Life's For The Living
Passenger Lyrics


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Well grey clouds wrapped round the town like elastic
Cars stood like toys made of Taiwanese plastic
The boy laughed at the spastic dancing around in the rain
While laundrettes cleaned clothes, high heels rub toes
Puddles splashed huddles of bus stop crows
Dressed in their suits and their boots
Well they all look the same
I took myself down to the cafe to find all
The boys lost in books and crackling vinyl
And carved out a poem above the urinal that read
Don't you cry for the lost
Smile for the living
Get what you need and give what you're given
Life's for the living so live it
Or you're better off dead

While the evening pulled the moon out of it's packet
Stars shone like buttons on an old man's jacket
We needed a nail but we tacked it 'til it fell of the wall

While pigeon's pecked trains, sparks flew like planes
The rain showed the rainbows in the oil stains
And we all had new iPhone's but no one had no one to call

And I stumbled down to the stomach of the town
Where the widow takes memories to slowly drown
With a hand to the sky and a mist in her eye she said
Don't you cry for the lost
Smile for the living
Get what you need and give what you're given
Life's for the living so live it
Or you're better off dead

Well I'm sick of this town, this blind man's forage
They take your dreams down and stick them in storage
You can have them back son when you've paid off
Your mortgage and loans
Oh hell with this place, I'll go it my own way
I'll stick out my thumb and I trudge down the highway
Someday someone must be going my way home

Till then I'll make my bed from a disused car
With a mattress of leaves and a blanket of stars
And I'll stitch the words into my heart with a needle and thread
Don't you cry for the lost
Smile for the living
Get what you need and give what you're given
You know life's for the living so live it
Or you're better off dead

Don't you cry for the lost
Smile for the living
Get what you need and give what you're given




Life's for the living so live it
Or you're better off dead

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Life's for the Living" by Passenger describe the atmosphere of a rainy evening in a small town, where everything seems mundane and colorless. The song reflects on the mundanity of everyday life, the frustrations of being stuck in a place you no longer want to be, and encourages listeners to make the most of their lives. The first verse paints a picture of a sleepy town where people go about their business, while the singer observes their actions. Despite the dreariness of the surroundings, the boy in the rain is carefree, and it is his attitude that stands out to the singer.


In the second verse, the singer visits a cafe where people are lost in books and vinyl, and amidst that drudgery, he carves out an inspiring message above the urinal - "Don't you cry for the lost, smile for the living, get what you need and give what you're given, life's for the living so live it, or you're better off dead." The message centers on the idea that we should appreciate what we have in life and make the most of it. The song continues to talk about the monotony of life, with people owning iPhones but having no one to call.


In the final verse, the singer decides to break free from his unfulfilled life and hit the road to find his way home. He chooses a non-traditional life, abandoning the idea of a mortgage and loan payment to live his life on the road. He chooses to live a humble lifestyle, where he sleeps on a mattress of leaves and a blanket of stars, far away from the world of materialism. He stitches the inspiring message onto his heart to remind himself to keep living his life to the fullest. The overall message of the song is to appreciate what you have, to live in the moment, and to not be afraid to take chances and make the most of the opportunities life presents.


Line by Line Meaning

Well grey clouds wrapped round the town like elastic
The clouds appeared like elastic, blanketing the grey town


Cars stood like toys made of Taiwanese plastic
The parked cars resembled Taiwanese toys made of plastic


The boy laughed at the spastic dancing around in the rain
The boy laughed at the dancing person with a physical disability as they danced in the rain


While laundrettes cleaned clothes, high heels rub toes
As laundrettes cleaned clothes, women in high heels rubbed their feet in discomfort


Puddles splashed huddles of bus stop crows
Crowds of black birds gathered at bus stops and splashed in puddles


Dressed in their suits and their boots Well they all looked the same
People dressed alike in suits and boots, and appeared indistinguishable from each other


I took myself down to the cafe to find all The boys lost in books and crackling vinyl
The singer went to a café where boys were lost in books and vinyl


And carved out a poem above the urinal that read
The artist carved out a poem on the wall above a restroom urinal


Don't you cry for the lost
Do not mourn for those who are gone


Smile for the living
Appreciate the living and be happy


Get what you need and give what you're given
Take what you need and give back what you can


Life's for the living so live it
Life is meant for the living and should be lived fully


Or you're better off dead
Otherwise, it is better off to not be alive


While the evening pulled the moon out of it's packet
During the evening, the moon appeared in the sky


Stars shone like buttons on an old man's jacket
The stars in the night sky looked like buttons on an old man's jacket


We needed a nail but we tacked it 'til it fell of the wall
We lacked a nail to hang something, so we improvised until it fell


While pigeon's pecked trains, sparks flew like planes
As pigeons pecked at the trains, sparks flew and looked like planes in the night sky


The rain showed the rainbows in the oil stains
The rain revealed rainbows in the oil stains on the ground


And we all had new iPhone's but no one had no one to call
Everyone had a new iPhone, but no one had someone to call


And I stumbled down to the stomach of the town
The artist walked stumbling down to the center of the town


Where the widow takes memories to slowly drown
It's a place where a widow goes to grieve and release memories


With a hand to the sky and a mist in her eye she said
The widow raised her hand to the sky, with a mist in her eye as she spoke


Well I'm sick of this town, this blind man's forage
The singer is frustrated with this town, which feels chaotic and aimless


They take your dreams down and stick them in storage
Others are responsible for bringing you down and putting your dreams away


You can have them back son when you've paid off your mortgage and loans
You can only retrieve your dreams after paying debts from your mortgage and loans


Oh hell with this place, I'll go it my own way
The singer is done with this place and will go their own way


I'll stick out my thumb and I trudge down the highway
The singer will hitchhike on the highway


Someday someone must be going my way home
The artist hopes someone will eventually lead them in the direction of their home


Till then I'll make my bed from a disused car
The artist will make a bed from an abandoned car since they have no home


With a mattress of leaves and a blanket of stars
The mattress will be made of leaves while a starry sky acts as a blanket


And I'll stitch the words into my heart with a needle and thread
The singer will stitch words into their heart using a needle and thread


Don't you cry for the lost
Do not cry for those who are gone


Smile for the living
Appreciate the living and be happy


Get what you need and give what you're given
Take what you need and give back what you can


You know life's for the living so live it
Acknowledge that life is for the living, so enjoy it while you can


Or you're better off dead
Otherwise, it is better off to not be alive




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Michael David Rosenberg

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Elke Nicolai

I love how you can see and feel the passion and emotion he puts into his songs.. He's probably one of the best singer-/songwriters I've ever seen. Amazing

Osteoman 74

Most probably some of the deepest lyrics i have ever heard, what a tune

Phil Mcpherson

This guy is fantastic, great lyrics and original folk music. Superb!

Andre Brandão

eu amo essa musica mesmo depois de ter escutado milhares de vezes.

Nicole Auclair

Oh how I appreciate artists who can sing just as awesome live as they do recorded :)

Wayne Bartunek

I dont know why he isn't getting more noticed, best Ive heard in 10 years!

Aarogya Banepali

Someday someday :)

sir humpalot

I totally agreed.. he's one of the greatest songwriters in my world, he's sings from the heart.. he can make me cry,laugh,and make the hair on my arms rise,when he sings the truth about the human race.. love the guy 😀👍

Benjamin Tardy

he's one of the most famous folk artists and he has over 3 billion views total

DannoCrutch

this fellow is absolutely amazing. Just jaw dropping, goosebump eliciting, toe tapping genius.

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