Here and Now
The Ernies Lyrics


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The buzz of electric lamplight
From down on the sidewalk
You struggle, grasp your night-shirt and turn
But the universe doesn't say what you want it to say
The universe says, just what it says, when it says what it says

But on the planet earth, spinning around its axis
Revolving around the sun, revolving around the center
Of the Milky Way galaxy in a super cluster of galaxies
Will it ever be you and me here and now?

Your consoling hands in a gesture
Well placed and throbbing
Throbbing with the buzz of electric lamplight
From down on the sidewalk
But the universe doesn't say what you want it to say
The universe says, just what it says, when it says what it says

The buzz of electric lamplight
From down on the sidewalk
You struggle, grasp your night-shirt and turn
But the universe doesn't say what you want it to say
The universe says, just what it says, when it says what it says

Quanta, mesons, hadrons, photons, neutrons, electrons and protons combining to form
Atoms and molecules and compounds and cells, tissues and organs in a system of a being
On the planet earth, spinning around its axis, revolving around the sun, revolving around




The center of the Milky Way galaxy in a super cluster of galaxies
Will it ever be you and me here and now?

Overall Meaning

The Ernies's song Here and Now seems to explore the existential questions of human existence and our place in the universe. The lyrics suggest that we live in a universe that does not conform to our desires or expectations. The phrase "The Universe says just what it says, when it says what it says" emphasizes the unpredictability and randomness of existence.


The song then shifts to the idea of the planet Earth and the vastness of the universe. It talks about how we are a tiny blip in the grand scheme of things, spinning around our own axis and revolving around the sun, which is revolving around the center of the Milky Way galaxy in a super cluster of galaxies. The bridge feels like a plea for a connection, a yearning for intimacy; will there be ever anything meaningful in the vastness of the universe, a moment where "you and me" exist "here and now"?


The theme of the song appears to be about our perception of existence and how we fit into it. We want control, but the universe doesn't conform to our wishes. We want to feel significant, but we are ultimately insignificant in the grand scheme of things. The song forces us to confront these uncomfortable truths and asks us to find a way to make meaning in spite of them.


Line by Line Meaning

The buzz of electric lamplight
The humming sound of electric lamplight


From down on the sidewalk
Coming from the street outside


You struggle, grasp your night-shirt and turn
You toss and turn in bed, struggling to sleep


But the universe doesn't say what you want it to say
Things do not always go the way you want them to


The universe says, just what it says, when it says what it says
Things happen as they should, in their own time and manner


But on the planet earth, spinning around its axis
However, on Earth, things are constantly moving and changing


Revolving around the sun, revolving around the center
Orbiting the sun and the center of our galaxy


Of the Milky Way galaxy in a super cluster of galaxies
Part of a larger system of galaxies


Will it ever be you and me here and now?
Is it possible for us to be together in this moment?


Your consoling hands in a gesture
Your comforting touch in a physical expression


Well placed and throbbing
Strategically located and pulsating


Throbbing with the buzz of electric lamplight
Palpitating in sync with the humming of a light bulb


Quanta, mesons, hadrons, photons, neutrons, electrons and protons combining to form
The building blocks of nature coming together to create


Atoms and molecules and compounds and cells, tissues and organs in a system of a being
The complex systems that make up living organisms


On the planet earth, spinning around its axis, revolving around the sun, revolving around
All existing on a planet that is constantly moving and evolving


The center of the Milky Way galaxy in a super cluster of galaxies
A small piece of a vast universe


Will it ever be you and me here and now?
Is it possible for us to exist and experience this moment together?




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: WILLIAM C. JR. HUMMEL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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