Graduate Lyrics
Can I look at faces that I meet
Can I get my punk-ass of the street
I've been living on for so long
To the bastard talking down to me
Your whipping boy calamity
Cross your fingers
I'm going to knock it all down
She goes walking by in slow mo'
Sell your heart out for a buck
Go on, fade out, before I get stuck
Talking to somebody like you
Do you live the days you go through
Will this song live on long after we do
Can I look at faces that I meet
Can I get my punk-ass of the street
Won't die on the vine
I want to knock it all down
Echo fading, candle blow
Did you flash out long ago
Cross my fingers, I don't know
Someone poked you down below
Can I graduate
Can I graduate
Can I graduate
Can I get my punk-ass off the street
Can I look at faces that I meet
I'm not waiting here for you to die
Will this song live on long after we
"People don't know -- they think it's about getting out of high school or something. No, 'My punk ass off the street/ Someone poked you down below.' It's basically because being a male prostitute is a metaphor for how we've all felt like when we're doing something that's way below our station in life. I think we've all been like, 'I'm just taking it up the ass here!' And that's what the song is about. 'Come on!/ Can I fucking graduate?' We've all had that feeling of 'You know, this is really beneath me.' Not to knock male prostitutes or anything, it's just a metaphor." - Stephan Jenkins
I love the line "Do you live the days you go through", I love it in that tragic sort of way because when I look back on a lot of the days I have been through I realize I did not live them. So I think this song also has a little bit of the "carpe diem" seize the day message.
This song completely emits the feelings of teenage angst everyone feels as high school is ending. Feelings of wanting to get out from underneath your parents and to be on your own. Often defiant but necissary at times.
this song really rocks....third eye bind is great
I never thought of it as a high school graduation, because he says "can i get my punk ass off the street/i've been living on for so long" i saw it more as hes sick of being worthless, being looked down on, and he wants to get out of it and make something of himself, overcome prejudice and mabye something that makes him ashamed ""can i look at faces that i meet"
I would have to totally agree but I also hear "cannot graduate" and for the same reasons you've listed above but for very different reasons. Especially, "I won't die on the vine, I'm going to knock it all down," meaning he's not going to let rumors and lies destroy everything he's worked for. He WILL graduate; never sold his heart out! so while he goes by in slow mo, he won't look at the faces; he will live on long after...and FLY!!!
I would have to totally agree but I also hear "cannot graduate" and for the same reasons you've listed above but for very different reasons. Especially, "I won't die on the vine, I'm going to knock it all down," meaning he's not going to let rumors and lies destroy everything he's worked for. He WILL graduate; never sold his heart out! so while he goes by in slow mo, he won't look at the faces; he will live on long after...and FLY!!!
I'm pretty sure it's "Can Not Graduate" for teh chorus, I may be wrong, but I thought I read that in the liner notes.
this isn't really talking about a specific graduation, in my opinion. it's more about people tell you you're not going to be anything, and wanting to prove them wrong. i think it's about wanting to be able to feel proud about yourself and what you do.
I kind of think the last line sort of sounds like he is waiting to find out his scores on tests or something. "echo fading candle blow, did you flash out long ago, cross my fingers, i don't know" It kind of seems like that because like after finals or big tests your brain is like fried so maybe echo fading candle blow, like the candle has blown out, and the echo is fading would mean he is just like exhuasted and did you flash out long ago, could go with that too. Obviously cross my fingers would be like hoping he did good. Well just kind of a random unique take on that verse.
I've read in a couple different places that the song was about male prostitution, not sure if that is true or not, but it definitely makes you look differently at the song.
I love this song... I saw these guys live and the energy during this song was amazing