Lucas+D

 The Verve  Bittersweet Symphony



· lyrics · comment · video

'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life

 Trying to make ends meet

 You're a slave to money then you die

 I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down

 You know the one that takes you to the places

 where all the veins meet yeah

 No change, I can't change

 I can't change, I can't change

 But I'm here in my mind

 I am here in my mind

 But I'm a million different people

 from one day to the next

 I can't change my mind

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> No, no, no, no, no, no, no,no,no,no,no,no

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> Well I never pray

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> But tonight I'm on my knees yeah

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> But the airways are clean and there's nobody singing to me now

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> No change, I can't change

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> I can't change, I can't change

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> But I'm here in my mind

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> I am here in my mind

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> And I'm a million different people

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> from one day to the next

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> I can't change my mind

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> No, no, no, no, no, no, no

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> I can't change

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> I can't change it

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> 'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> Trying to make ends meet

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> Trying to find some money then you die

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> You know the one that takes you to the places

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> where all the veins meet yeah

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> You know I can't change, I can't change

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> I can't change, I can't change

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> But I'm here in my mind

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> I am here in my mind

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> And I'm a million different people

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> from one day to the next

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> I can't change my mind

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> No, no, no, no, no

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> I can't change my mind

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> no, no, no, no, no,

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> I can't change

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> Can't change my body,

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> no, no, no

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> Been down

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> Ever been down

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> Ever been down

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> Ever been down

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> Ever been down

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> That you've ever been down

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> That you've ever been down

<span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; text-align: left;">I have chosen this song because I consider the message it carries is totally fitting to life itself, probably like most people, I find I can apply it to myself. <span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; text-align: left;">Personally, the message the lyrics of the song convey to me are to do with the uncertainty of life, appearing already in the title, life is described as a bittersweet symphony, meaning it is a contradiction of senses, bitter and sweet, *1* this refers to how life can shift so drastically from being harsh and cruel to easy going, comfortable and joyful. Life is depicted as a symphony; the reason for this is that no matter what situation, life is never going to evolve itself without generating a sensation within yourself, be it sweet or bitter, or any other, because, just like a symphony where notes are continuously playing one after the other, the symphony ends when these notes stop playing, similar to how life ends as soon as one stops feeling emotions within himself. <span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; text-align: left;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; text-align: left;">Subsequently, it mentions how money has become such a crucial part of our life, that we are “a slave” to it and then we die, we have made money a priority in our lives to the point that all we do is directly related to making money to be able to live, and we only free ourselves from it when we die. <span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; text-align: left;">After mentioning death twice, in the next verse, the speaker tells you how he will take you “down the only road I've ever been down, you know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet” *2* this destination, where all the veins meet, refers to the heart, the organ that keeps us alive, and therefore a symbol of life. I think they inserted it here to create an opposing image of death and life and ______??_______ how the song is taking us on a journey through life, where we will realize how it changes in a blink of an eye and how no matter what, death is inevitable. <span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; text-align: left;">The “I never pray, but tonight I’m on my knees” I believe refers to the desperation the speaker feels about knowing how lots of people suffer from being ** slaves of money ** and the inevitability of dying, and giving the fact that he never prays, his desperation is so profound that he is “on his knees”, *3* he is praying. <span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; text-align: left;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; text-align: left;">“I can’t change” appears repeatedly along the song, and I believe it is related to ** the anterior point **, to the fact that people can’t change the fact that they are slaves to money and will one day die, moreover “I’m a million different people” means that no matter what type of person you are, no matter how big differences may be between people, these are aspects you can’t avoid and therefore you can’t change or adapt to them to avoid their negative influence. <span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; text-align: left;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: Aparajita,sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; text-align: left;">In conclusion, to me, the song’s meaning totally reflects life, its uncertainty, its rapid shifts, and a journey along changes of emotions and feelings, ** *4* ** also the inevitability but somehow not fear producing idea of death,** *5* ** by that I mean how death, is such a concern to lots of people but by being inevitable, it has become something we cannot avoid and therefore, just like the speaker expresses, I personally do not fear the fact that I will someday die, not to mention the moment of actually dying which I think nobody cannot fear. media type="youtube" key="1lyu1KKwC74" width="425" height="350"
 * 'as the title suggests/states' ?
 * punctuation at point *1* and *2* and *3*?
 * in the same way that
 * slaves to money
 * the last point