Rolling with the Punches
The Blue Stones Lyrics
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Wrestled to the dirt now I'm back on my grind
I took a trip to the borderlines and I doused my head in some upstream brine
Saw a man in a two-tone coat, told me everything he liked about the songs I wrote
Turned his head and to my surprise he had fire on his tongue and green in his eyes
Oooo, won't let him get the best of me
Oooo, take the money just leave me be oh
Been a long time, been a long time
Look into my eyes tell me what do you find?
I had enough with you missin' deadlines, demon with a dollar's been wasting my time
Take him back to his fiery hole, take him to the cleaners with a sword of brimstone
And tell the rest of your hungry dogs that I've got a new weapon just to rule them all
I need your help like I need blood loss, words are for the weak with an empty cause
Give me what I want or I'll take it for myself
Hey! I've been rollin' with the punches X2
Hey! I've been rollin' with the punches X4
In "Rolling with the Punches" by The Blue Stones, the singer expresses his determination and resilience in the face of adversity. He starts by acknowledging that he has faced struggles ("been a long time, been a long time"), but he's not giving up. He's "back on [his] grind" and ready to take on whatever challenges come his way. He even goes as far as taking extreme measures, like "dousing [his] head in some upstream brine," to get the job done.
The songwriter then describes encountering a strange man who appreciates his music ("told me everything he liked about the songs I wrote"), but with an unexpected twist. The man turns out to have "fire on his tongue and green in his eyes," hinting at something mysterious and possibly dangerous. Despite this, the singer refuses to let this person "get the best of [him]." He doesn't need distractions, he just wants to be left alone ("take the money just leave me be").
In the second verse, the stakes are raised even higher. The singer is dealing with someone who's causing him stress and wasting his time ("demon with a dollar's been wasting my time"). He's fed up with being let down and is ready to defend himself ("take him to the cleaners with a sword of brimstone"). The idea of a "new weapon just to rule them all" suggests that he's not just fighting for himself, but for something bigger.
Overall, "Rolling with the Punches" is an anthem for perseverance and determination in the face of adversity. Despite encountering obstacles and even mysterious, possibly dangerous individuals, the singer refuses to give up, instead choosing to "roll with the punches" and come out even stronger.
Line by Line Meaning
Been a long time, been a long time
It has been a while since I encountered setbacks.
Wrestled to the dirt now I'm back on my grind
I faced challenges and now I'm back to working hard.
I took a trip to the borderlines and I doused my head in some upstream brine
I went to dangerous places and did things I'm not proud of.
Saw a man in a two-tone coat, told me everything he liked about the songs I wrote
I received compliments from an unexpected source.
Turned his head and to my surprise he had fire on his tongue and green in his eyes
He turned hostile and revealed his true intentions.
Oooo, won't let him get the best of me
I won't let him defeat me.
Oooo, take the money just leave me be oh
Take the money and go away.
Look into my eyes tell me what do you find?
Look at me and see what I've been through.
I had enough with you missin' deadlines, demon with a dollar's been wasting my time
I'm fed up with your delays and the distractions that come with money.
Take him back to his fiery hole, take him to the cleaners with a sword of brimstone
Send him back to hell and make him pay for his actions.
And tell the rest of your hungry dogs that I've got a new weapon just to rule them all
Warn others that I've got an advantage and will emerge victorious.
I need your help like I need blood loss, words are for the weak with an empty cause
I don't need your support, empty words won't help me.
Give me what I want or I'll take it for myself
Either give me what I want or I'll go get it myself.
Hey! I've been rollin' with the punches X2
I've been facing tough situations but I'm not giving up.
Hey! I've been rollin' with the punches X4
I'm resilient and can handle whatever comes my way.
Contributed by Luke C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.