Catalina Fight Song
Joyce Manor Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sunken city by the ocean
You could teach the seventh grade
Do you think because you chose to?

You always fell in love the way you're supposed to
At the Target inside of the mall
Fear of what you weren't exposed to
There's no way to keep in touch with certain people
You wonder how long something can last
Pretty sure most people don't think about that
But who the fuck is laughing now?

Sunken city by the ocean
Car smells like hot Gatorade
Do you think because you chose to?
Do you think things are different than you think they are?

Never really had a drug phase
So you think you're fucking miserable now?

For the Catalina fight song





You, always

Overall Meaning

looking for something more, something different. These opening lyrics of Joyce Manor's "Catalina Fight Song" describe a person who is dissatisfied with their life and trying to find meaning in it. The reference to the sunken city and the ocean may be a nod to the submerged town of Avalon, which is just off the coast of Catalina Island, California. The allusion to teaching seventh grade and falling in love the "right" way suggest a certain societal pressure to conform to expectations.


The mention of fear and an inability to keep in touch with certain people indicates a feeling of being trapped or stifled. The second half of the verse asks a series of questions, challenging the singer to consider whether their choices have truly made a difference and to confront the reality that perhaps things are not as different as they may seem.


The chorus, "For the Catalina fight song," is repeated throughout the song, perhaps suggesting that the singer is fighting for something, though it is not clear what that may be.


Line by Line Meaning

Sunken city by the ocean
The singer is describing the setting of the scene, a city that has sunk by the ocean.


You could teach the seventh grade
The singer is suggesting that the person they are addressing is knowledgeable or qualified enough to teach seventh-grade students.


Do you think because you chose to?
The singer is questioning whether the person they are addressing thinks that their current situation is a direct result of their own choices.


You always fell in love the way you're supposed to
The person they are addressing always followed societal expectations when it came to falling in love.


At the Target inside of the mall
The artist is describing a specific location of an event that happened.


Fear of what you weren't exposed to
The person they are addressing is fearful of things they have yet to experience or learn about.


There's no way to keep in touch with certain people
The singer is expressing the difficulty in maintaining communication with particular individuals.


You wonder how long something can last
The person they are addressing is pondering how long a particular situation or relationship will remain intact.


Pretty sure most people don't think about that
The artist believes that most people do not reflect on how long something will last.


But who the fuck is laughing now?
The artist is sarcastically questioning who is currently amused or happy about the situation.


Car smells like hot Gatorade
The singer is describing a specific scent that is connected to a memory or experience.


Do you think things are different than you think they are?
The artist is asking if the person they are addressing believes that things are not as they seem.


Never really had a drug phase
The person they are addressing has not gone through a phase of drug use.


So you think you're fucking miserable now?
The singer is sarcastically questioning if the person they are addressing believes that their current situation is the worst it could possibly be.


For the Catalina fight song
The lyrics are referencing the topic of the song, the 'Catalina fight song', which will likely be addressed in the upcoming lyrics.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

Lia Bussey

the actual lyrics, lol. 

Sunken city by the ocean
You could teach the seventh grade
Do you think because you chose to?

You always fell in love the way you're supposed to
At the Target inside of the mall
Fear of what you weren't exposed to

There's no way to keep in touch with certain people
You wonder how long something can last
Pretty sure most people don't think about that
But who the fuck is laughing now?

Sunken city by the ocean
Car smells like hot Gatorade
Do you think because you chose to?
Do you think things are different than you think they are?

Never really had a drug phase
So you think you're fucking miserable now?

For the Catalina fight song

You, always.



YERRBOI

Sunken city by the ocean
You could teach the seventh grade
Do you think because you chose to?

You always
Fell in love the way you're supposed to
At the Target inside of the mall
Fear of what you weren't exposed to

There's no way to keep in touch with certain people
You wonder how long something can last
Pretty sure most people don't think about that
But who the fuck is laughing now?

Sunken city by the ocean
Car smells like hot Gatorade
Do you think because you chose to?
Do you think things are different than you think they are?

Never really had a drug phase
So you think you're fucking miserable now?

For the Catalina fight song

You, always



All comments from YouTube:

Daniel P

THEY NEED TO MAKE MORE SONGS LIKE THIS

Alfie Eaglestone

fr i love it

fat ugly

The whole album is exactly 19 minutes long, haha. They will never break the 20 minute mark and I think I'm okay with that.

ccc

something special about it

beastmonsterthing2

im sorry to report that million dollars to kill me is 22...

carrionfairy

That's pretty normal for punk lol

vini

Yeah, still

Cosmic Retro

That effect on the last "you always" is absolutely perfect.

Xavier

Finally got to hear this song live and the moshpit was incredible!!

Lia Bussey

the actual lyrics, lol. 

Sunken city by the ocean
You could teach the seventh grade
Do you think because you chose to?

You always fell in love the way you're supposed to
At the Target inside of the mall
Fear of what you weren't exposed to

There's no way to keep in touch with certain people
You wonder how long something can last
Pretty sure most people don't think about that
But who the fuck is laughing now?

Sunken city by the ocean
Car smells like hot Gatorade
Do you think because you chose to?
Do you think things are different than you think they are?

Never really had a drug phase
So you think you're fucking miserable now?

For the Catalina fight song

You, always.

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