I Can Ride My Bike With No Handlebars

As Kevjumba pointed out in his latest video (please don't play this at work at full volume), the lyrics in songs these days are ridiculous.

I enjoy catchy songs like the rest of the American populace, but smart lyrics are what really hook me onto a song. Lyrics that are poetic, or clever, or that carry a message - those are the ones that stay with me.

I heard the song Handlebars by the Flobots in a store at the mall a couple days ago, and it's been stuck in my head ever since. I looked up the song, looked up the rest of the lyrics, and found the video. The end of the video is sad, in a way, but it's powerful, and in my opinion, brilliant.



I know songs mean different things to different people, but based on my own multiple listenings and a quick google search of the intended meaning, I've come up with this interpretation: People have great potential to be good or bad. We all start out wanting to be good and do good (it's true - abused children still try to help and play with others in the sandbox, but don't know how to do it, and eventually give up when their efforts go wrong), but we can change.

It's easy to get caught up in a feeling of success and accomplishment, but when you start needing bigger and bigger things to feel satisfied, back off a little. Stop and take time to smell the roses, to find happiness in the details.

And most of all, be aware of how your actions affect those around you. Even if your loved ones are not directly affected, other people's loved ones may be within range.

But the whole point is that you have the power to change things. So use it for good.