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The Youth Lyrics

This is a call of arms to live and love and sleep together
We could flood the streets with love or light or heat whatever
Lock the parents out, cut a rug, twist and shout
Wave your hands
Make it rain
For stars will rise again

The youth is starting to change
Are you starting to change?
Are you?
Together (x7)

In a couple of years
Tides have turned from boo's to cheers
And in spite of the weather
We could learn to make it together

The youth is starting to change
Are you starting to change?
Are you?
Together (x7)

The youth (x4)
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Cover art for The Youth lyrics by MGMT

This song proves Andrew Vanwyngarden and Ben Goldwasser are true modern-day hippies. This song is talking about the dramatic change in culture that is happening today with the youth. Since the war on peace in the 60's and 70's, kids and teens all over America are becoming more and more nonconforming to societies standards and are learning to make their own opinions and beliefs instead of following the traditional ways of life that have been occuring for hundreds of years. They are learning to keep an open mind about everything and are less trusting of the people who make the decisions for our country. Andrew and Ben take sides with today's youth and just want peace on earth. I think this song is just saying "The youth is smarter than you think, they are no longer brainwashed by what you have hoped for them to believe about right and wrong. The rebellion is coming quick, so will you join it? Todays youth will be filling the shoes of all the leaders and this country will soon see a huge change in culture."

you just changed what i thought the song was about because i like your explanation better. congrats.

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Totally

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I agree. This is an epic song. One of the best new songs i've heard in a while, it reminds me so much of The Beatles. The key change to begin the last chorus gives it so much power. It was about time there was a band like MGMT.

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Cover art for The Youth lyrics by MGMT

i can't believe no one has commented on this song yet--it's one of my favorites off oracular spectacular. it's like a slow dance for jaded collegiate indie kids. i love it.

lmfao... spot on description! i'm gonna cut a rug now <dances off>

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Cover art for The Youth lyrics by MGMT

oh my god. this song is a DREAM. mgmt is a dream. i seriously need more of them in my life. i wonder what they are like live?

...depends on how disassociated they are... but then again... if you are too... it doesn't matter.... they're great.

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Cover art for The Youth lyrics by MGMT

thank you shakermaker, for not being stupid, and being right.

on the other hand, emily 14...just quit it, alright. I already told you I have the CD, WITH the lyrics in there, and it says that...so, just leave it alone, You're wrong, get over it. And stop trying to sound smart with your little analysis, you already failed with your first comment.

Cover art for The Youth lyrics by MGMT

How come? because lyrics sites must obviously get their lyrics from nitwits like you, thats why. It's boo's to cheers. Quit over analyzing, tides turning just represents a change in the 'climate' per se. In other words how they're now accepted more widely, unlike before.

Cover art for The Youth lyrics by MGMT

emily_14........ owned.

this song is amaaazing i think its gotta be my fave by them. this is the shit i'm talking about man we need more bands like this on the go these days awesome stuff

Cover art for The Youth lyrics by MGMT

I think I agree with 'mandio' when she talked about how people didn't really get their music well 'the youth is starting to change' so get with it? you know? 'are you starting to change' music changes over time, the new youth always seems to understand the new music,

'the stars will rise again' they will come back, people will understand 'lock the parents out' self explanitory really.

"in spite of the weather, we can learn to make it together" throughout all the boo's they stuck together and now are a great success for all the world, including me, to enjoy and love. :)

Cover art for The Youth lyrics by MGMT

Not to pict on emily14 anymore, but wow, what an angry person...

The real reason that I wanted to post was to say how much I like the "are you together?" line. Someone above posted that they thought this might be about relationships...could be, but I doubt it.

I think it's more likely about composure? As in, "keep it together." It kind of sucks to grow up now--how could you not be disaffected. It just seems futile to try to change the world sometimes.

Very thought provoking.

(In emily14's defense, booze, waves, and tears are liquids, generally speaking. So, clearly, is her brain.)

Cover art for The Youth lyrics by MGMT

Ben Goldwasser and Andrew Vanwyngarden are modern day hippies, radicals -- they believe in peace, freedom and (free) love.

The are siding with today's small portion of youth who are "flooding the streets with love, light and heat" (protest, love and rage) and "living, loving and sleeping together" (free love, a radical concept).

The youth are starting to wake up and the revolution is returning. We are no longer conforming to society's and the government's "acceptable" standards, we're starting to express ourselves creatively.

Check out hippieeit's comment and the 60's and 70's revolution.

Peace, love, freedom and music.

Cover art for The Youth lyrics by MGMT

mann this sure is a hippy song :] yehh it does have a deeper meaning but to me it's also about telling you to enjoy your youth while you can,or just try to capture the carefree attitude associated with the youth,embrace it,do positive things with it,dont be afraid to stand up to authority(lock the parents out lol,i like it ;] )

if you lock all the parents out, how will you learn anything at all?

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also, you might want to keep this tenet in mind: "Renounce your father, renounce your mother, all your family."

-Principle of the Khmer Rouge.

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I'm fairly sure they mean "lock the parents out" it in a figurative sense. And, as I believe is true for most of their lyrics, it was written to be interpreted in multiple ways. I mean there's no denying their songs are abstract poems with many metaphors and idioms that can also be taken literally. I don't mean to implying that I don't see a centralized theme, because I do. I believe it's baldly stated. But different lines in the song allude to other themes hidden within and that's what makes their music so fascinating. Each song is like A...

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