Neenah Menasha
Sponge Lyrics


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To begin but not complete
To sleep but not to wake
To always be lost and
Never find the way
No thoughts or memory
No hope or tragedy

A mirror waits for a
Reflection of a face
To hit the ground and know
The sound
Trial by mistake
Death's a crown we wear
Around
Like a smile on a face

They will never hate or
Lie
They will never break or
Try
They will never break or
Cry
They will never wave
Goodbye

A silence that would not
Break
The loss of a face
The face of a woman that
Arrived much too late
I break down and she sees
The clowns
I used to hide away
Death to clowns all their
Crowns
And the smiles on their
Face

They will never break or
Try
They will never hate or
Lie
They will never say or
Smile
They will never break or
Cry

Neenah Menasha will wait
Neenah Menasha . Neenah
Menasha
Will wait

I break down and she sees
The clowns
I used to hide away
Death to clowns and all
Their crowns
And the smiles on their
Face
They will never hate or
Lie
They will never break or
Try
They will never break or
Cry




They will never wave
Goodbye

Overall Meaning

The singer of the song is expressing a deep sense of hopelessness and despair. The lines "To begin but not complete, To sleep but not to wake, To always be lost and never find the way, No thoughts or memory, No hope or tragedy" describe a life that feels meaningless and directionless. The singer is lost, unable to find purpose or direction in their life. They carry a burden of pain and suffering, which they compare to a crown that they wear.


The song references Neenah Menasha, which is a city in Wisconsin. It's unclear why the city is mentioned, but it's possible that the name represents a feeling of isolation and loneliness, as if the singer is alone in a desolate landscape. The lines "A mirror waits for a reflection of a face, To hit the ground and know the sound, Trial by mistake, Death's a crown we wear around like a smile on a face" suggest that the singer feels trapped in a cycle of pain and suffering, unable to escape.


The final verse of the song suggests that the singer has found some solace in the company of a woman. The lines "I break down and she sees the clowns, I used to hide away, Death to clowns and all their crowns, And the smiles on their face" suggest that the singer has found someone who understands their pain and is helping them to break free from it. The song ends on a note of finality and optimism, with the lines "They will never hate or lie, They will never break or cry, They will never wave goodbye".


Line by Line Meaning

To begin but not complete
Starting projects and tasks, but never finishing them


To sleep but not to wake
Living in a dreamlike state, never truly facing reality


To always be lost and never find the way
Feeling lost in life, without a clear direction


No thoughts or memory, no hope or tragedy
Feeling disconnected from oneself and one's emotions


A mirror waits for a reflection of a face
Feeling like a shell of oneself


To hit the ground and know the sound, trial by mistake
Repeating mistakes and facing their consequences


Death's a crown we wear around, like a smile on a face
Always carrying the weight of mortality, and hiding it behind a facade of happiness


They will never hate or lie, they will never break or try
Idealizing a perfect, unattainable state of being


They will never break or cry, they will never wave goodbye
Refusing to acknowledge sadness or loss


A silence that would not break, the loss of a face
Feeling isolated and numb after losing someone close


The face of a woman that arrived much too late
Regretting missed opportunities and wishing for a second chance


I break down and she sees the clowns I used to hide away
Opening up and revealing one's vulnerabilities to someone trusted


Death to clowns all their crowns, and the smiles on their face
Rejecting the idea of masking pain with happiness


Neenah Menasha will wait
An uncertain future, with a vague sense of hope


I break down and she sees the clowns I used to hide away
Continuing to work through personal struggles and traumas


They will never hate or lie, they will never break or try
A repeating refrain of the idealized state of being


They will never say or smile, they will never break or cry
A complete and absolute emotional detachment, resulting in a sense of emptiness


They will never wave goodbye
An unwillingness to let go, even in the face of uncertainty




Lyrics Ā© Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MICHAEL CROSS, TIMOTHY CROSS, MARK P DOMBROSKI, JOSEPH A MAZZOLA, JAMES J PALUZZI

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@daniell1125

To begin but not complete
To sleep but not to wake
To always be lost
To never find the way

No thought, no memory
No hope or tragedy
A mirror waits for
A reflection of a face

To hit the ground and know the sound
A trial by mistake
Death's a crown we wear around
A smile on our face

They will never hate or lie
They will never break or try
They will never say or smile
They will never break or cry

Neenah Menasha will wait
Neenah Menasha will wait

I break down and she sees a clown
I used to hide away
Death to clowns and all their crowds
The smile on their face

They will never hate or lie
They will never break or try
They will never break or cry
They will never wave goodbye

Neenah Menasha will wait
Neenah Menasha will wait



All comments from YouTube:

@soldierofthepast6939

this song is very good, so timeless, 90s rock was the highest point that music could reach...

@stevebrule3638

Nice pfp bro the Smiths are the best band of the 80s, every album has great songs

@flobanez

This is probably my favorite track on the album, such a great song!

@Madchaskon

flobanez same here, great song

@shinyapples67

flobanez Definitely my favorite.

@No-mart

flobanez this and Pennywheels

@capkronos00

Hmph. Don't agree. Pennywheels, Plowed and this one are my favorites.

@AnHonest_ConMan

All these years later, despite them falling off of my playlist, this album still is possibly in my top five personal favorites. It's basically perfect to me.

4 More Replies...

@BSalad

I donā€™t know why they never were bigger than they got. Totally underrated band. I pray to God my band can be like Sponge

@beebala3

This album is easily in my top 10 of all time.

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