Mostly Waving

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of someone grappling with a perceived past self, repeatedly stating "Young, thought as I was" and "Done, thought as I was." This suggests a disconnect between who they were and who they are now, or perhaps a disillusionment with past assumptions. The repetition emphasizes a lingering internal monologue or a struggle to reconcile these past identities with the present moment. The core tension seems to arise from a desire to communicate or assert something, met with a directive to simplify and soften the message. The lines "Get the line down, don't elaborate like that, you frighten off the frat boys, use your baby talk" reveal an external pressure or an internalized fear of alienating a certain audience by being too direct or complex. This creates a conflict between authentic expression and strategic self-censorship. The most striking craft element is the juxtaposition of the seemingly earnest "Get the line down" with the cynical advice about "frat boys" and "baby talk." The shift in tone from a potential call to action to a commentary on social performance is jarring. The phrase "the blues are brown" is an intriguing, unexpected image that subverts the typical association with the color blue, perhaps suggesting a more earthy, mundane, or even decaying form of sadness. Ultimately, these lyrics resonate because they capture the subtle anxieties of navigating social spaces and the internal negotiation between being understood and being accepted. The feeling of "Missing, mostly waving" encapsulates a sense of detachment and a polite, perhaps resigned, acknowledgment of distance, leaving the listener with a poignant sense of unspoken complexities.