The Killers: Bones Meaning
Song Released: 2006
Bones Lyrics
We took a back road.
We're gonna look at the stars.
We took a backroad in my car.
Down to the ocean,
it’s only water and sand
And in the ocean we'll hold hands.
But I don't really like you, apologetically dressed in the...
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1TOP RATED
#1 top rated interpretation:I love this song, and the video for it always makes me chuckle. But I think I see it a bit differently from most of you fine folks out there. So, bear with me, and please forgive any spelling mistakes. ^^
I get the feeling this song is about a young couple, quite an early relationship that neither of them are sure about. They go to the beach, likely because they don't have the money or freedom to do much else, but the narrator, most likely a young male, feels that the location is somehow inadequate. "it's only water and sand" Maybe he's worried the setting isn't good enough for the girl? He likes her well enough, but doesn't like the way she is "apologetically dressed in the best" and so perhaps seemingly high maintinance?
"On the cold wet dirt I cry" Is unlikely to refer to actual tears, but to an emotional outcry, it's like he's begging this girl "Don't you wanna come with me? Don't you wanna feel my bones, on your bones? It's only natural." He longs to feel some deeper connection with her, because so far she has been superficial and shallow. The boy is combining his lust with a yearning to find something deeper and more spiritual about the girl, he wants the sensuality of skin, but he also wants to find something cleaner and purer deep down, and while he stumbles to explain it, the closest he can think to it is bones. The clean, hard core of what we are, the structure that holds us up, much like our morals or spirituality.
"A cinematic vision ensued/like the holiest dream." It feels like what follows next isn't really happening to him, it's like a sacred vision, he is a part of it, but separate somehow. "An angel whispers my name, but the message relayed is the same: 'Wait till tomorrow, you'll be fine.'" He was getting so into the idea of this dream that he almost believed he might get what he asked for, but the girl just tells him to wait. From the sound of it, it isn't the first time this has happened, "The message relayed is the same" but this time, he isn't entierly satisfied with her answer. "But it's gone to the dogs in my mind" And he wants to persist. Usually this internal conflict is ignored, "When the dead of night comes calling to save me from this fight" ie he finds something to persuade himself not to persue, but he realises that this was never really a resolution to how he felt, he was ignoring how deeply his feelings ran. "They could never wrong this right" he knows that his emotions are well founded, he feels he's done the right thing, but that now is the right time to progress.
So he keeps asking her, he gets more fluent with his speech, and he opens up to her, perhaps hoping she will do the same.
"(Never had a lover)
I never had a lover
(Never had soul)
I never had soul
(Never had a good time)
And I never had a good time
(Never felt whole)
I never felt whole."
This could be his subconscious making him realise the reasons he craves so desperately to get closer to the girl, and he begins to realise how lonly he has been, and how much he just wants some intimacy and human connection. He decides to explain this to her, He wants her to know how he feels, because he wants her to trust him. He asks her again, but less tentatively. He has now convinced himself that he's right, and that they should pursue the relationship. Not in a way that is meant to pressure the girl, and not in any perverted manner. Perhaps te girl is being prudish or coy with him? Perhaps she wants to give in, but is nervous?
I could just be grasping at entirely the wrong end of an utterly different stick, but hey! Thats the joy of opinions. :3 -
2TOP RATED
#2 top rated interpretation:I think this song is about a man who is deeply in love with his girlfriend, but his girlfriend as done something that he can't forgive which is explained through the lyrical process. etc;
" we took a back road, were gonna look at the stars we took a back road in my car"- he's taking out for a romantic evening look at the stars etc, and back road basically to make out.
" down to the ocean its only water and sand but in the ocean wel hold hands"- the beach, its not much but it will do they enjoy it obviously (wel hold hands)
" but I don't really like you"- this is were the forgivness is wearing out inside him, he is forcing himself to not like her.
"apoligetically dressed to the best put on a heartbeat line/glide"- this is why he keeps forgiving her, by the way she's dressed, " a heartbeat line" he obviously is very attracted to the girls figure/appareance.
"without an answer the thunder speaks for the sky and on the cold wet dirt I cry"- without an answer basically means without an apoligy my emotions speak for theirself and he is breaking down and crying he feels she is not bothered to what she has done.
"dont you wanna come with me don't you wanna feel my bones on your bones its only natural"- this is explaining that they should be together because its natrual they are so used to it.
" a cinematic vision ensued like the holiest dream"- its like wha t she wanted is going to persued she is going to have her way"
"theirs someone calling an angel wispers my name but the message relayed is the same, wait for tomorrow youl be fine but its gone to the dogs in my mind" this basically means the voice in his head is telling him just tell her tomorrow tonight is too perfect to end it, she is pursuing the dream.
"but its gone to the dogs in my mind"- he's not letting it slip this time, its time to end it.
"I always hear them
when the dead of night
comes calling to save me from this fight.
But they can never wrong this right"- he must think about it a lot of night from this fight maybe means nightmares, but they can never wrong this right, these voices can't tell him its ok, its not. never wrong this right etc.
back to the verse.
Don't you wanna come with me? Don't you wanna feel my bones
on your bones?
It's only natural.
Don’t you wanna swim with me? Don’t you wanna feel my skin
on your skin?
It's only natural.
(Never had a lover)
I never had a lover
(Never had soul)
I never had soul
(Never had a good time)
And I never had a good time
(Never got cold)
I never got gold.
Talking about he's never going to find the right girl he's never had it and he doesn't know whether to stay with this girl he's not sure if he's right with her as he's never had it before, its like the backing vocals are the voices saying stay with her because "you never had a good time" etc. and he's kinda agreeing with the repeated lyric.
correct me if I'm wrong, this is my interpretation I might not be right, but this is how I see Brandon pursuing the song.
thanks, email me if you like it so I can do more ;D -
3TOP RATED
#3 top rated interpretation:i think this song is about this guy that's going out with this girl that doesn't love him like she used to, he tries to let her go but he can't because he loves her too much.
it starts with "We took a back road, we’re gonna look at the stars" and
"Down to the ocean, it’s only water and sand
And in the ocean, we’ll hold hands" showing how romantic they used to be.
but then he finds out and starts to lie to himself telling himself he dosnt like her "but I don't really like you"
but then he starts liking her again because she dresses really apolagetic "Apologetically dressed in the best, put on a heartbeat glide"
but he realises that it'l never work out and that's wen he gets depressed and realises that he kant let her go "And on the cold, wet dirt I cry"
and then it comes with the chorus "Don’t you wanna come with me?
Don’t you wanna feel my bones
On your bones?
It’s only natural"tryin to persuade her to hav lobe him again.
and the next verse is about him just tryin to dump her,tryin to get over her.but he cant,he keeps tellin himself to dump her tommorow."There’s someone calling, an angel whispers my name
But the message relayed is the same
(Wait ‘til tomorrow, you’ll be fine)"
but he knows that he just kant do that "but its gone to the dogs in my mind"
but he wants to dump her its just he can't because he see's the impossible hope in her loving him again.
then he relays his time with the girl in front of him
"I never had a lover
i never had a soul
i never had a good time
i never got gold"
Well that's basically my interpretation. Someones love shattering like broken bones. -
This song is related to many of the Killers other song's a central theme that he keeps bringing back. The fact that Are we humans or are we animals? Do we have souls? At least , the killers is questioning, do some of us have souls?
The music video shows a couple going through the motion of going on a date. It's just another date. (Note, a scene from this video was also inserted into "just another girl" video, very clever) To both people, this was just another meaningless date. They go to the movies, they go to places, they go to the beach. They hug, they kiss. They go through the motions of doing what you are supposed to do. "it's only natural". And of course expecting "your bones on my bones" basically getting sex later. But does it feel right? The killers is questioning it.
The guy is really not happy, and also the girl too.
I never had a lover
I never had soul
And I never had a good time
I never got gold.
These are people that do not have a soul, or heart. That's why the entire video is depicted in skeletons and people without flesh. These are the people that go on these dates, but never was happy. They could never find love and can never be happy. They don't have a heart, how can you love?
GOLD here means "value", things that are of Quality and expensive. They never had someone of value and never experienced love. Gold could also represent LOVE.
So, the author of the song describe the struggle that the many (or the woman) goes through every night.
"There’s someone calling, an angel whispers my name
(Wait ‘til tomorrow, you’ll be fine)"
"but its gone to the dogs in my mind"
The meaning here, is you have a choice every night. Do you go out every night, expecting to get laid because you feel empty and lonely inside? Or do you just listen to the angel "just wait till tomorrow". But the "dogs", the devil always come out and tell him to do the dirty deeds. the meaningless love.
Bones, are talking about people that are of ghosts and without soul and purpose in life. It's an irony that they go on dates, and try to find love. For that is not possible. This song and the music video is a genius. It only speaks to the people that have the ears to listen to the truth. -
seriously guys!! this song is about loving someone no matter what they look like. its whats inside that really matters, as corny as it sounds.... but i do really love this song
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Ok, so I love this song, but I don't think it's remotely romantic or about love. It's about lust and sex and a guy being a little bit fed up with his girlfriend because she won't sleep with him. "But I don't really like you, apologetically dressed...and on the cold wet dirt I cry."
But, I think this is one of the reasons I like the song so much. It's very clear, and doesn't try to hide it's intentions behind the illusion of love like so many other songs. Anyway, that's just my thoughts on the matter. (If you like thissong check out the video on youtube. It's directed by Tim Burton and is just amazing.) -
There is so much desperation in this song. Brandon is making a plea, he has given in to lust. He is not waiting 'til tomorrow to analyze the situation. The thing is I think it is a song of unrequited lust. I don't think he gets the girl even though she is right there, I think it is too desperate of a come on, and that is what the song is about. I also think the lyric is never felt whole.
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I think in this song he's amazed at how our souls are in human bodies, made up of bones and skin. He's just explaining how awesome it is to have the touch of another person. It just feels good...
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I'll have to agree with anon's interpretation. It seems more fit to The Killer's feel.
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Anonymous is correct, I believe. It seems like it makes the most sense
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I think this song is about a guy who prowls for one night stands. Although he is a smooth talker, acts and speaks romantically, he hates the women he has these one night stands with and thinks of them as cheap. It is a very sexual song, raw, hard unfeeling sex (for the guy anyway, purely a physical need). He sings about being apologetically dressed as if he is sneering at the girl.
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I think it's about teenage lust, and how it can be hard to distinguish love from lust.
The song is very obviously sexual. He's seeing a girl who he is physically attracted to, but after they hang out for a while he realizes he doesn't really like her personality, but it is too hard to completely end the relationship because there are feelings.
"A cinematic vision ensued" means that he thought they would be perfect and live happily ever after (like in a movie).
"Wait til tomorow you'll be fine, but it's gone to the dogs in my mind" means he knows that time heals all wounds, but it still hurts him to know that he and this girl won't last.
I just realized that the lyrics listed on this website are wrong...where it says
"(Never had a lover)
I never had a lover
(Never had soul)
I never had soul
(Never had a good time)
And I never had a good time
(Never got cold)
I never got gold. "
the real lyrics after "and I never had a good time" are really "(Never got boned) I never been boned"...which makes the song even more obviously sexual...I think it means the narrator is a virgin and feels pressured to have sex with this girl because she is the first "love" although he doesn't seem to actually love her.
In the music video they are in a playground, which contributes to the idea of young love/lust.
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