And your ears shall hear…

One of my favorite albums from 2024 is It’s Never Been Like That by Phoenix. And before you go saying that it wasn’t released this year, I’ll let you know that I’m way ahead of you. I know it was released 18 years ago in 2006. But I haven’t stopped listening to Alpha Zula since it’s release in the fourth quarter of 2022, and the single “After Midnight” has kept their latest album in my limelight. So, I needed to go back into their catalogue to hear the albums that I’ve missed, and their third record is now one of my favorites.

My crush started with hooking up at the “Rally,” and those capital letters kept me asking for more “Long Distance Call.” Then it was “Consolation Prize,” and doing everything “Napoleon Says,” to do, including taking off my long johns too. Now I can’t get enough of “Lost and Found,” but I’ll still be damned if I don’t know what exactly is it about?

Is it about a relationship yes? Yes. The beginning of a relationship? I think so, but who’s afraid to commit? I’ll tell you want I have in mind.

[Verse 1]
“So you’ve got your own little story to tell/Some girls they ask to put them on your knees.

Slow down, it’s hard enough to get along/Slow down, we’ll never ever get along.That ain’t what you had in mind/No, that ain’t what you had in mind.

You don’t know what you’re doing. Slow down, it’s hard enough to get along/Slow down, we’ll never ever get along.

That ain’t what you had in mind/No, that ain’t what you had in mind/You don’t know what you’re doing.”

She’s not the same as other girls. She doesn’t want to be treated like a baby being bobbed on his knee. Initially, I thought being “put on his knee” was sexual innuendo, but I think he’s realizing she needs to be handled differently. So, he’ll take the relationship slow because they’re already having trouble getting along, but that’s not what she has in mind. Maybe she’s forcing it and he doesn’t think she knows what she’s doing.

[Chorus]
“Let go/It’s so hard to fill me in.”

Let go of the control, and tell me how you feel, otherwise we are never going to make it. Stop trying to control the situation and let this relationship go where it will. Please tell me what you want because last night we went through the same damn thing again and one of us (me) is going to leave this mess soon if nothing changes.

“You’d better run as fast as you can/When your eyes are getting low/Tomorrow’ll say if you’re lost and found.”

I’m confused on that “run as fast as you can line.” Should she be scared? Is he saying, ‘If you do give in and we do this for real, I’m in for the long haul, so figure out if you’re in or out, “lost or found” before it gets serious?’ Or, is he thinking, “Run as fast as you can before your bedroom eyes (“eyes are getting low”) reel me in and we sleep together.” In the morning he’ll know if he should put her back in the “lost and found,” box or if she’s a keeper? This is open to interpretation, but there’s definitely a spark and they need to see if it lights a fire.

[Verse 2]
“Walking around, thinking the same again/To get to you, I’ll go down on my knees.”

They slept together, but the same thing is still happening. Now he’s ready to go down on his knees and express his sincere feelings or make a heartfelt promise to keep her.

“Last night, I swear it wouldn’t be the same/Last night, I swear it never was the same. Two is for a while, but then one has got to leave, that’s it/I ain’t lying and I won’t ask you please/I’ll tell you what I have in mind.”

He told himself he wouldn’t do this again, and I’ve been there, most of us have. We ALL want love, and we don’t want to lose the companionship that a relationship brings. But when we see the same ill patterns that aren’t good for us, we have to decide if it’s worth the risk. This we know, it’s been fun but we can’t put up with this craziness anymore.

I love Phoenix and lead singer Thomas Mars’ sense of humor. But he went deep on this one. Please let me know what you think this song means. I wrote this post hoping I would get some feedback.