Michael Nau is an American singer-songwriter behind such acts as Page Franc… Read Full Bio ↴Michael Nau is an American singer-songwriter behind such acts as Page France and The Broadway Hush. When not writing, recording and touring with those groups, he has unleashed a plethora of songs independently on the internet.

Some of the names he has been associated with include Cotton Jones, Basket Ride, Apple Shaped Songs, The Apple Union, Egg Shaped Songs, Oh! Century.

When
Michael Nau Lyrics

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One way for playing it true
One heart for doing it through
Who cares what, who
Let's go out wondering

We'll spend the whole day through
Doing how we wanna do
I as I and you as you

How any other?

When the morning gets back in your eye

How about we break all the rules
About the play it cool
Pull the thread till we've emptied the spool
From all this livin'

When the morning gets back in your eye

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Michael Nau's song "When" present a desire to live in the moment, to take risks, and to break free from convention. The first stanza comprises a meditation on what it means to live authentically. The phrase "One way for playing it true" suggests that there is only one way to be authentic, and that is to remain true to oneself. The idea is reinforced by the next line, "One heart for doing it through," which suggests that it takes courage to live according to one's own principles. The final line of the stanza, "Let's go out wondering," further underscores the idea of taking risks and exploring the world with childlike curiosity.

The second stanza expands on the theme of living in the moment. The lyrics encourage the listener to spend the whole day doing what they want to do, to be themselves, and to disregard what others might think or say. The line "How any other?" suggests that there is no other way to live than by being true to oneself. The chorus, which repeats the line "When the morning gets back in your eye," reinforces the idea that the present moment is fleeting and that one should take advantage of it while they can.

The third stanza suggests that the best way to live life is to break all the rules and to stop worrying about what is cool or conventional. The line "Pull the thread till we've emptied the spool" suggests that life should be lived to the fullest, with no regrets or missed opportunities. The chorus once again emphasizes the fleeting nature of the present moment.

Line by Line Meaning

One way for playing it true
There's only one way to truly play this game called life

One heart for doing it through
We only have one heart to follow through with our passions and dreams

Who cares what, who
It doesn't matter what other people think or say

Let's go out wondering
Let's explore the world and find new wonders

We'll spend the whole day through
We have the entire day to spend however we choose

Doing how we wanna do
We have the freedom to do things our own way

I as I and you as you
We are unique individuals and should embrace our individuality

How any other?
Why be anything other than ourselves?

When the morning gets back in your eye
When we wake up and start a new day

How about we break all the rules
Let's challenge the norms and break free from expectations

About the play it cool
We don't have to act cool or collected all the time