anytime
Neil Finn Lyrics


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Anytime

I see a dog upon the road
Running hard to catch a cat
My car is pulling to a halt
The truck behind me doesn't know
Everything is in the balance
Of a moment I can't control
And your sympathetic strings
Are like the stirrings in my soul

I could go at anytime
There's nothing safe about this life
I could go at anytime

Find the meaning of the act
Remember how it goes
Every time you take the water
And you swim against the flow
The world is all around us
The days are flying past
And fear is so contagious

But I'm not afraid to laugh
I could go at anytime
There's nothing safe about this life
I could go at anytime

Anytime (come without warning)
Anytime (it could be so easy)
A walk in the park (or maybe when I'm sleeping)
Anytime (see the clouds come over)
Rain or shine (I make you so unhappy)
Lets make it right

I feel like I'm in love
With a stranger I'll never know
Although you're still a mystery
I'm so glad I'm not alone

I could go at anytime
There's nothing safe about this life
Make it so easy to fly in the night




I could go at anytime
I could go at anytime

Overall Meaning

Neil Finn's song Anytime delves into the inherent uncertainty and danger in life. The opening scene in the song features a dog chasing a cat, and Finn's car halting, and the truck behind him being unaware of the situation. Finn uses this juxtaposition - the natural rhythm of everyday events butting against the possibility of sudden demise - to highlight how fragile and unpredictable life can be.


The song's chorus emphasizes this point further, that "there's nothing safe about this life" and the line "I could go at any time" is repeated throughout the song. Despite this overarching theme, Finn manages to convey a sense of hope and optimism in the face of the unknown. He speaks of swimming against the flow, laughter in the face of fear, and the comfort of knowing that he's not alone.


Overall, Anytime is a thought-provoking song that encourages the listener not to take life for granted and to appreciate every moment. It's a song that embraces the impermanence of life and encourages us to live it to the fullest.


Line by Line Meaning

I see a dog upon the road
I observe a dog chasing a cat on the street


Running hard to catch a cat
The dog is trying its best to catch the cat


My car is pulling to a halt
I stop my car on the road


The truck behind me doesn't know
The driver of the truck behind me is unaware of the situation


Everything is in the balance
The outcome of the situation is uncertain and could be influenced by my actions


Of a moment I can't control
I have no power to control the events that could occur


And your sympathetic strings
The musical strings are symbolic of your compassion towards me


Are like the stirrings in my soul
Your compassion moves me deeply


I could go at anytime
My life is fragile and unpredictable


There's nothing safe about this life
Life is full of dangers and risks


Find the meaning of the act
Understand the significance of your actions


Remember how it goes
Recall how things happened in the past


Every time you take the water
When you go for a swim


And you swim against the flow
You go against the direction of the water current


The world is all around us
The environment surrounds and influences us


The days are flying past
Time is passing quickly


And fear is so contagious
Fear can easily spread to others


But I'm not afraid to laugh
I am not afraid to find joy even in uncertain times


Anytime (come without warning)
Things can happen suddenly and unexpectedly


Anytime (it could be so easy)
Solutions to problems could be simple and straightforward


A walk in the park (or maybe when I'm sleeping)
An easy and simple task, or something that happens unknowingly


Anytime (see the clouds come over)
The arrival of problems or bad news


Rain or shine (I make you so unhappy)
I affect your mood whether things are going well or not


Lets make it right
Let's fix the problem or issue


I feel like I'm in love
I am experiencing strong emotions for someone


With a stranger I'll never know
I have feelings for someone who may always be a mystery to me


Although you're still a mystery
I don't understand everything about the person I have feelings for


I'm so glad I'm not alone
I am grateful to have someone to share my emotions with


Make it so easy to fly in the night
My strong emotions give me a sense of freedom and liberation




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: WILLIAM A. FINN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Kevin Cosgrove

Lisa and Neil just sound unreal singing together. Would love to hear them collaborate on more songs

Sean Gilchrist

"And I won't let go, of the first real moment I saw you." That's just one of the best lyrics from my favorite songwriter ever. And with my favorite guitarist (Johnny Marr) too!

Ricky Boorman

every song he writes is magic!

Captain Chris T.

beautiful song by the greatest singer songwriter ever in my opinion certainly the most consist in writing and performing live. love you Neil

framodcole

Man has people from the record company send him songs. He's great. But he stopped caring.

Stephen

I've just given you a thumbs up

Ricky Boorman

Captain Chris T. You’re so right!👍

framodcole

He and Lisa sound quite good together. Agreed, he has been consistent and is one of my faves as well.

David & Sue Thompson

Well said! His longevity now puts him above Lennon & McCartney and pretty well everyone else I can think of now. Apparently he has recently written a heap of new songs as well, so we wait with baited breath!

spectician

This is just an amazing song, so appropriate. Amazing musicians. Thank you so much for this incredible story, song.

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