2002
Josh Freese Lyrics
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Should have been that long ago,
I've been giving it,
Everything I've got.
We don't talk about it much,
It's still too difficult to touch,
Look me in the eye,
Well I want some answers,
And I want to blame,
Cause the streets around my house,
They're just not the same.
And you, I promised in two thousand two,
That I'd give this off to you.
They say time, it heals things,
It hasn't yet and it still stings,
We're all wondering,
Where the hell you went.
Keeping my sunglasses on,
I'm tired of being asked what's wrong,
Learned the hard way,
About the permanent.
Well it's way too often,
We still break down,
From chasing your ghost,
All over town.
You, I promised in two thousand two,
That I'd give this off to you,
I promised in two thousand two,
That I'd give this off to you.
The lyrics of Josh Freese's song 2002 delve into the emotional aftermath of a loss and the powerful hold it can have on a person. The singer laments about an event that took place years ago but still stirs up deep sadness and unresolved questions. The first verse speaks to the regret and frustration of not fully expressing feelings and addressing issues when it mattered most. The imagery of someone slogging through life "sad and slow" for years echoes the idea that the weight of an unspoken or unprocessed event can linger long after the fact. The second verse brings us to the present moment and the singer's plea for answers, closure, and perhaps even someone to blame. He makes it clear that the loss still feels raw, saying "It hasn't yet and it still stings" and the repeated line "We're all wondering, where the hell you went" emphasizes the sense of confusion and disorientation that can come with grief. The chorus centers on a promise the singer made in 2002, implying that something significant happened that year and that the memory of that event is intertwined with the loss he's grappling with in the present day. Overall, the song is a poignant exploration of the lingering impact of traumatic events and the struggle to move on when closure feels elusive.
Line by Line Meaning
Never worked sad and slow,
I have always worked hard and with energy, never letting sadness or slowness affect me. But looking back, I find that I should have taken some time to just be sad and slow.
Should have been that long ago,
I regret not allowing myself to feel the sadness and slowness that I needed to feel a long time ago.
I've been giving it,
Despite my regret, I know that I have given my all to everything I have done.
Everything I've got.
I have put my heart and soul into my work and my life.
We don't talk about it much,
There is something that we all know and feel, but we don't speak of it often.
It's still too difficult to touch,
The subject is still too painful to openly discuss.
Look me in the eye,
I want you to confront me directly with the truth.
And say it's not.
I want you to deny that which we are both thinking and feeling, to put it to rest.
Well I want some answers,
I am seeking answers to questions that have been left unanswered for too long.
And I want to blame,
I want to place the blame on someone or something for the way things are now.
Cause the streets around my house,
There is something about the area surrounding my home that is different now.
They're just not the same.
The streets, and by extension my life, have changed for the worse and I am struggling to understand why.
And you, I promised in two thousand two,
There is someone who I made a promise to many years ago.
That I'd give this off to you.
I promised to pass something important on to this person, but I have not yet fulfilled that promise.
They say time, it heals things,
The common wisdom is that time can heal emotional wounds.
It hasn't yet and it still stings,
But time has not yet healed the pain that I am feeling, and it still affects me deeply.
We're all wondering,
Others share my confusion and pain over this situation.
Where the hell you went.
We are all wondering where this person who I made a promise to has gone, both literally and figuratively.
Keeping my sunglasses on,
I am hiding my emotions from others by wearing sunglasses.
I'm tired of being asked what's wrong,
I am tired of people noticing that something is wrong and asking me about it.
Learned the hard way,
I have learned from experience that there are some things that are permanent.
About the permanent.
I have learned about the finality of certain things and how they can never be undone or fixed.
Well it's way too often,
It happens too frequently.
We still break down,
We still have emotional breakdowns when thinking about this situation.
From chasing your ghost,
We are haunted by the memory of this person who we have lost.
All over town.
This sense of loss and sadness is felt throughout the entire community, not just by me personally.
You, I promised in two thousand two,
This person who I made a promise to is still at the forefront of my mind and emotions.
That I'd give this off to you,
I feel an obligation to fulfill this promise and give something important to this person, even though it has been years since I made that promise.
Contributed by Amelia E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.