Ocean And Atlantic by Mayday Parade Lyrics Meaning – Unpacking the Emotional Odyssey
Lyrics
A thousand days to her that just don’t mean a thing
Cause the city makes a perfect place to sleep
And daddy’s coming home
He said he brought her things
A kiss from every coast and songs for them to sing
But singing never got her very far
And this whole coast is full of pin-up paper rockstars
She said she’ll run
Until her feet don’t touch the ground
And as the waves carry me out
Keep listening
She’ll never make a sound
So keep it coming and the details quiet
She’s like a ghost that keeps you up all night
And she’ll be a secret you can keep
Keep me
Cuts on paper hearts
They can be awful deep
Lips from wear and tear on different city streets
Don’t all need a home, but just a place to sleep
So I will run
Until my feet don’t touch the ground
And as the waves carry me out
Keep listening
She’ll never make a sound
So keep it coming and the details quiet
She’s like a ghost that keeps you up all night
And she’ll be a secret you can keep
Keep me
Keep me
And soon she’ll find that every time she runs
She leaves behind another piece of her
On every city street
So I will run
Until my feet don’t touch the ground
And as the waves carry me out
Keep listening
So I will run
Until my feet don’t touch the ground
And as the waves carry me out
Keep listening
She’ll never make a sound
So keep it coming and the details quiet
She’s like a ghost that keeps you up all night
And she’ll be a secret you can keep
Keep me
Keep me
So keep it coming and the details quiet
She’s like a ghost that keeps you up all night
And she’ll be a secret you can keep
Keep me
Keep me
Mayday Parade has long been a purveyor of emotion-laden anthems, and ‘Ocean and Atlantic’, a standout track from their self-titled album, is no exception. The song serves as a vessel, sailing through a sea of metaphors and leaving a wake of contemplation about life, love, and the inescapable nature of change.
As we wade into the depths of ‘Ocean and Atlantic’, we find a poignant narrative that deftly captures the essence of escape, the pursuit of identity, and the echoes of solitude in a cacophony of existence. Here’s a deep dive into the profound meanings laced within the lyrics of this introspective piece.
The Echo of Solitude in a City’s Embrace
The opening lines introduce us to Jessie, a figure who’s been lost in the urban sprawl for ‘a thousand days’, a metaphor for a seemingly infinite period wherein time blurs and loses meaning. It’s a common human experience, feeling adrift in the vastness of life, where days meld into nights and personal significance becomes as elusive as a ghost.
Underneath the concrete skyline, Jessie’s existence is both ephemeral and everlasting. The city becomes not just a backdrop for her life but a character in her story – a place that offers anonymity and nurtures her sense of invisibility.
The Siren’s Call: Escapism through the Lyrics
The recurring theme of running ‘until her feet don’t touch the ground’ speaks to a deep-seated urge to flee from the complexities of life. It’s about escaping from something unspoken, an emotional or psychological burden that can only be left behind through perpetual motion and detachment from the anchors of reality.
Mayday Parade captures the essence of a character who finds solace in the transient, in the perpetual chase of an undefined goal, as she becomes ever more ethereal, like a ghost fading into the tapestry of her surroundings.
Uncovering the Hidden Meaning of Paper Cuts
The metaphor of ‘cuts on paper hearts’ is a poignant depiction of the fragility of our innermost feelings. These paper hearts, vulnerable and easily torn, symbolize the scars we carry from every city street, every experience, and every good-bye. The song suggests that emotional wounds may be invisible to the naked eye, but they cut the deepest and linger the longest.
This imagery paints a picture of Jessie as a traveler not just through places, but through emotional landscapes, each city leaving its indelible mark on her paper heart, a cartography of hurt known only to her.
A Chorus of Waves: The Seduction of Silence
‘She’ll never make a sound’ reverberates as a haunting mantra throughout ‘Ocean and Atlantic’. This silence is Jessie’s coping mechanism, a protective veil that keeps the world at bay. The song conjures the image of someone swept up by life’s waves, being carried further out to sea, away from the noise, yet paradoxically yearning to be heard.
Mayday Parade has etched a poignant melody that echoes the internal struggle between seeking isolation and the inherent human desire for connection. The silence is as much a part of Jessie as her own shadow, a companion in her solitary dance with the tide.
Memorable Lines that Haunt the Listener
Among the most striking lyrics in ‘Ocean and Atlantic’ are the words ‘She’s like a ghost that keeps you up all night / And she’ll be a secret you can keep’. These lines encapsulate the essence of the song – the idea of someone who is there but not quite tangible, a presence felt but unseen, a memory that lingers in the subconscious.
The song becomes an ode to those parts of ourselves that we keep hidden from the world, those stories we tuck away like secrets too sacred or painful to share. Mayday Parade has an innate ability to craft lyrics that resonate with listeners, tapping into the universal experiences of love, loss, and the spectral fragments of our past.
