Little Red were a rock band which formed in Melbourne, Australia in 2005. T… Read Full Bio ↴Little Red were a rock band which formed in Melbourne, Australia in 2005. The band consisted of Adrian Beltrame (vocals, guitar), Dominic Byrne (guitar), Tom Hartney (vocals, keyboards), Quang Dinh (bass, vocals) and Taka Honda (drums). They released two albums: "Listen to Little Red" (2008) and "Midnight Remember" (2010) before splitting up in 2012.

Little Bit Of Something
Little Red Lyrics

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Give me a little bit of somethin' I can use
To try to shake away these old man blues,
Give me a little bit of somethin' I can use.
When my teeth fall out and my hair turns grey,
And all I got is memories of yesterday's you.

Well my sister called me up just the other day,
She said "Things have been the same since you've gone away",

My sister called me up just the other day.
I said "Say 'Hi' to mum and dad and I miss 'em so,
But girl you gotta know when you gotta go away"

Well you can stay in the same place 'til the day you die,
And watch it fade away right before your eyes,
As eveything you've ever known disappears.
Or you can leave the only town that you've ever known,
But god only knows where you will rome,
And when you finally come back there's nothin' there.

So I open up a window try to get some air,
And I start to get to thinkin' of my friends back there,
I open up a window try to get some air.
Cross the long dirt roads to burnt out fields,
All the rivers and the bridges and the broken wheels repaired.

Well you can stay in the same place 'til the day you die,
And watch it fade away right before your eyes,
As eveything you've ever known disappears.
Or you can leave the only town that you've ever known,
But god only knows where you will rome,
And when you finally come back there's nothin' there.
No, nothin' there.

Cross the long dirt roads to burnt out fields,
All the rivers and the ditches and broken wheels repaired. (2x)

Overall Meaning

The opening verse of Little Red's song "Little Bit Of Something" speaks to the desperation one feels when they are in need of something to shake off the negativity that they are experiencing. The singer asks for something to use in order to get over their "old man blues". The lyric implicitly honors the idea that troubles that arise in life can weigh you down mentally and physically and this can act as a catalyst to harm the human psyche. It's a plea for a positive force in life, that can help the singer recover from difficult emotions. The core sentiment put forward through the use of repetition in the chorus, is that you can choose to stay in one place and watch everything around you fade away, or you can choose to leave and see the uncertainty of the world.

The following verse shows an actualization of this sentiment. The lead character returned to his hometown temporarily, but his sister tells him that nothing has changed since he left. One of the grim realities of life that the singer portrays is that while we are eager to move away and see what the world has to offer, sometimes we find that change is a hard thing to come by. This trip back seems to be underwhelming for the singer which reinforces the notion that leaving is sometimes the necessary thing to do. The lines "But girl you gotta know when you gotta go away" are interesting as they warn the singer’s sister of the same reality the singer experienced in moving away. The sister should be aware that, at some point, she too will have to leave because everything, and everyone, changes eventually.

The song’s rest of the verses and repetitions of the chorus depict the fear and longing of leaving what one knows and making a new path in life. The lyric, "cross the long dirt roads to burnt-out fields" hints at the possibility of moving towards improvement. Perhaps the burnt-out fields are a metaphor for the present chaos and destruction in life that contribute to its bleakness. The imagery of repaired "rivers and the ditches and broken wheels" offers a sense of hope that perhaps moving away can be healing, and one can eventually return a repaired and better person.

Line by Line Meaning

Give me a little bit of somethin' I can use
Little Red is feeling down and wants something to uplift his mood

To try to shake away these old man blues
He's feeling old and worn out, and wants to shake off his depression with something new

When my teeth fall out and my hair turns grey
Little Red is aging and feeling the effects of getting older

And all I got is memories of yesterday's you
He only has memories of his past love, and wishes for something new to hold onto

Well my sister called me up just the other day
His sister recently called him and they caught up on each other's lives

She said "Things have been the same since you've gone away"
His sister is letting him know that life hasn't changed much since he left

I said "Say 'Hi' to mum and dad and I miss 'em so
Little Red misses his parents and wants his sister to pass on his greetings

But girl you gotta know when you gotta go away"
He acknowledges that it's important to leave and explore the world, even if it means leaving loved ones behind

Well you can stay in the same place 'til the day you die
Little Red is reflecting on the idea of staying in the same place his entire life

And watch it fade away right before your eyes
If you stay in the same place, everything you know will eventually disappear or change

As everything you've ever known disappears
The world changes and evolves, and staying in one place can lead to feeling left behind

Or you can leave the only town that you've ever known
Leaving your comfort zone and exploring the world can lead to new experiences and growth

But god only knows where you will roam
There's no telling where life will take you when you leave home

And when you finally come back there's nothin' there
Returning to your hometown after a long absence can be disappointing if nothing has changed

So I open up a window try to get some air
Little Red is feeling stifled and wants some fresh air to clear his thoughts

And I start to get to thinkin' of my friends back there
Thinking of his old friends reminds Little Red of his past and his roots

Cross the long dirt roads to burnt out fields
Little Red remembers the physical landmarks of his hometown

All the rivers and the bridges and the broken wheels repaired
He hopes that things have changed for the better in his hometown while he was away

Contributed by Brooklyn F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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