History
Mac McAnally Lyrics


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I've never seen you make a face like this
I wonder maybe was there something I missed
I send a message and you send a reply
I catch you looking at another guy

History, sure is just an old friend
I could use a lesson in history
History, the funny thing about me
I don't want to be history

I watch the news, I don't know what it means
Maybe I could see it on a larger screen
We change the faces on the merry go round
We're on a ride that is easily found in

History, I wonder if the president
Learns a little lesson in history
History, funny thing about me
I don't want to be history

I had a gypsy lady read my palm
She saw a motion of a nuclear bomb
She said I'm sorry son, it can't be helped
It has a habit of repeating itself, it's

History, men in either hemisphere
Push a little button, we're history
History, the funny thing about me
I don't want to be history

I'm to young to be history




I really don't want to be history
I'm to young to be history

Overall Meaning

Mac McAnally's "History" is a song that delves into issues surrounding the uncertainty of modern life, how history often dictates our future and the fear of being forgotten. In the first verse, McAnally sings about his confusion over his partner's behavior, and how he wonders if there was anything he missed. In the chorus, he talks about his reluctance to become history, to become irrelevant in contemporary society. He states how history is just an old friend and how he needs a lesson in history to understand it better. McAnally's fear of being forgotten is revealed in the second verse where he sings of his fear of nuclear destruction and how it feels like history is about to repeat itself.


He speaks about the relevance of history in the present context and how the present is just a continuation of the past. He talks about the merry go round and how the only thing that changes is the face. He wonders if the President can learn from history to avoid repeating past mistakes. In the final verse, he sings about a gypsy lady who read his palm and saw a nuclear bomb. She prophesizes the repetition of past events and how it can't be helped. The song ends with McAnally declaring he is too young to be history and how he doesn't want to be forgotten.


Line by Line Meaning

I've never seen you make a face like this
I'm surprised to see you making such a face, it's new to me.


I wonder maybe was there something I missed
I'm curious to know if there is anything that happened before which I might have overlooked and resulted in this situation.


I send a message and you send a reply
I communicated with you and you responded back.


I catch you looking at another guy
I saw you looking at someone else, I noticed your action.


History, sure is just an old friend
History is like an old acquaintance to me, always present and hovering around.


I could use a lesson in history
I may need to learn about the historical events to get perspective on the present events.


History, the funny thing about me
The interesting thing about me is I do not want to be part of history by doing something wrong.


I don't want to be history
I do not want to be remembered for doing something wrong that would be recorded in history books.


I watch the news, I don't know what it means
I see the news but I am unable to comprehend or understand its implications.


Maybe I could see it on a larger screen
Possibly I could understand things better if I had a larger picture or more information about the events.


We change the faces on the merry go round
We change people in power, but the problems or issues faced by people keep recurring.


We're on a ride that is easily found in
We are taking a ride that is easily accessible because many people have traveled it before.


History, I wonder if the president
I think the president should also learn something from historical events.


Learns a little lesson in history
I hope the president learns something from the past that will help today's situations.


History, funny thing about me
The ironic thing about me is that I do not want to be part of history for doing something wrong.


I don't want to be history
I don't want to do anything that is scandalous and which might be recorded in history.


I had a gypsy lady read my palm
I visited a psychic who read my future by reading my palm.


She saw a motion of a nuclear bomb
The psychic predicted that a nuclear bomb would explode in the future, which is a scary thought.


She said I'm sorry son, it can't be helped
The psychic apologized for not being able to prevent the nuclear war which she foretold.


It has a habit of repeating itself, it's
Wars, nuclear explosions, and other catastrophes have historically occurred and are known to repeat itself in history.


History, men in either hemisphere
People in different parts of the world have repeated the same mistakes and triggered wars, etc., hence history teaches a lesson.


Push a little button, we're history
Pushing a button could lead to a nuclear war and maybe the end of history.


The funny thing about me
The peculiar thing about me is that I am against wars and do not want to be part of them.


I don't want to be history
I do not want to participate in any event that goes against the common good and put humanity in jeopardy.


I'm to young to be history
I'm too young to accomplish something significant that will be written in history.


I really don't want to be history
I do not want to be part of history for doing something wrong or negative.


I'm to young to be history
I haven't done anything yet that might get me written into the history books.




Writer(s): Mac Mcanally

Contributed by Juliana T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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