Davey von Bohlen - vocals, guitar
Jason Gnewikow - guitar, keyboards
Dan Didier - drums
Scott Schoenbeck - bass
Nothing Feels Good
The Promise Ring Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I don't know Alabama or where Atlanta lies tonight.
And Indianapolis.
Summers in park and recreation pools,
And carsick vacations in size eleven in "I'm going to heaven" shoes.
I don't know god;
I don't know anyone or if anything will be all right.
I don't own any albums, I don't know anything.
I don't go to college anymore.
I've got my hands on the one hand,
But I don't know where to put them.
But on the other hand,
I don't know if I'll talk my way out of this one tonight.
The Promise Ring's "Nothing Feels Good" is a song about feeling lost and unsure about one's place in the world. The lyrics paint a picture of someone who is adrift and struggling to find their way. The first verse talks about a lack of knowledge about the geography of the United States, highlighting the singer's lack of a sense of place. They mention summers spent at public pools and uncomfortable vacations, suggesting a sense of displacement and discomfort. The line "I don't know god" could be interpreted as a lack of faith or a feeling of uncertainty about the future.
The second verse mentions a lack of education and a general feeling of ignorance. The singer has their hands on something, perhaps a metaphor for an opportunity or a relationship, but they don't know what to do with it. The last line, "but on the other hand, I don't know if I'll talk my way out of this one tonight," suggests a fear of failure or an awareness of one's own limited abilities.
Overall, the song captures the feeling of being lost, uncertain, and disconnected from the world. It speaks to a sense of aimlessness that many people experience at some point in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know east Texas from Louisiana.
I am not familiar with the geography of this region.
And I don't know Alabama or where Atlanta lies tonight.
I am not familiar with the location of these cities.
And Indianapolis.
I am not familiar with the city of Indianapolis.
Summers in park and recreation pools,
During summers, I spend time in public pools and parks.
And carsick vacations in size eleven in "I'm going to heaven" shoes.
During vacations, I sometimes feel nauseous during long car rides, and I own shoes that have a religious message on them.
I don't know god;
I am not sure if a god exists.
I don't know anyone or if anything will be all right.
I am uncertain about the future and whether things will turn out well.
Like I don't know Billy Ocean from the ocean floor.
I am not familiar with the musician Billy Ocean.
I don't own any albums, I don't know anything.
I do not own any music records, and I do not have a lot of knowledge.
I don't go to college anymore.
I used to attend college, but I stopped going.
I've got my hands on the one hand,
I have something that I am holding onto.
But I don't know where to put them.
I am not sure how to use or apply what I have.
But on the other hand,
However,
I don't know if I'll talk my way out of this one tonight.
I am unsure whether I will be able to explain or convince others of something tonight.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BOHLEN, DIDIER, GNEWIKOW, SCHOENBECK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lily
I don't know East Texas from Louisiana
And I don't know Alabama
Or where Atlanta lies, where Atlanta is tonight
And Indianapolis summers in park and recreation pools
And carsick vacations in size eleven
In "I'm going to heaven" shoes
And I don't know God
And I don't know anyone
And I don't know God
And I don't know if anything at all
Will be all right
I don't know Billy Ocean, I don't know the ocean floor
I don't own any albums, I don't know anything
I don't go to college anymore
I don't know God
And I don't know anyone
And I don't know God
And I don't know if anything at all will be all right
I've got my hands on the one end
And I don't know where to put them
Contrariwise37
The song's chord progression (IV-V) never resolves itself, which eerily compliments the lyrics in the best way possible. Musical genius.
Rose Strohm
That's midwest emo for you
Imliterally Sostupid
this song is lydian as fuck if we're being honest. its a IV-V progression if we're in Cmajor but its really lydian with that locrian ass G/B chord making it in the key of Fmajor, but in the end i'd say this song could be constituted as A minor for the sake of compromising between C and F seeing its the relative minor to C but that wouldnt make tertiary sense in an ionian mode of c major because in this context the F almost demands that sharp 4 if you were to play the scale but because its two majors and a G/B but really lowkey a B minor sus damn near, it makes it some kind of F major affair if you wanted to get theoretical and sorry if im dragging this comment out and making a fuss over nothing but its interesting to think about when thinking about where the I chord is despite them not even going to the Major I chord. Food for thought, i still think this song is lydian as fuck.
Gandhicus
@Imliterally Sostupid Would you say the track is somewhat lydian considering everything?
Imliterally Sostupid
@Gandhicus refer to lil wayne’s deposition when he asks pete ross what his name is. Theres your answer.
wlndbeach
@Imliterally Sostupid melody clearly makes it C major, not that deep.
Ikarus_dV
Havent heard this song for more than 10 years.
And now when I listen to it, it feels like yesterday. And I feel young again
morrissey guy
i love how songs can do that..
Nick Clark
I remember hearing this not long after it came out, maybe 97? I instantly loved the chord progression of this song, but pretty sure I spit out some sort of liquid the first time I head “I don’t go to college...anymore.” Hilarious, yet moody and serious at the same time. Was never a huge fan of PR, but this album was good.
Legend City Music
I like how he says " i dont own any albums "followed by I dont "KNOW ANYTHING "