Water Landing Lyrics
I'm bleeding in this game
Cause she uses boys like bandages
But the wounds remain the same
And I hope you find it through this endless wandering
And I'm missing you for so long
You're a question mark and a scar
And you twist me up like a tourniquet
Til I don't know who we are
And I know chasing after you won't change a thing
And I hope you find it through this endless wandering
Change everything I know
But she won't let me come
She won't let me go
Let me come inside, inside
Toe up on a private jet
Spiraling down with a cigarette
Where we going now cause I forget
And I gotta get it all but it takes a toll
Well I guess you'll have to grow a soul
Dark side giving me such a pull
Water Landing
Then it's a
Water Landing
Well I'm tellin' you now
Strap it across your chest
Prepare yourself for impending death
You and me are nosediving at the speed of whiplash
Life flashes by in an endless plane crash
Muffled I love you through an oxygen mask
On my face
Brace, brace
And the cabin erupts with religious conversions
God's sick joke as we lose the engines
Some people scream, some people are gracious
And the reason's the same
Cause the sky outside
Is so spacious, it's so spacious
Water Landing
Then it's a
Water Landing
It's coming inside, inside
The water landing reference immediately struck me as an example of survival in the face of impending destruction. The relationship was headed for disaster, and he thought they were going down for sure. The line about "the sky outside, so spacious" reminds me of those surreal moments when there is chaos all around you, but if you take a step back and look at the big picture, you realize how small and insignificant you are. I think the contrast of "some people scream, some people are gracious" is about how differently people might react to the inevitable end to their relationship. Some will fight, some will draw away from arguments... but the reason's the same.
The water landing is still a landing. They made it... they survived... but it's not over yet, the water's coming inside and they still have a long way to go if they want to make it out.
What do you think? -C
This is by far one of the best 3EB songs, ever. Though early demos of "Water Landing" sound like "Break Me," with the catchy chorus "You're not gonna take me, open up and break me over inside".... All that's left for the Ursa Major version is the "inside" part. Fortunately, this is a fair trade for the epic ending build about strapping on life-vests and visions of spacious wonder from the the windows of a crashing plane.
More interesting is that, according to Wikipedia, "water landing" is also used as a euphemism deadly crash. Obvious yes, but applicable to lyrical meaning hear because Stephan Jenkins often fashions tracks with double meanings and deeper insight.
What does this song mean to me? Too many people are unwilling to take a moment tell a person how important they are and what they mean to them until it's too late and all that's left is a "Muffled I love you through an oxygen mask."
I messaged SJ himself, his quote: "don't you ever feel that anxiety flying and then realize your life is one big plane crash?"
So where's your parachute?
Cheers, Jamskool
And I'm missing you for so long You're a question mark and a scar
These are the most powerful Lyrics I have heard in a long time, they struck me like a lightning bolt the first time I heard the song, gave me shivers.
It's like Stephan took every girl that every crushed a guys heart and made him wonder "What if?" for the rest of his life and put all those messed up feelings in two short phrases.
I've been a huge 3EB fan since the very begining. Thank Stephan for all your amazing music.
I think he's starting to realize that her actions are hurting him (since he seems dispensable to her). I think he truly cares for this girl, and to some extent, maybe she does too. But she doesn't show it in the same way because she's stuck carrying her wounds (whether from the past or from turbulence in their relationship). "When will I start to learn I'm bleeding in this game Cause she uses boys like bandages But the wounds remain the same" At this moment she has decided to leave him and venture out to other places. Due to her absence, he misses her deeply and longs for her... she has become a question mark and a scar. "And I hope you find it through this endless wandering I'm missing you for so long You're a question mark and a scar" He feels pain inside, almost as if his guts have been ripped apart. He wants to go after her, yet he knows it won't change a thing this time around. She doesn't want him to go where she is, but at the same time-- doesn't want to let him go. He's stuck in some sort of limbo now, not knowing what's happening in their relationship. "You twist me up like a tourniquet Till I don't know who we are Chasing after you won't change a thing And I hope you make it through this endless wandering Change everything I know, but she won't let me come And she won't let me go Let me come inside" This refers back to him not knowing where his relationship is going. Due to this, he can barely sleep, suffers from anxiety, and possibly medicates with substances. "I was late and my face was wet, toe up on a private jet Spiraling down with a cigarette, where we going now cause I forget Cause I gotta get it all but it takes a toll" He feels dead inside... hence, wanting to grow a soul. The dark side is all the negative feelings he's feeling from her abandoning him. The interesting part here is that (water landing) refers to a term called "ditching" (which is when an aircraft that is not designed to land on water must make an emergency landing) "Well I guess you'll have to grow a soul Dark side giving me such a pull, such a pull and if its a Water landing Then its a water landing" The feeling of abandonment he feels is expressed metaphorically with a plane crash. He's still holding onto her and hopes she is as well. At this point, I can speculate that perhaps she had a flight to catch and called him up, only to express a "muffled I love you" on the phone. This last conversation before her departure causes intense feelings between them both, but it's a situation that could either be dealt with graciously or with yelling. I feel that he's praying to God in some sense or another and leaving it up to a greater "source". So if she's ditching him, then so be it. Because he will deal with everything that comes after accordingly. Their relationship may survive this disaster but only time will tell. "Put on your life vest only if told to do so Well I'm telling you now Strap it across your chest Prepare yourself for impending death You and me are nose-diving At the speed of whiplash, life passes by In an endless plane crash Muffled I love you through an oxygen mask On my face, brace, brace And the cabin erupts with religious conversions God's sick joke as we lose the engines Some people scream and some people are gracious And the reason's the same Cause the sky outside is so spacious So if it's a water landing Then it's a water landing And it's coming inside"
The bridge on this song is my favorite of any Third Eye Blind. Love the way the energy builds up. Overall just another classic from 3EB. And love the metaphor in this song.
Obviously the first verse is about a woman. The next part, "Let me come inside", i'm not quite sure what is exactly meant in this phrase, or who the speaker is meant to be in this incident.. could be Stephan envisioning himself as the water coming inside of a plane crash, like the last part of the song (of course with the water being used as a metaphor for disaster).
The rest of the song is pretty self-explanatory I think. Love the message of this song:
So if it's a Water Landing Then it's a Water Landing
Sort of an outlook like, "hey if there's a disaster, there's a disaster." Not too big of a deal, you can't do anything to change the fact. You gotta live with it.
I'm pretty sure the chorus is just as dirty and filthy as it sounds. Like Deep Inside Of You...
I'm pretty sure the chorus is just as dirty and filthy as it sounds. Like Deep Inside Of You...
Yah, except at the end of the song I think it's actually the plane going in the water.
Yah, except at the end of the song I think it's actually the plane going in the water.
I think the song is referring to a girl who goes through guys quickly and never lets anyone break down her walls (I can relate!) and I think the song is saying that it takes something as tramatic as an impending plane crash to break down her walls and get her to say the deep down heartfelt feelings like "I love you." And as usual, with all of 3eb songs, there's always double meaning to the lyrics, so at the end for example, "It's coming inside" refers literally to the water rushing in and metaphorically to him finally breaking down her walls and getting inside her. With a side of sexual meaning as well (I remember Deep Inside of You)
"Cause she uses boys like bandages But the wounds remain the same"
love this line so much
This song is great on so many different levels. Musically, lyrically, interpretively, it's just an amazing song. I wasn't a huge 3EB fan but Ursa Major, and specifically this song, has definitely got me listening to them a lot more.
@jamskool: Completely agree with your interpretation. @sloppylove: That's my favorite line!
So if it's a Water Landing Then it's a Water Landing
I agree to the notion that it's about holding in feelings and not telling them until there's something big happening but also to the verse above:
I think it could also be if you tell someone how you feel and it's a water landing, them not feeling the same (disaster), then it's a water landing.
To me this kinda seems like someone is having a baby. Her water breaks (water landing). It's a life Changing which some people might change their views on religion and life (cabin erupts w religious conversations) and some people freak out and some people are grateful (some people scream some people are gracious). And also the whole coming inside thing. I don't know for sure. What do you all think?