That's How It Goes
Meat Puppets Lyrics


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Maybe you won't have to hit me again
Maybe you won't try to slap me for lying
I did what you heard and I can admit
That I'd do it again in a second tomorrow
Little or nothing makes much of a difference
So I took the chance not to bother with trifles
You mind your business and I'll pick the slack up
And you'll never notice how much I have borrowed
And we say, "That's how it goes,"
And we stay, watching the mess that we've made as it grows
I took a long drink of some kind of water
That ate up my thoughts and dried up my conscience
I'd be the first to admit what my faults are
But change is a problem and I'll be resistant
Little or nowhere is closer than ever
And I got the feeling we're stuck till tomorrow
Carry on fishing and I'll keep my hat on
And together we'll see just how much we can borrow
And we say, "That's how it goes"
And we stay, watching the mess that we've made as it grows
Maybe you won't have to hit me again
Maybe you won't try to slap me for lying
I did what you heard and I can admit
That I'd do it again in a second tomorrow
Little or nothing makes much of a difference
So I took the chance not to bother with trifles
You mind your business and I'll pick the slack up
And you'll never notice how much I have borrowed
And we say, "That's how it goes"
And we stay, watching the mess that we've made as it grows




And we say, "That's how it goes"
And we stay, watching the mess that we've made as it grows

Overall Meaning

Meat Puppets's "That's How It Goes" is a song that speaks to the cyclical nature of human behavior and the way in which we often find ourselves repeating the same mistakes over and over again. The lyrics are directed towards a partner or lover, and the singer seems to be acknowledging their own faults and the mistakes they've made in the past. After all, they "did what [the other person] heard" and they "can admit" it. But despite this recognition, the singer is resigned to the fact that they will likely make the same mistakes again in the future. They even go so far as to say that they would do it again "in a second tomorrow."


The second half of the song seems to shift the focus away from the specific transgressions of the singer and towards a more general sense of apathy and resignation. They talk of "little or nothing" making much of a difference and taking the chance "not to bother with trifles," suggesting a general lack of concern or investment in the world around them. The repeated refrain of "That's how it goes" further emphasizes this feeling of inevitability and resignation. The song ends with a repetition of the opening verses, suggesting a circularity to the singer's worldview and behavior.


Overall, "That's How It Goes" is a bleak but insightful commentary on the ways in which we repeat patterns of behavior and the sense of hopelessness that can result from that repetition. Despite the somewhat nihilistic tone of the lyrics, there is a sense of honesty and self-awareness that saves the song from feeling completely hopeless.


Line by Line Meaning

Maybe you won't have to hit me again
I hope you won't resort to violence if I make mistakes


Maybe you won't try to slap me for lying
I hope you won't physically hurt me for being dishonest


I did what you heard and I can admit
I'm confessing to doing what you accuse me of


That I'd do it again in a second tomorrow
I wouldn't hesitate to do it again tomorrow


Little or nothing makes much of a difference
Small things don't matter much in the grand scheme of things


So I took the chance not to bother with trifles
I decided it wasn't worth worrying about minor issues


You mind your business and I'll pick the slack up
You can focus on your responsibilities while I take care of mine


And you'll never notice how much I have borrowed
You won't realize how much I've taken from you


And we say, "That's how it goes,"
We acknowledge that life can be messy and unpredictable


And we stay, watching the mess that we've made as it grows
We observe the consequences of our actions as the situation worsens


I took a long drink of some kind of water
I consumed something that affected my thoughts and morals


That ate up my thoughts and dried up my conscience
It clouded my judgment and made me less inclined to do the right thing


I'd be the first to admit what my faults are
I'm willing to acknowledge and take responsibility for my mistakes


But change is a problem and I'll be resistant
I struggle with making improvements and resist making changes


Little or nowhere is closer than ever
We're getting nowhere and making little progress


And I got the feeling we're stuck till tomorrow
I don't see a way out of our current predicament


Carry on fishing and I'll keep my hat on
You can continue what you're doing and I'll stay out of the way


And together we'll see just how much we can borrow
We'll push our luck and take as much as we can get away with


And we say, "That's how it goes"
We accept that life has its ups and downs and we must deal with the consequences


And we stay, watching the mess that we've made as it grows
We observe the fallout of our actions as things get worse




Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CURTIS MATHEW KIRKWOOD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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