you listening)
Sing it back
Whoa oh oh oh oh
If you're listening (are you listening)
And I'm still running away (I'm still running away)
Whoa oh (whoa oh)
Whoa oh (whoa oh)
I won't play your hide and seek game (your hide and seek game)
Whoa oh (whoa oh)
Whoa oh
I was spinning free
Whoa oh oh oh oh oh
With a little sweet and simple numbing me
What a dizzy dance
Whoa oh oh oh oh oh
This sweetness will not be concerned with me (whoa oh oh oh oh oh)
No the sweetness will not be concerned with me (whoa oh oh oh oh oh)
No the sweetness will not be concerned with me (whoa oh oh oh oh oh)
The song "Sweetness" by Jimmy Eat World is a complicated mix of emotions and sensations. The opening lines of the song are an invitation for someone to listen and sing back, which can be interpreted as a plea for communication from a lover, friend or interlocutor. The metaphor of "string from your tether unwinds" suggests a feeling of being unleashed or unbound, as if something that was holding the singer back has been removed. This freedom is reached by embracing a "little sweet and simple numbing", which is a metaphor for using something like drugs or alcohol to escape.
The second verse indicates a desire for clarity and understanding, as the singer asks what they need when words lose their meaning. The idea of spinning free returns, as if the singer is unmoored and seeking a way back. The chorus establishes that the singer is still running away and unwilling to "play your hide and seek game". This can be interpreted as a statement of defiance or independence, but also as an acknowledgement that loneliness and confusion are acceptable prices for avoiding emotional pain.
The bridge turns into a self-addressed monologue, in which the singer acknowledges the thrill and uncertainty of feeling free but also the fear of the unknown. The repetition of the word "dizzy" reinforces this idea of a heady rush that can lead to disorientation. The final lines of the song suggest that the sweetness the singer is seeking is not concerned with them, a possible reflection on the futility of seeking satisfaction from external sources.
Line by Line Meaning
If you're listening
The singer is addressing the listener, asking if they are paying attention
Whoa oh oh oh oh oh
This is a repetitive vocalization that sets the mood of the song
Sing it back
The singer wants the listener to respond by echoing the song's lyrics
String from your tether unwinds
The metaphor of a tether unwinding represents feeling free from constraints or limitations
Up and outward to bind
The desire for freedom is also coupled with the need to connect with something positive or meaningful
I was spinning free
The singer is describing that feeling of freedom or being unencumbered
With a little sweet and simple numbing me
The sweet and simple things in life can provide temporary relief or comfort
Tell me what do I need
The singer is expressing uncertainty or confusion about what they require to be content or fulfilled
When words lose their meaning
This line acknowledges the difficulty in communication, especially when words no longer convey their intended message
Stumble 'til you crawl
This suggests that sometimes the process of getting back on one's feet after adversity is a slow and difficult journey
Sinking into sweet uncertainty
Despite the challenges, the idea of uncertainty or unpredictability can still be a desirable state, as it negates the fear of failure
This sweetness will not be concerned with me
The sense of freedom and relief that came from simple comforts will eventually be fleeting or unimportant
No the sweetness will not be concerned with me
This line reinforces the idea that happiness or pleasure is not a permanent state
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: James Christopher Adkins, Richard E. Burch, Thomas Darrell Linton, Zachary Michel Lind
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@fmparker4723
If you're listening (Whoa oh oh oh oh)
Sing it back (Whoa oh oh oh oh)
String from your tether unwinds
(String from your tether unwinds)
(Whoa oh, woah oh)
Up and outward to bind
(Up and outward to bind)
(Whoa oh, whoa oh)
I was spinning free (Whoa oh oh oh oh)
With a little sweet and simple numbing me
Are you listening? (Whoa oh oh oh oh)
Sing it back (Whoa oh oh oh oh)
So tell me what do I need?
(Tell me what do I need?)
(Whoa oh, whoa oh)
When words lose their meaning
(When words lose their meaning)
(Whoa oh, whoa oh)
I was spinning free (Whoa oh oh oh oh)
With a little sweet and simple numbing me, yeah
Stumble 'til you crawl (Whoa oh oh oh oh)
Sinking into sweet uncertainty
If you're listening (Whoa oh oh oh oh)
(If you're listening, are you listening?)
Sing it back (Whoa oh oh oh oh)
(If you're listening, are you listening?)
And I'm still running away
(I'm still running away)
Whoa oh (Whoa oh)
Whoa oh (Whoa oh)
I won't play your hide and seek game
(Your hide and seek game)
Whoa oh (Whoa oh)
Whoa oh
I was spinning free (Whoa oh oh oh oh)
With a little sweet and simple numbing me
What a dizzy dance (Whoa oh oh oh oh)
This sweetness will not be concerned with me
No, the sweetness will not be concerned with me
No, the sweetness will not be concerned with me
Alguien de América Latina?
@ITalk69
This was one of my old ringtones!
@TCP303
I Havnt watched your videos in so longgg omg
@justin-ht9gy
How would you know? No one ever called you.
@Animationtronic
Fancy seeing you here nick
@katiestait8138
Same back in the old school days!! And and hey sandy from the adventures of Pete and Pete 😂 🤘✌️
@APEX4EVER
surprised to see you here
@balzenhazelnut
This was my little brothers favorite song off of NHL 2003, and now I'll wear his ashes around my neck as I see Jimmy Eat World in concert to play this live.
@RRyxn
thats where i know this song from, what a great way to honor your brother
@AmyJuneful
All my love to you. What a wonderful way to honor his memory.
@seanorange5633
That hit me straight in the feels............I'm gonna have to restart this song