Apollo
Noah Reid Lyrics
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If you paint it on and you take on the colors
And the race goes on and you hate one another
All failing strong like waves in the water, oh
Like waves in the water, oh, hmm
And all I see falling tomorrow
Is these apologies, all of 'em hollow
You can follow me and I'll be Apollo, oh
I'll be Apollo, oh
Oh
But I don't wanna know why you do it
I don't wanna know, I don't wanna know
I don't wanna know why you do it, honey I don't wanna know
Oh I don't wanna know, I don't wanna know
Stay, don't leave, 'cause I got a couple
Of memories that float into bubble
And they've stayed with me through oceans and puddles
So faithfully just waiting for trouble, oh
Just waiting and waiting and oh
Oh
But I don't wanna know why you do it
I don't wanna know, I don't wanna know
And I don't wanna know why you threw it
I don't wanna know
Oh I don't wanna know why you do it
I don't wanna know, I don't wanna know, I don't wanna know
And if you gotta go, then just do it, but I don't wanna know
Oh I don't wanna know, I don't wanna know
'Cause all I see falling tomorrow
Is these apologies, all of 'em hollow
And when the autumn leaves fall on Toronto
You can follow me
You can follow me
You can fall
The first verse of Noah Reid's "Apollo" describes the struggle of waiting for something for a long time and feeling the weight of it in the meantime. "If you paint it on and you take on the colors" may refer to the effort and commitment it takes to bring something to fruition like a relationship, career, or personal goal. The line "the race goes on and you hate one another, all failing strong like waves in the water" could highlight the competitive nature of the pursuit and how it can create animosity and tension among people or within oneself. This, in turn, is a metaphor for waves in the water, which can be unpredictable and volatile, much like the emotional turmoil one may experience while waiting for something.
In the chorus, Reid repeats that he does not want to know why someone does something or why they threw something away. This could potentially refer to a specific relationship or experience where someone has hurt him, and he's decided it's better not to know why. The second verse describes how memories of this experience continue to linger, even though he wishes they could disappear. The line "So faithfully just waiting for trouble" implies that the memories are haunting him, and he's scared they will bring him pain.
The song's bridge repeats the sentiment of the first verse and chorus, with Reid stating that "all I see falling tomorrow is these apologies, all of them hollow." When the autumn leaves fall on Toronto, he invites someone to follow him, but it's not clear if he's inviting them to follow him out of the darkness of the past or if he's leaving the situation himself. Ultimately, "Apollo" is a poignant song about the struggle of waiting for something and the difficult process of letting go.
Line by Line Meaning
Well it takes so long and you wait so much longer
The process takes longer than expected and the wait is even longer.
If you paint it on and you take on the colors
If you make it look the way you want it and you embody the characteristics.
And the race goes on and you hate one another
And the competition continues and the opponents display animosity towards each other.
All failing strong like waves in the water, oh
All putting in effort even though they may not succeed, like waves in a body of water.
And all I see falling tomorrow
All that is visible for the future is disappointment.
Is these apologies, all of 'em hollow
The only thing to come is insincere apologies.
And when the autumn leaves fall on Chicago
When the leaves fall off the trees onto the city of Chicago.
You can follow me and I'll be Apollo, oh
Follow me and I'll be a leader that you can look up to.
But I don't wanna know why you do it
I don't want to know the reasoning behind your actions.
Stay, don't leave, 'cause I got a couple
Stay with me, don't go, because I have a few things we can do together.
Of memories that float into bubble
Memories that come to mind easily and seem like they could pop at any moment.
And they've stayed with me through oceans and puddles
They've stayed with me through rough and easy times alike.
So faithfully just waiting for trouble, oh
Waiting around prepared for anything to happen, good or bad.
But I don't wanna know why you threw it
I don't want to know why you got rid of it.
And if you gotta go, then just do it, but I don't wanna know
If you have to leave, just go, but I don't want to know the reasons behind it.
And when the autumn leaves fall on Toronto
When the leaves fall off the trees onto the city of Toronto.
You can follow me
Follow my lead.
Contributed by Mila O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.