7 by Catfish and The Bottlemen Lyrics Meaning – Decoding the Intricacies of Distance and Time
Lyrics
I wanna lose a couple days
We’ve probably never struggled coping but
I never want to
Promise again that I would call her
Forget the time ’cause I’m seven hours behind
It’s probably good I didn’t call, though
But I always want to
And I’d beg you
But you know I’m never home
And I love you but I need another year alone
And I’ve tried to
Ignore it every time you phone
But I never come close
And I don’t think through things
I never get time
‘Cause I don’t think things through
Larry call a load of smoke in
I wanna disappear for days
We’ve probably never struggled sleeping but
I never want to
Promise again that I would call her
Forget the time ’cause I’m seven hours behind
It’s probably good I didn’t call though
But I always want to
And I’d beg you
But you know I’m never home
And I love you but I need another year alone
And I’ve tried to
Ignore it every time you phone
But I never come close
I don’t think through things
I never get time
‘Cause I don’t think things through
I don’t think through things
I never get time
‘Cause I don’t think things through
And I’d beg you
But you know I’m never home
And I love you but I need another second to myself
And I’ve tried to
Ignore it every time you phone
But I never come close
(I don’t think through things, I never get time) I’d beg you but you know I’m never home
(I don’t think through things, I never get time) and I love you but I need another year alone
(I don’t think through things, I never get time) and I’ve tried to ignore it every time you phone
But I never come close
Diving into the heart of indie rock, Catfish and The Bottlemen have a propensity for crafting anthems that resonate with the restless spirit of youth. Their song ‘7’ is no different, weaving a tale as old as time—distance and disconnect in a relationship struggling with the sacrifices of aspiration and success.
On the surface, the track seems to surf through themes of love and separation, but scratch a little deeper, and ‘7’ is imbued with a profound commentary on the modern struggle between personal ambitions and intimate connections. It’s a balancing act that the band illustrates with candor and a hook that catches you by the emotional gills.
Decoding the Call to ‘Larry’: A Glimpse into a Cry for Escape
The recurring invocation for ‘Larry’ to bring in a ‘load of smoke’ might seem cryptic at first blush, but in the song’s context, it’s a plea for obfuscation, a desperate need to vanish into a haze where responsibilities and expectations dissipate. This metaphor is a nod to the pressures that come with maintaining relationships amidst a bustling career often on the road or in the spotlight.
It’s a modern spin on the call for help, where the protagonist seeks refuge in moments of lost time, indicative of a deeper desire to pull away from the clutches of a tension-filled reality. While they never struggled ‘coping’ or ‘sleeping,’ the truth is they never want to confront the possibility.
The Time Zone Enigma: A Relationship in Different Hours
The singer’s admission of being ‘seven hours behind’ unveils the geographical divide that serves as both literal and metaphorical distance. It’s not just about time zones; it’s a measurement of how far apart their lives have drifted amidst the chaos of diverging priorities. This significant repeating figure ‘7’ may well represent the cycles of the relationship, perpetually displaced in time and understanding.
Such is the quandary when romance collides with a touring musician’s life—the clock isn’t just an object on the wall; it’s an ever-ticking reminder of the rift that grows with each passing hour, an enemy to closeness and synchrony.
The Poignancy of ‘I’d Beg You, But You Know I’m Never Home’
Among the most arresting lines of the track, ‘I’d beg you, But you know I’m never home’ cuts deep into the conflict of needing someone while knowing you can’t be there for them. The juxtaposition of longing (‘I’d beg you’) and reality (‘But you know I’m never home’) is honest and raw, a reflection of modern love’s cruelest paradox.
It paints a picture of someone who’s torn between the road that leads to dreams and the one that leads back to the arms of a loved one. Despite the fondness and connection they share, there’s an acknowledgment of an almost inherent incompatibility imposed by the lifestyle they lead.
Unveiling the Song’s Secret: The Fear of Thinking Things Through
A subtle, yet substantial hidden meaning within ‘7’ lurks in the repeated lines, ‘I don’t think through things/I never get time.’ These words are a testament to the song’s deeper existential feature, suggesting a deliberate aversion to introspection. Perhaps it’s the fear of what one might find—if they have time to think, they might realize the depth of their longing and the cost of their choices.
This denial mechanism is all too familiar in a fast-paced world where stopping to think is often considered a luxury or even a burden. It’s a defense against the pain that might come from realizing that the distance they’re experiencing might be irreparable.
The Eternal Struggle in ‘I Need Another Year Alone’
As ‘7’ approaches its climax, the protagonist’s plea for ‘another year alone’ grants insight into the temporal conflict at the song’s core. It’s not merely about space; it’s about time required for self-fulfillment and growth. The yearning for solitude clasps hands with the guilt of needing such isolation, all while being intimately aware of the toll it takes on someone who waits.
It’s a tough pill to swallow, the balance between the love for someone else and the love for one’s dreams and goals. ‘7’ encapsulates the catch-22 for many, where the pursuit of personal glory and accomplishment often leads to a road trailed with the breadcrumbs of strained relationships.
