What We Worked For

Subject: What We Worked For Mon May 05, 2008 10:03 am

Lost the confidence to write a song,
So I found three simple chords
And held them together with my weak voice
On an out of tune guitar
My father gave to me.

And may Elvis turn in his grave
And Les Paul kiss my dirty, calloused fingers
And may the likes of this song never make
One fucking dollar,
leave it for a demo tape
To be played until it's broken,
Then remembered only for what it was.

Then we gave them hell (x6)

To my friends and enemies who could of been anything,
Titans and heroes who found survival in cause and effect.
Behind counters,
Behind windows,
Striving just
To be people
With bitter ideals of justice.
Do we only need to keep working because it pays rent?
Sleeping under plastic stars glued to ceiling,
Muscles burning alcohol and nicotine
Every morning.

But we gave them hell (x6)

There's a height beyond skyscrapers,
There's a distance beyond the freeway,
More than pictures in a magazine,
More than tragedy in a rock and roll song.
It's more than the actions you know are safe to make.
It's more than money could ever buy.

Are we living to work and die in American cities?
And working to live and die in American cities,
And dying for what we worked.

I'll contribute later on when i find the time.

Subject: Re: What We Worked For Mon May 05, 2008 5:29 pm

Fucking amazing song, I play it to death sometimes.

It's about people who just plain aren't happy with their working lives and why we can't just break free from all the bullshit.

"more than the actions you know are safe to make"

You've got to throw it all away to gain what you really want.

Subject: Re: What We Worked For Mon May 05, 2008 6:48 pm

Yeah, this song makes me want to keep on the path I'm on, even though I know I'm not gonna make money and might not always be able to find a job... I just wanna be happy, but society doesn't make happiness easy...

Subject: Re: What We Worked For Mon May 05, 2008 8:36 pm

Agreed and agreed. And DEFINITELY agreed about playing it to death, I love this song.

Inspires me to keep on with my creativity. And yeah, society doesn't make happiness easy. Really, it seems that society would rather you sacrifice unabashed happiness for comfort that it sells you - the price is 8 hours a day, very limited leave - especially the sick leave - and taxes. Basically, your life. More like a non-life.

Subject: Re: What We Worked For Tue May 06, 2008 4:34 am

Does anyone else love it that the 16 or 17 year old kid who wrote this song went on to make his music his life ten years later? Beautiful.

Subject: Re: What We Worked For Tue May 06, 2008 4:48 pm

even better listening to it live...

Subject: Re: What We Worked For Sun May 25, 2008 12:13 am

this song hits so close to home for me its unreal!!! as in any song you can make the meaning up to suit your views and lifestyle for me it means that people do the same shit everyday to keep on living and is there another option do you take the high road or low road or do you give it all you got and make the best out of your situation, what are you doing for your life??? seen it played live twice and it was the best song of both nights!!!

Subject: Re: What We Worked For Wed May 28, 2008 3:24 am

arollo wrote:: Does anyone else love it that the 16 or 17 year old kid who wrote this song went on to make his music his life ten years later? Beautiful.

He was 17 when he wrote this? Shit...

Subject: Re: What We Worked For Wed May 28, 2008 9:37 am

I think it is Tom saying as a teenager that all the other crap that comes across the music industry really doesn't matter... it is not about the cars, the money, the image or the episode of Cribs... at the core of the whole thing, being a musician is about having written a song that someone connects to and putting on a great show!

For all of you musicians out there it must feel pretty awesome to know that somewhere there is a person trying to explain his love/anger/random emotion and he feels that only your song can explain. In other words, think about the importance that some guy puts into a mix tape that he gives to a girl he likes.

Subject: Re: What We Worked For Fri Jun 06, 2008 3:58 pm

e6c wrote:: I think it is Tom saying as a teenager that all the other crap that comes across the music industry really doesn't matter... it is not about the cars, the money, the image or the episode of Cribs... at the core of the whole thing, being a musician is about having written a song that someone connects to and putting on a great show!

For all of you musicians out there it must feel pretty awesome to know that somewhere there is a person trying to explain his love/anger/random emotion and he feels that only your song can explain. In other words, think about the importance that some guy puts into a mix tape that he gives to a girl he likes.

Everyone says what I'm about to say before I can say it. Crying or Very sad

Subject: Re: What We Worked For Fri Aug 15, 2008 4:25 pm

Was gonna start a thread on this song. I love it, its so truthful. It feels like Tom is actually talking to you, telling you how he feels.

Subject: Re: What We Worked For Wed Oct 01, 2008 6:09 pm

everyone is acting suprise like a 17 year old cant write a song like this... when you think out side of the box you can make any song good.

Guest

No one said a 17 year old can't write this song, he obviously did. But how many 17 year olds write songs this good? Not to be ageist, but seriously.

Subject: Re: What We Worked For Wed Oct 01, 2008 7:25 pm

drinkingirish wrote:: Fucking amazing song, I play it to death sometimes.

It's about people who just plain aren't happy with their working lives and why we can't just break free from all the bullshit.

"more than the actions you know are safe to make"

You've got to throw it all away to gain what you really want.

Perfect.

Subject: Re: What We Worked For Wed Oct 01, 2008 10:18 pm

I think this song is about more than just getting what you want by losing something.
I think it's about how nobody knows what they really want, and they try to get it with money, or work, when they truly have it and don't even know.
And Tom's questioning that. Questioning work, questioning money, questioning the American way of life.
This song is it's own little revolution.
Probably my favorite AM! song.

Subject: Re: What We Worked For Thu Oct 02, 2008 12:13 am

I love the video of them playing this acoustic in that burbank music store, and when tom sings "Do we only need to keep working because it pays rent" some kid from the crowd is like, yes we do.

Also, this song never gets old, its always spinning in my room.

Subject: Re: What We Worked For Sat Oct 04, 2008 10:44 am

I feel this song is about not selling out m like the line 'And may the likes of this song never make One fucking dollar,' and that doing what you enjoy is way better then money. And i really hate those guys who think since they sign to a major label things a different.

Subject: Re: What We Worked For Sat Oct 04, 2008 11:05 am

i think its about a)making music for the sake of making music. and b) the repetitive nature of life..work to buy food and pay rent, for the rest of you life, you just have to work to live. we're not nessecarily working towards anything, besides death. sort of on cruise control, work, eat, sleep.

Subject: Re: What We Worked For Sat Oct 04, 2008 7:02 pm

Also, I think it's about the privileged life people lead, and yet think they've got it bad.

Quote :: Sleeping under plastic stars glued to the ceiling.

Subject: Re: What We Worked For Mon Sep 19, 2011 7:19 pm

Thought you all might like this...

Subject: Re: What We Worked For Mon Sep 19, 2011 7:24 pm

oh shit i saw this like 5 years ago and then it was deleted. You get a gold star. (gonna move it to the video section)

Subject: Re: What We Worked For Mon Sep 19, 2011 8:27 pm

Holy shit. That is awesome.