Anthem Lights - Best Of 2012: Payphone / Call Me Maybe / Wide Awake / Starships / We Are Young Lyrics
Lyrics
I'm at a payphone
I threw a wish in the well
Don't ask me, I'll never tell
I looked to you as it fell
And now you're in my way
I'd trade my soul for a wish
Pennies and dimes for a kiss
I wasn't looking for this
But now you're in my way
I've wasted my nights
You turned out the lights
Now I'm paralyzed
Still stuck in that time
When we called it love
But even the sun sets in paradise
I'm at a payphone
Hey, I just met you
And this is crazy
But here's my number
Here's my number
So call me, maybe?
It's hard to look right
At you baby
Here's my number
I'm at a payphone trying to call home
All of my change I spent on you
Where have the times gone
Baby it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two
If happy ever after did exist (I'm wide awake)
I would still be holding you like this (I'm wide awake)
All those fairy tales are full of it (I'm wide awake)
One more stupid love song I'll be sick
Yeah, falling from cloud 9
(It was out of the blue)
I'm crashing from the high
(I wish I knew then
What I know now)
Letting go tonight
(Wouldn't dive in
Wouldn't bow down)
Falling from cloud 9
Star-ships are meant to fly
Hands up and touch the sky
Let's do this one last time
Let's do this one more time
One more time, one more time
One more time
Tonight
We are young
So let's set the world on fire
We can burn brighter
Than the sun
Tonight
We are young
So let's set the world on fire
And we can burn brighter
Than the sun
Tonight
Call me maybe at a payphone
Wide awake and standing on
A star-ship waiting while
We're young tonight!
Video
Best of 2012 Pop Mashup | Call Me Maybe x Payphone x Wide Awake x Starships | Anthem Lights
Meaning & Inspiration
This mashup, "Best Of 2012: Payphone / Call Me Maybe / Wide Awake / Starships / We Are Young" by Anthem Lights, released on December 31, 2012, serves as a retrospective glance at the year's most prominent pop sounds. While musically a celebration of popular culture, the true richness of this arrangement is found in its ability to weave together themes that, when examined through a spiritual lens, offer reflections on human connection, desire, and the fleeting nature of youth and ambition. The juxtaposition of "Payphone" and "Call Me Maybe," for instance, highlights a modern yearning for connection in an era where instant communication often feels impersonal. The desperate plea from a payphone, exchanging "pennies and dimes for a kiss," speaks to a profound human need for intimacy and belonging, mirroring the biblical narrative of individuals seeking affirmation and love. This echoes the sentiment found in passages like Jeremiah 2:13, which criticizes those who "have dug for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water," suggesting a futile search for satisfaction outside of a true source. The frantic, almost whimsical plea of "Call Me Maybe" can be seen as a less desperate, yet equally hopeful, invitation for interaction, reflecting the universal desire to be seen and acknowledged.
The inclusion of "Wide Awake" introduces a layer of disillusionment and a questioning of idealized romance. The sentiment of being "sick" of love songs after experiencing the harsh reality of relationships is a testament to the pain that can arise when expectations clash with reality. This resonates with the biblical wisdom that often cautions against placing ultimate faith in earthly things, as seen in Psalm 127:1: "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain." The "crashing from the high" and the wish to have "known then what I know now" speaks to the lessons learned through experience, a journey of growth that often follows periods of naiveté. The final threads of "Starships" and "We Are Young" offer a powerful counterpoint, celebrating youthful exuberance and the aspiration to achieve great things. The imagery of "starships meant to fly" and setting "the world on fire" evokes a sense of boundless potential and the spirit of seizing the moment, much like the Apostle Paul's encouragement in 1 Corinthians 16:13 to "be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong." The ultimate message, when viewed holistically, is one of navigating the complexities of human relationships, learning from past experiences, and embracing the present with a hopeful, vibrant spirit, all while recognizing the enduring need for genuine connection, a pursuit that finds its deepest fulfillment in faith.