Pelican
The Maccabees Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

So soon we're too old to carry
We knew we only had a little while
In the middle keep ticking over
Before you know it, parent a parent

To have it all and still want more
One things for sure we're all getting older
So we take a lover waiting in the corner
Before you know it, pushing up the daisies

And we go back to where we came from
Like those before and those to come
And know its the ever and the more
And again and again and again

In the end nothing comes easy
So you find a way to take a little with you
For the ones you love, there if they need to
Pharaoh, they're not coming with you

And we go back to where we came from
Like those before and those to come
And know its the ever and the more
And again and again and again

So soon we're too old to carry
We knew we only had a little while
In the middle keep ticking over
Before you know it, parent a parent

And we go back to where we came from
Like those before and those to come




And know its the ever and the more
And again and again and again

Overall Meaning

The Maccabees’s song “Pelican” is a reflection on the fleeting nature of life and the inevitability of death. The lyrics suggest that life passes quickly, and that we must make the most of the time we have before we turn into parents and eventually return to where we came from. The song opens with the lines, “So soon we're too old to carry/ We knew we only had a little while.” This is a reminder that life is short, and that we must work to make the most of the time we have.


The idea of “pushing up the daisies” is a metaphor for death, and the lyrics suggest that we must make the most of our time before we die. The lines, “Before you know it, pushing up the daisies/ And we go back to where we came from” suggest that we must live our lives as fully as we can, because in the end, we will return to the earth. However, the song also suggests that we can take a piece of ourselves with us by making a difference in the lives of others. The lines, “For the ones you love, there if they need to/ Pharaoh, they're not coming with you” suggest that we must take care of the people we love, and that this is a way of leaving a lasting impact on the world.


Overall, “Pelican” is a poignant reminder that life is short, and that we must make the most of the time we have. It suggests that we can leave a lasting impact on the world by taking care of the people we love and by living our lives fully.


Line by Line Meaning

So soon we're too old to carry
As we age, we become less able to physically bear the weight of our possessions and responsibilities.


We knew we only had a little while
We have a limited time on earth and should make the most of it.


In the middle keep ticking over
In the midst of life's ups and downs, we must keep moving forward.


Before you know it, parent a parent
One day, we may find ourselves caring for our own parents who are no longer able to care for themselves.


To have it all and still want more
Even if we have achieved much in life, we still often desire more.


One things for sure we're all getting older
Age is inevitable for all of us.


So we take a lover waiting in the corner
We seek out companionship to share our lives with and stave off loneliness.


Before you know it, pushing up the daisies
Life is fleeting and can end before we realize it.


And we go back to where we came from
In death, we return to the earth from which we came.


Like those before and those to come
This is a universal truth for all people who have ever lived or will ever live.


And know its the ever and the more
The cycle of life and death will continue indefinitely.


And again and again and again
This process repeats endlessly.


In the end nothing comes easy
Life is difficult and often requires hard work and sacrifice.


So you find a way to take a little with you
We should strive to leave behind a positive legacy for those who come after us.


For the ones you love, there if they need to
Our loved ones are our motivation for leaving behind something good.


Pharaoh, they're not coming with you
Even kings and rulers are mortal and cannot take their wealth or power with them when they die.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Felix White, Hugo White, Orlando Weeks, Rupert Jarvis Shepherd, Sam Doyle

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@fabricioherrera4834

So soon we, so soon we
So soon we're too old to carry
And we knew it, and we knew it
And we knew we only had a little while
In the middle, in the middle
In the middle just keep ticking over
Before you know it, before you know it
Before you know it parent's a parent

To have it all, to have it all
To have it all and still want more
One thing's for sure, one thing's for sure
One thing's for sure we're all getting older
So we take a lover, so we take a lover
So we take a lover waiting in the corner
And before you know it, before you know it,
Before you know it, pushing up the daisies

And we go back to where we came from
Like those before and those to come
And know it's the ever and the more
And again and again and again we go

In the end, In the end
In the end nothing comes easy
So you find a way, so you find a way
So you find a way to take a little with you
For the ones you love, for the ones you love
For the ones you love there's if they need too
Pharaoh, pharaoh
Pharaoh they're not coming with you.

And we go back to where we came from
Like those before and those to come
And know it's the ever and the more
And again and again and again

So soon we, so soon we
So soon we're too old to carry
And we knew it, and we knew it
Abd we knew we only had a little while
In the middle, in the middle
In the middle just keep ticking over
Before you know it, before you know it
Before you know it parent's a parent

And we go back to where we came from
Like those before and those to come
And know it's the ever and the more
And again and again and again



@harrydye8172

@felix- you legend! Big fan and would love you to come on cricket tour with us!

Quick Question...

Is 'In the middle, in the middle
In the middle just keep ticking over'

A reference to rotating strike and building a partnership?

If it is, its fantastic wordsmithmanship

H



All comments from YouTube:

@okassius451

One if the most underrated bands of all time

@sushi6865

i just found them now, whats your favourite songs of theirs?

@hdng1984

@@sushi6865 For me it's probably Can You Give It or Went Away. They're all incredible though, very hard to pick

@SamuelEMPowell131

I remember first discovering The Maccabees in NME, they used to showcase such amazing bands, its a shame what it has become, my music producer friend in high school used to show me all these great bands but this is one of the first bands I showed him I'm proud to say, their music still gives me chills, my friend has just released a brand new banging indie track, try searching Lonely Gimmick - Beaches, brings back nostalgic indie memoires well worth checking out

@robertbentham1399

The new religion. They should play this at children's assembly. Breaks my heart how true this song is. Beautiful, makes me want to cry and laugh. How fast life is. Bless you all, hope you don't waste your time. Thank you so much maccabees x

@laibahahmed1910

Ladies and gentlemen, I think we just found my new favourite band.

@syphercarver69

You are a bit late to the game but atleast you made it eventually.. also these guys no longer tour together because they split up, so sadly you won't be getting any new music by them anytime soon..

@renpan

@@syphercarver69 What a pitty 😔

@jackjude

@@syphercarver69 well they've got 4 albums to listen to.

@JebusGabriel

Noone asked

More Comments

More Versions