There is so much in this world that we want to know the answer to. What will my life be like in 10 years? What did that person at that party really think of me? Will this or that happen? The questions are endless. I was in this spiral at one point, wanting to know everything about the world and my future but confronted by the reality that the information I wanted was in another realm I could not reach. In the end, I realized all we can hope for is to know what we need to know, and know what we don't need to know; hence, the name of the song.
Verse 1:
Walking down the street
Wondering what they see when they see me
Do they see another face, or do they find some meaning?
I think about the people, the ones I’ll never see or meet or miss
And the memories grow older while I forget they exist
Meaning:
Here, it is pretty self-explanatory. I've always thought about the significance of walking down a street. It's a very everyday thing, but it also centers your individual thoughts even in a public environment. In the first three lines, I wonder if people just see me as another face in the crowd, or if they think or assume things about me. Do they rely on a stereotype of my race? Do they think my outfit is nice? Do they think that I look like someone they once knew? Essentially, do they focus on me for a bit, enough to derive some meaning from just seeing me? The next two lines are some of my favorites on the entire album. Here, we talk about forgetting. There are tons and tons of people in this world I will never know, as said in the fourth line. In that same way, I can forget memories in a way as if they never happened or as if I never knew that experience.
Pre-Chorus:
And why, why do we even forget?
And why is this world to big to notice, the small things and everything obvious?
Meaning:
Think about it. There is so much going on in our world, due to the sheer size of it, and it's hard to keep up with everything, big or small! We have trouble noticing something our neighbors or friends are going through, as well as a problem wide-scale such as unethical practices in consumer good manufacturing. This world is just too big to realize and notice it all!
Chorus:
In my life
In my dreams
In my life
I will pray
For that someday
When I’ll know
What I need to and what I don’t
What I don’t
What I don’t
What I don’t need to know
Meaning:
I tried to keep the chorus simple and to the point. Musically, that made the most sense to contrast the lyric-heavy verses with a simple chorus. Most of the thought process behind this is covered in the article introduction!
Verse 2:
Walking down the street
Wondering how I’ll love who I don’t know today
I see forever strangers, but who makes it to destiny?
I think about the wants, the wants that'll slowly turn to needs
And the new hopes and nightmares that'll come from breaks of monotony
Meaning:
There are people who you do not know today, but who will later play a huge part in your life in the future; that is essentially what I am saying in lines 2-3. Most times it feels like we are in an endless sea of strangers, but some of those people may end up making it to "destiny", therefore becoming a big part of your life! In the last two lines, I kind of switch gears. There are some things in life that initially start off as a want, but later turn into a need. For example, one may want to pursue a different career due to dissatisfaction with his current job. That starts off as a "want". He wants a new job. Later, the work environment may make him feel more negative and become a detriment to his quality of life. The life change becomes a need. In the last line, I talk about how things only change when a new experience comes into the mix. Most of us need a push, either a new hope or fear (as referenced in the lyrics), to pull us in a direction away from the one we are currently taking.
After that, I just repeat the Pre-Chorus and Chorus!
Thanks for reading everyone! I can't wait for you all to hear this song. It's one I am super proud of.
If you got any questions or comments about the lyrics, I'd love to hear them!
Thanks again for all your continuous support!
-Akhilaa <3