Past Perfect
Echoes of Learning: Navigating Time's Tension in Wild Beasts' 'Past Perfect'
Lyrics
Back then there were no others
Reflecting on a time when there were no other individuals present or significant in the narrator's life.
All I knew, true beginners
The narrator's knowledge was limited to being a true beginner at that particular time.
We had a gift, the perfect present
There was a special quality or talent, metaphorically referred to as a "gift," during that past period.
No such a thing
Expressing skepticism about the existence of perfection or ideal situations.
I'm taut
The narrator feels tense or tightly wound, possibly indicating stress or emotional strain.
It's tense for me
The tension is emphasized, suggesting a challenging or uneasy situation for the narrator.
Can't live within a memory
Unable to live solely within a memory, implying a struggle with living in the past.
Proud woman I daren't come passively
The narrator acknowledges a proud woman and expresses hesitation to approach passively.
Every fella deserves his dignity
Asserting the idea that every person, including the narrator, deserves to maintain their dignity.
Our hurt is older than our hands
Suggesting that the pain or emotional wounds experienced go back further in time than the hands themselves.
It passed from monkey into man
Drawing a connection between the origin of hurt and evolution, from monkey to man.
Now tender hands do heal the hurt
Highlighting the healing power of tender hands, despite the historical mistakes made by humanity.
Man did fuck up
Acknowledging mistakes made by man in the past.
And then he learnt
Learning and growth followed the mistakes made by man.
It's tense for me
Reiterating the tension felt by the narrator in the present.
Can't live within a memory
Reemphasizing the difficulty of living solely within memories.
Proud woman I daren't come passively
Recognizing the pride of a woman and expressing a reluctance to approach passively, echoing earlier lines.
Every fella deserves his dignity
Reiterating the idea that every individual deserves dignity, echoing an earlier line.
It's tense for me
Repeating the tension experienced by the narrator.
Can't keep reliving what is history
Stating the challenge of continually reliving historical events.
Proud woman now don't go soft on me
Advising a proud woman not to become emotionally soft, possibly urging resilience.
Where's that famous old dexterity?
Posing a question about the whereabouts of a famous old dexterity, suggesting a longing for a lost skill or capability.
It's tense for me
Repeating the theme of tension, underscoring its significance in the narrator's current state.
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