Song Meaning
The narrator is caught in a cycle of regret and indecision, haunted by a past choice that seems to have irrevocably altered their present. The opening lines paint a picture of being lost, unable to navigate through a metaphorical "fog," suggesting a moment where staying might have offered clarity, but the path forward was obscured. This inability to find their way led to a decision that, in retrospect, feels both swift and deeply impactful, as "a few hours were enough / To sort it out for us."
The core tension lies in the contrast between the narrator's current state of perpetual starting over and the seemingly decisive, albeit perhaps impulsive, past action. They've spent "four years forgetting every lesson," a phrase that highlights a deliberate, exhausting effort to unlearn rather than grow. This is compounded by the repeated phrase "starting over and over and over," emphasizing a frustrating lack of progress and a weariness with this endless loop.
The lyrics cleverly use mundane details to underscore profound emotional states. The act of "sat outside and smoked your second cigarette" grounds the abstract feelings of regret in a specific, almost casual moment. The narrator's incredulous question, "It's not that bad, can you believe that?" directed at the cigarette, seems to echo a disbelief at how easily significant outcomes can stem from seemingly minor circumstances or how they themselves are processing a difficult reality.
Ultimately, the effectiveness of these lyrics stems from their raw portrayal of being stuck. The narrator is trapped between a past decision they can't undo and a present that offers no clear resolution. The feeling of being "fucked" isn't just about the outcome, but the realization that a brief period was sufficient to create a situation they've been unable to "sort out" since, leading to an exhausting, repetitive existence.