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Manhattan Lyrics

Well
I could dance all night
And some of the day
That's how I play
That's how I play

I say who are you
No matter who you are
So you dance all night
And you dance all day

I say
I say

Gonna build a fire
Gonna smoke it up
Gonna sip this wine
And pass the cup

These avenues and
these reseviors
We gonna show this town
How to kiss these stars

I say
I say

You've come to kill
Gonna spend it high
Your parents grieve
I know they are right

And then talking to you
Well they calm you down
So it's all for you
who let you down

I say
I say
I say
I say

Just wanna take you hand
I'm gonna drive you home
Just gonna keep on
Keep on, keep on
And you gonna have a rest
Song Info
Submitted by
rafael Moliv On Aug 03, 2008
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39 Meanings

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Cover art for Manhattan lyrics by Kings of Leon

Definitely one of my favorite K.O.L. songs of all time...i was listening to it the other day in the car just driving round town in the wee hours of the morning, and realized its about doing it up real big, partying from night til morn, and throughout the day w/no sleep in between...showing everyone a good time, getting drunk and doing drugs...partying like rock stars.

My Interpretation
Cover art for Manhattan lyrics by Kings of Leon

I think it's

"gonna build a fire gonna stoke it up"

Cover art for Manhattan lyrics by Kings of Leon

To me the song means something like he knows he is a sort of 'bad boy', he "could dance all night". And he meets a girl who is really into him, so she "dances all night" and "smokes it up" aswell. She's "come to kill" - she wants a good time with him, or the kill reference could refer to how it affects him everytime a girl he likes goes in and out of his life. They know her family are upset about it all and her parents convince her that she is being self-destructive. He understands because there is a sense of inevitable loneliness about the path he has chosen, having short term relationships with women "no matter who" they are. And so he takes her home back to her family. While he resolves that he'll "keep on" doing what he's doing.

Cover art for Manhattan lyrics by Kings of Leon

Gonna build a fire Gonna smoke it up Gonna sip this wine And pass the cup

i hear that, i hear

we're gonna build a fire, gonna Stoke it up... i dont think it is smoke, thats just me though none the less, awesome song

I agree.

Not Valid

me too! I hear a T not an M. glad I'm not crazy

Not Valid
Cover art for Manhattan lyrics by Kings of Leon

i like to dance all night summons the day but that's how i play yea that's how i play

i said who are you? don't matter who you are so we dance all night and dance all day

i say, i say

we're gonna fuel the fire gonna stoke it up we're gonna sip this wine and pass the cup

who needs avenues? who needs reservoirs? gonna show this town how to kiss these stars

i say, i say

we're gonna hunt to kill gonna skin the hide a yelp and scream and away i ride

and every drop that spills on every plot of ground it's all for you for what you found

i say, i say i say, i say

it's gonna take your head and gonna drive you home it's gonna keep on, keep on, keep on and then forever roam

Absolutely right on with the lyrics...and when they are written correctly, it is obviously about the native americans struggle for land

Not Valid
Cover art for Manhattan lyrics by Kings of Leon

From the CD insert:

I like to dance all night summons the day but that's how i play yeah that's how i play

i said who are you don't matter who you are saw you dance all night and dance all day

i say,

we're gonna build a fire gonna stoke it up we're gonna sip this wine and pass the cup

who needs avenues who needs reservoirs gonna show this town how to kiss these stars

i say,

we're gonna hunt to kill gonna skin the hide a yelp and scream and away i ride

and every drop that spills on every plot of ground it's all for you for what you found

i say,

it's gonna take your head and gonna drive you home it's gonna keep on, keep on, keep on and then forever roam

Cover art for Manhattan lyrics by Kings of Leon

I like to dance all night summons the day but that's how i play yeah that's how i play

i said who are you don't matter who you are saw you dance all night and dance all day

i say,

we're gonna build a fire gonna stoke it up we're gonna sip this wine and pass the cup

who needs avenues who needs reservoirs gonna show this town how to kiss these stars

i say,

we're gonna hunt to kill gonna skin the hide a yelp and scream and away i ride

and every drop that spills on every plot of ground it's all for you for what you found

i say,

it's gonna take your head and gonna drive you home it's gonna keep on, keep on, keep on and then forever roam

Lyric Correction
Cover art for Manhattan lyrics by Kings of Leon

I think it's

"gonna build a fire gonna stoke it up"

Yeah, it's definitely "Gonna stoke it up" not smoke.

And I'm positive it's: "Who needs avenues? Who needs reservoirs? We're gonna show this town how to kiss these stars."

I agree with the Native American theory, but also think it's just about having a good time out in the country, without the restrictions of living in a city.

You can't have campfires legally in cities, and the whole "Who needs avenues? Who needs reservoirs? We're gonna show this town how to kiss these stars." makes it pretty obvious to me.

I can't believe this doesn't have more comments haha, it's my absolute favorite on the album, since I have some Native American heritage and live way out in the country.

Revelry is a close second favorite.

The Kings of Leon are in my top 5 bands of all time.

Cover art for Manhattan lyrics by Kings of Leon

In the Glastonbury version of this- Caleb's voice is amazing. I cannot wait to see how it sound on the album.