No Time Flat by Kevin Devine: Lyrics and Analysis
Song Lyrics: Your skin's in my mouth,
but I'm thinkin' about
thousands of things
That don't got your name.
So, I'm distant and weird;
we stop and you're all ears.
But how can I say,
"I've just been thinking that it's harder every year
to find excuses that'll keep me in the clear;
the arbitrary lines I impress in the sand,
the proof that piles in my trash can
while the skin on my hands is looking older every day.
The lies I've told have turned to leather on my face.
The love I've lost has turned to needles in my heart.
But I'm to blame for all the bad parts.
They're the choices I've made, hey hey."
I swear when I turn my face away, straight
Take abortion away, and both sides are just the same,
so I'm not sure why I vote,
'cause I just don't know
what difference it makes.
It seems to me we get the same sh*t from them both.
Reform don't work; I think it's time we tried revolt,
but I don't got the guts to jump up and go first,
so I just shout until my throat hurts,
and I curse and I curse
And while we f*@#ed up in Iraq.
You say support the troops; I do.
I want them all brought back,
and every building that you bombed raised from the ground.
And pull your contractors the f*@# out.
And if you really go and reinstate the draft,
you'll straight away just split the country straight in half,
so try arresting everyone who sends their draft cards back.
I'll be returning mine in no time flat.
In a sense we're the same,
struggling to save face.
It's a question of scope:
how far you're willing to go
to make rights of your wrongs,
despite the risk involved.
It's a question of faith,
'Cause if we wait until we've all been burned to ash
to tell the truth about the sh*t buried in our past,
we'll split a taxi to that firepit way down south.
So, let's rise up and open our mouths.
'Cause you remind me that it's harder every year
to find excuses that'll keep me in the clear;
the arbitrary lines I impress in the sand,
the proof that piles in my trash can.
And if you really go and reinstate the draft,
you'll straight away just split the country straight in half,
so try arresting everyone who sends their draft cards back.
I'll be returning mine in no time flat.
Analysis
The song No Time Flat by Kevin Devine is a very anti Iraq war song. This song uses language such as “And if you really go and reinstate the draft, you'll straight away just split the country straight in half, so try arresting everyone who sends their draft cards back. I'll be returning mine in no time flat.” and “And while we f*@#ed up in Iraq. You say support the troops; I do. I want them all brought back,” these lyrics show just how much this artist hates the Iraq war and the foreign policy. Throughout this song one question this song could answer is how war affects society. It answers this by using the lyrics that talk about reinstating the draft. He believes that if a draft is instated the country would be split in half, on one side there would be the people that would be happy go and fight, while on the other side there are many people that would refuse to fight in Iraq. I would be on the side that would refuse to fight because I don’t believe this is a war we should have fought and we should have minded our own business and stayed out of the Middle East.
but I'm thinkin' about
thousands of things
That don't got your name.
So, I'm distant and weird;
we stop and you're all ears.
But how can I say,
"I've just been thinking that it's harder every year
to find excuses that'll keep me in the clear;
the arbitrary lines I impress in the sand,
the proof that piles in my trash can
while the skin on my hands is looking older every day.
The lies I've told have turned to leather on my face.
The love I've lost has turned to needles in my heart.
But I'm to blame for all the bad parts.
They're the choices I've made, hey hey."
I swear when I turn my face away, straight
Take abortion away, and both sides are just the same,
so I'm not sure why I vote,
'cause I just don't know
what difference it makes.
It seems to me we get the same sh*t from them both.
Reform don't work; I think it's time we tried revolt,
but I don't got the guts to jump up and go first,
so I just shout until my throat hurts,
and I curse and I curse
And while we f*@#ed up in Iraq.
You say support the troops; I do.
I want them all brought back,
and every building that you bombed raised from the ground.
And pull your contractors the f*@# out.
And if you really go and reinstate the draft,
you'll straight away just split the country straight in half,
so try arresting everyone who sends their draft cards back.
I'll be returning mine in no time flat.
In a sense we're the same,
struggling to save face.
It's a question of scope:
how far you're willing to go
to make rights of your wrongs,
despite the risk involved.
It's a question of faith,
'Cause if we wait until we've all been burned to ash
to tell the truth about the sh*t buried in our past,
we'll split a taxi to that firepit way down south.
So, let's rise up and open our mouths.
'Cause you remind me that it's harder every year
to find excuses that'll keep me in the clear;
the arbitrary lines I impress in the sand,
the proof that piles in my trash can.
And if you really go and reinstate the draft,
you'll straight away just split the country straight in half,
so try arresting everyone who sends their draft cards back.
I'll be returning mine in no time flat.
Analysis
The song No Time Flat by Kevin Devine is a very anti Iraq war song. This song uses language such as “And if you really go and reinstate the draft, you'll straight away just split the country straight in half, so try arresting everyone who sends their draft cards back. I'll be returning mine in no time flat.” and “And while we f*@#ed up in Iraq. You say support the troops; I do. I want them all brought back,” these lyrics show just how much this artist hates the Iraq war and the foreign policy. Throughout this song one question this song could answer is how war affects society. It answers this by using the lyrics that talk about reinstating the draft. He believes that if a draft is instated the country would be split in half, on one side there would be the people that would be happy go and fight, while on the other side there are many people that would refuse to fight in Iraq. I would be on the side that would refuse to fight because I don’t believe this is a war we should have fought and we should have minded our own business and stayed out of the Middle East.
