Temporary Beauty
Chasing Ephemeral Beauty: Graham Parker's Reflection on Society
Lyrics
You have to do your best to come up to par, from straight off the
You must strive to meet a certain standard, as if coming off a production line like a car.
Production line like a car,
Continue this effort until everything you present seems artificial, and you lose sight of whose image you reflect.
Till everything you put on is a put-on, and you don't know who's face
The clothes and persona you adopt become a facade, and you are uncertain about the authenticity of the faces you encounter.
You're gazing upon
You may not recognize the faces you are looking at, suggesting a loss of genuine connection.
Could be anyone you're sending out there tonight, is it any wonder all of
The people you send out into the world may be anyone, and the overwhelming lights contribute to the sense of disorientation.
The lights are too bright?
The brightness of the lights intensifies the challenges and uncertainties.
And you need temporary beauty, and pray to God that it doesn't rain
Expresses the need for temporary beauty and a hopeful wish that external circumstances won't negatively impact it.
You need temporary beauty, even though it might be love in vain
Despite the possibility of love being in vain, there is still a desire for temporary beauty.
The world is full of little people like you, they have to read a book to
Refers to the existence of individuals like the narrator who need guidance from books to navigate life.
Learn what to do
Depicts people in worn-out clothes facing various pressures.
They hang around in second -hand[?] clothes, and every kind of pressure
Describes the challenges faced by those who are socially and economically disadvantaged.
Steps on their toes
External pressures create difficulties for these individuals.
Love doesn't fall out of a magazine, you mustn't always believe what you've seen
Love is not as simple as portrayed in magazines, warning against blind belief in media representations.
And you need temporary beauty, and pray to God that it doesn't rain
Reiterates the need for temporary beauty, emphasizing the importance of appearance in navigating life.
You need temporary beauty, even though it might be love in vain
Despite potential challenges, the desire for temporary beauty persists.
Ah-ah temporary beauty, ah-ah temporary beauty, ah-ah temporary beauty
Repeats the plea for temporary beauty, emphasizing its fleeting nature.
You might be the sweetest little girl in your heart,
Despite inner kindness, the world may not recognize it and can be harsh.
But still the world [?] knows that and tears you apart
Suggests a struggle between inner goodness and external judgment.
You think of the parties you'll never attend, you dream of someone who's
Reflects on missed opportunities and dreams of deeper connections.
More than a friend
Longs for a meaningful relationship beyond mere friendship.
Love doesn't jump out of a magazine, you mustn't always believe what you've seen
Reiterates the caution against believing everything seen in magazines, particularly regarding love.
And you need temporary beauty, and pray to God that it doesn't rain
Reaffirms the need for temporary beauty, with a plea against unfavorable circumstances.
You need temporary beauty, even though it might be love, even though it
Despite potential challenges, the desire for temporary beauty remains.
Might be love,
Repeats the acknowledgment of the possibility of love being in vain.
Even though it might be love in vain
Despite potential challenges, the desire for temporary beauty persists.
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