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Members:
Nathaniel Rateliff
Patrick Meese
Julie Davis
Joseph Pope III
James Han
When We Could
Nathaniel Rateliff Lyrics
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We'll come arise and ready and primed
Such a sturdy face
You can tell we're aging by the lines
Keep on saying how
That's sort of fine and strange, although
Even if the wind has ceased to blow
We won't run and we won't cry
Staying up and laughing all night, when we could
Keep on smiling till it's bright, when we could
When we could
You sure called it right
You said I'd wither and not grow back
It's not a fine way to go
I think we left there with our pride
I hate to call out hands
But pardon my way of being slow
Cover me up and let me go
And make it as thick and as dark as the night
And we could laugh forever more, when we could
Tear it up like the dogs at night, when we could
And we could fight and bury it all, when we could
When we could
When we could...
The lyrics of Nathaniel Rateliff's song "When We Could" express a bittersweet sentimentality for a time in the past when the singer and their companions were carefree and youthful. The opening lines assert that if their names are called, they will respond primed and ready, which speaks to the strength of their bonds as a group. However, the following lines describe the physical signs of aging that have begun to catch up with them, manifesting in lines on their face. Despite this, they continue to maintain their joie de vivre, even in the absence of external stimulus such as the wind. They are resolved not to run or cry, preferring to stand strong and maintain their cheerfulness.
The singer then recalls a comment made about them withering and not growing back, which is not a pleasant way to go. However, they take comfort in the fact that they left the situation with their pride intact. The final lines express a desire to be covered up and buried, symbolically suggesting that they may be ready to let go of this period of their lives. They reminisce about staying up all night, laughing and smiling until dawn, and tearing it up "like the dogs" in the evening. Though they may have fought and buried things in the past, they are now nostalgic for a time when such trivialities were possible.
Line by Line Meaning
If you call our names
If you need us, we'll be there for you
We'll come arise and ready and primed
We'll be ready to take on whatever tasks you need us to do
Such a sturdy face
We may be getting older, but we're still strong and dependable
You can tell we're aging by the lines
Our life experiences may be visibly etched onto our faces
Keep on saying how
You keep telling us that
That's sort of fine and strange, although
We aren't sure how to feel about your comment
Even if the wind has ceased to blow
Even if times are tough and things seem calm
We won't run and we won't cry
We'll face our challenges head on without showing weakness
Look how we stand forever more, when we could
We used to be able to stand tall and proud, but now things have changed
Staying up and laughing all night, when we could
We used to be able to have carefree fun all night long, but now we can't
Keep on smiling till it's bright, when we could
We used to be able to smile through the hard times, but now it's harder to maintain a positive outlook
You sure called it right
You were correct in your prediction
You said I'd wither and not grow back
You predicted that I wouldn't be able to recover from a difficult situation
It's not a fine way to go
It's not a desirable outcome to experience hardship and not be able to recover from it
I think we left there with our pride
Despite facing hardships, we were able to leave the situation with our self-respect intact
I hate to call out hands
I hate to ask for help
But pardon my way of being slow
But please excuse the fact that I need more time to process things
Cover me up and let me go
Please protect me as I move forward into uncertain territory
And make it as thick and as dark as the night
Shield me from the unknown as completely as possible
And we could laugh forever more, when we could
We used to be able to laugh freely without concern, but now it's harder to find joy
Tear it up like the dogs at night, when we could
We used to be able to release our negative emotions in a more primal manner
And we could fight and bury it all, when we could
We used to be able to battle our problems and put them behind us
When we could
Reflecting on the freedom we used to have to enjoy life without worry
When we could...
Continued reflection on past freedoms
Writer(s): Nathaniel David Rateliff Copyright: Chrysalis Music, Born In The Flood LLC
Contributed by Austin E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.