He’s still driving that 1970 hand-me-down truck
And he’s still wearing that red and black jersey
Waiting for the band to start up
He’s still showing up twenty late, finding hearts and rules …
You know I’m gonna hit it on the radio
You know I’m gonna put it on my video
I know you gon’ be turning up the volume
I know you wanna split me …
I’d rather go blind, blind, blind
Than to see you with her tonight
I’m done with your lies
But I can’t say goodbye
So, I’d rather go blind
[Verse 1]
See I remember, I remember that …
Gona open my heart, out of the scars and listen up
Gonna do what I’m told, go where im told and listen up
Take a shot in the rain, one for the …
[Hook]
She live in Fort Lauderdale and I’m closer to South Beach
I told her to come over, she said, “okay, don’t fall asleep”
She say she can be my housewife and keep …
Cheated and lied, broken so bad
You made a vow, never get mad1
You play the game, though it’s unfair
They’re all the same, who can compare?2
First you lose trust, then you get worried3
Night after night, bar after club
Dropping like flies, who woke you up4
On the front lawn, sprinklers turned on
It’s not your house, where’d you go wrong?5
First you get hurt, then you feel sorry6
Flying like a cannonball, falling to the earth7
Heavy as a feather when, you hit the dirt
How am I the lucky one?, I do not deserve
To wait around forever when, you were there first8
First you get hurt, then you feel sorry
There comes a time, in a short life
Turn it around, get a rewrite9
Call it a dark, night of the soul10
Ticking of clocks, gravity’s pull
First you get close, then you get worried11
Flying like a cannonball, falling to the earth
Heavy as a feather when, you hit the dirt
How am I the lucky one?, I do not deserve
To wait around forever when, you were there first
First you get hurt, then you feel sorry
You’re going silent, the silent treatment
It’s not inviting now, don’t deny what you meant12
You get excited, you get excited
You gotta feel it, oh, at least you can pretend13
You wanna light it, you wanna light it
You wanna light it now, the candle from both ends
You get excited, you get excited14
Flying like a cannonball, falling to the earth
Heavy as a feather when, you hit the dirt
How am I the lucky one?, I do not deserve
To wait around forever when, you were there first
Flying like a cannonball, falling to the earth
Heavy as a feather when, you hit the dirt
How am I the lucky one?, I do not deserve
To wait around forever when, you were there first
First you get close, then you get worried
First you get close, then you get worried
First you get close, then you get worried
First you get close, then you get worried15
You wanna light it, you wanna light it
You wanna light it now, the candle from both ends
You wanna light it, you wanna light it
You wanna light it now, the candle from both ends16
Nathan Willett of Cold War Kids sings about his marriage, explaining that he and his spouse failed to keep their vows.
Nathan Willett is a bit of a pessimist when it comes to his views on lovers. He believes no one can be fully faithful. “You play the game” means “you pretend that your relationship is based on trust.”
It is only natural for one to grow anxious when he believes his spouse is cheating on him.
Nathan Willett wonders how his spouse snapped out of her habits of partying hard and sleeping around.
When one cheats after a long night of partying, she’s likely to find herself in strange and difficult situations.
Cheating is good for no one. It makes everyone feel hurt emotionally and generates a lot of regret.
“Flying like a cannonball, falling to the earth” refers to having a dangerous lifestyle.
Nathan Willett places the blame for his relationship problems on his significant other.
Nathan Willett refers to receiving second chances when he says “turn it around, get a rewrite.”
This lyric refers to the tendency to blame one’s poor decisions, especially those involving sexual relations, on one’s environment.
The first minor decisions one makes to entice herself toward the allure of another man is the tipping point that informs the rest of her poor decisions.
Nathan Willett believes he doesn’t deserve his beloved’s treatment.
Nathan Willett now sings from his beloved’s perspective about the times she is tempted to cheat on him.
Cold War Kids refer here to the adrenaline rush when engaging in extramarital acts.
This stanza is about being tempted to cheat.
Cold War Kids perform “First” about dealing with extramarital relations and cheating partners.
3 user explanations and meanings
Mary
The meaning I take from the song ‘First’ is it signifies unnecessary games a man or woman will play when falling for someone and how they unknowingly sabotage a good thing due to self head games, ego, fear….Once the relationship is ending or over then it’s realized there was never a need for them to have wasted time being untrusting, guarded, etc. The person they want to be with was open, ready and willing the whole time, from the beginning, FIRST.
Edd
From my point of view, the lyrics show that in a relatioship there’s always someone who’s gonna get hurt the most. I see there’s one person who gets hurt first (can be by cheating, fool games, lack of attention, etc.), and by that, he or she starts doing stupid things that hurts, for instance, the other person on the relationship, and than that second person kind of gets tired of it and ends the relatioship, letting the first hurt person in an even worse position. So, that’s it. It shows there’s always someone who’s gonna love more, who’s gonna get hurt the most.
Anonymous
This song makes me think of a drug addict who is going through the roller coaster ride of being high and the hating himself afterward and the gettin high again