Circa 1762
Pavement Lyrics


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Met her
when I was a drum cadet
Sold her
the skins off my second set
Yes!

See myself come running back
See myself come running back
Running back, running back,
Running running running back
See myself come running back
See myself come running back
Running back, running back,
Running running running back

Asshole
Royal blue velvet rope
Castles
We never had any of those (?)

See myself come running back
See myself come running back
Running back, running back,
Running running running back
See myself come running back
See myself come running back
Running back, running back,
Running running running back

I was in a three piece band
But there were no strings
On the winds
And skins
Torn flags
We don't
Burned match
We light the burned match




We light the burned match
And stick a flag on it

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Pavement's song "Circa 1762" use a mix of surreal and ironic imagery to convey a sense of disappointment and lack of success. The first lines describe the singer meeting a woman, probably a fellow musician or music fan, and selling her the used drum skins from his second set. This could be read as a joke about how hard it is to make money in the music industry, or as a metaphor for giving away something of personal value to someone who doesn't appreciate it.


The second part of the song includes references to castles and blue velvet ropes, both symbols of wealth and exclusivity, which the singer seems to envy or mock. The repeated line "See myself come running back" could imply a sense of nostalgia or regret for a past time when the singer felt more powerful or successful. However, the final lines of the song subvert this sentiment by describing a band with no strings, torn flags, and a burned match as a symbol of rebellion and creative freedom.


Overall, "Circa 1762" is a song that plays with both superficial and profound meanings, and invites listeners to interpret its surreal imagery in their own way.


Line by Line Meaning

Met her when I was a drum cadet
I first saw her when I was a young musician learning how to march and play percussion.


Sold her the skins off my second set Yes!
I sold her the drumheads from my extra kit, which thrilled me greatly.


See myself come running back Running back, running back, Running running running back See myself come running back Running back, running back, Running running running back
I imagine myself constantly returning to her, coming back to her over and over again.


Asshole Royal blue velvet rope Castles We never had any of those (?),
I feel like everyone else in the world has access to things like fancy clubs and castles, but not me.


I was in a three piece band But there were no strings On the winds And skins Torn flags
I used to be in a band, but it wasn't a traditional one with stringed instruments- we used the power of the wind and percussion to make our music. Our flags were ragged and worn.


We don't Burned match We light the burned match We light the burned match And stick a flag on it
We aren't afraid to make the most of the meager resources we have- when we find a burned-out match, we light it again and use it as a makeshift flagpole.




Contributed by Lincoln V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@mellowyellow6572

Met her
When I was a drunk cadet
Sold her
The skins off my second set
It's the best!

See myself come running back
See myself come running back
Running back
Running back
Running
Running
Running
Back

See myself come running back
See myself come running back
Running back
Running back
Running
Running
Running
Back

Asshole
Royal blue velvet robe
Castles
We never had any of those

See myself come running back
See myself come running back
Running back
Running back
Running
Running
Running
Back

See myself come running back
See myself come running back
Running back
Running back
Running
Running
Running
Back

I was in a three-piece band
And there were no strings
Only wings
And skin
And torn flags
The burnt, burnt match

We light the burnt match
Light the burnt match
We'll stick a flag on it



All comments from YouTube:

@randalfgaming

I really wish there was a remastered version of this, it's so good.

@halflifeepisode34980

Remastered would suck. Look up high dynamic range

@halflifeepisode34980

Remastered would make it louder but it'd also be more flat and plastic sounding. The experience wouldn't be the same if listening at home on good headphones or speakers

@lukedguy1253

Luxe and reduxe?

@julesotis13

there is lol

@julesotis13

unles this is the same audio theres a great version from the slanted enchated re release that has bonus tracks including the peel sessions

@mellowyellow6572

Met her
When I was a drunk cadet
Sold her
The skins off my second set
It's the best!

See myself come running back
See myself come running back
Running back
Running back
Running
Running
Running
Back

See myself come running back
See myself come running back
Running back
Running back
Running
Running
Running
Back

Asshole
Royal blue velvet robe
Castles
We never had any of those

See myself come running back
See myself come running back
Running back
Running back
Running
Running
Running
Back

See myself come running back
See myself come running back
Running back
Running back
Running
Running
Running
Back

I was in a three-piece band
And there were no strings
Only wings
And skin
And torn flags
The burnt, burnt match

We light the burnt match
Light the burnt match
We'll stick a flag on it

@wajwo

Thank you. I think SM says "drum cadet"... makes sense with "skins off my second set". Also I think it says "velvet rope". Fantastic song, epic

@rawcherrypoptarts

I think it’s worth noting that not one single upload of this song has a dislike. Best song ever?

@jaredbumbis

fucking fantastic song insane that this didnt make slanted or crooked rain

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