Only Begun To Live
Joy And The Boy Lyrics


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Made the fatal mistake,
Like I did once before,
A tendency just to take,
Til the purpose turned sour,

Strain, take the strain, these days we love,
Strain, take the strain, these days we love.
Yeah, the only mistake was that you ran away,
Avenues lined with trees, strangled words for the day,
Yeah, the only mistake, like I made once before,
Yeah, the only mistake, could have made it before.

Strain, take the strain, these days we love,
Strain, take the strain, these days we love.

And the only mistake, led to rumours unfound,
Led to pressures unknown, different feelings and sounds,




Yeah, the only mistake, like I made once before,
Yeah, the only mistake, could have made it before.

Overall Meaning

The song "Only Begun To Live" by Joy And The Boy is a reflective piece about a mistake that was made in a past relationship, and how it has affected the singer. The lyrics reveal that the mistake was a tendency to take from the other person, without thinking about the consequences, until it became too much and turned sour. The singer refers to this as a fatal mistake, suggesting that it had serious consequences.


The chorus of the song, with the lyrics "Strain, take the strain, these days we love," seems to suggest that these days, people are more inclined to push themselves to the limit, to take on more than they can handle, and to strive for success at any cost, even if it means sacrificing their own well-being. This is a common theme in modern society, and the song seems to be commenting on the negative effects of this mentality.


The verse about "avenues lined with trees" and "strangled words for the day" seems to be a metaphor for the relationship that ended. The singer is looking back on the situation and realizing that the only mistake was running away, and that things could have turned out differently if they had faced the problems head-on.


Overall, "Only Begun To Live" is a thoughtful and introspective song that explores the nature of mistakes and regrets, and the toll they can take on a person.


Line by Line Meaning

Made the fatal mistake,
I made a mistake that caused serious consequences.


Like I did once before,
I have made this same mistake in the past.


A tendency just to take,
I have a habit of taking without giving.


Til the purpose turned sour,
This behavior ultimately caused negative consequences.


Strain, take the strain, these days we love,
We are now accustomed to and even enjoy dealing with stress and pressure.


Yeah, the only mistake was that you ran away,
The true mistake was when you left.


Avenues lined with trees, strangled words for the day,
The environemnt and circumstances were stifling and made communication difficult.


And the only mistake, led to rumours unfound,
The mistake caused unfounded rumors to circulate.


Led to pressures unknown, different feelings and sounds,
These rumors caused previously unknown pressure and changed the emotional climate.


Yeah, the only mistake, like I made once before,
This was the same mistake I made previously.


Yeah, the only mistake, could have made it before.
I could have prevented this mistake if I had learned from my past experience.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BERNARD SUMNER, IAN KEVIN CURTIS, PETER HOOK, STEPHEN PAUL DAVID MORRIS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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