The Swiss Army Romance

Album: The Swiss Army Romance (2000)
Play Video
  • Sleep with all the lights on

    You're not so happy

    You're not secure


    And you're dying to look cute

    In your blue jeans

    But you're plastic just like everyone

    Just like everyone


    And that face you paint is pressed

    Impressing most of us as permanent

    And I'd like to see you undone


    College night will draw the crowds

    Dorms unload and you're heading out

    Here is your moment to shine

    Making up a history

    It's nothing from the life you lead

    But man, will they buy all your lines


    Sleep with all the sheets off

    Bearing your mattress

    Bearing your soul


    And you're dying to look smooth

    With your tattoos

    But you're searching just like everyone

    You could be anyone


    And those friends you have are the best

    Impressing most of us as permanent

    But I'd like to see you undone


    Youth's the most unfaithful mistress

    Still we forge ahead to miss her

    Rushing our moment to shine

    Making up a history

    It's nothing from the life you lead

    But man, will they buy all your lines


    We're not twenty-one

    But the sooner we are

    The sooner the fun will begin


    So get out your fake eyelashes

    And fake I.D.s

    And real disasters ensue


    It's cool to take these chances

    It's cool to fake romances

    And grow up fast


    And grow up fast

    And grow up fast

    And grow up fast Writer/s: Christopher Carrabba
    Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 11

  • Paige from Avondale, PaThis song is about teenage girls. It's about how much they care about what other people think, so they "get out fake eyelashes...and fake id's...its cool to take these chances...and grow up fast...". This song is saying they pretend to be older and more mature so they lie about things when they really are just covering up something else, like fear to be themselves.
  • Renee from Saint John, CanadaThis is one of my favorite Dashboard songs. The lyrics are amazing.
  • Tom from Jamestown, NyChris, from San Diego, "emo" is short for "emotional hardcore." It's any kind of guitar-driven alternative rock that expresses emotion beyond punk's limited range of alientation and rage.
  • Shindoakari from Medan, Indonesiadashboard!!!cried everytime i listened to his song...*sniff*
  • Ariel from Woodbridge, Cti just found a must read for any Dashboard/any other "emo" fans- its called Nothing Feels Good, and Chris says in it that the title "Swiss Army Romance" refers to "her-well, actually to people like us, our relationship just got to this point where it was all...neutral. totally neutral. just like the Swiss Army."
  • Kerry from New York, Nythis song isn't about a romance, actually. i've talked to him about it at shows *and* read it in interviews. it's about teenage girls who rush ahead to act grown up, missing the greatest part of their life (youth). instead they wear makeup and get fake ids and try so hard to be grown up when really they're just as lost as everyone else.
  • Billy from Pittsburgh, PaWhen I saw this title, I was tempted to assume that the meaning referred to slitting your wrists. You know, with a Swiss Army Knife, or something along those lines. I mean, this is emo...
  • Annabeth from Kutztown, PaI got the idea that it's about a girl who's very young, still in high school, maybe, who goes up to the college nearby and pretends to be older and more experienced than she is, cuz she's trying to be cool. ("Get out your fake eyelashes and your fake i.d.s," "college nights will draw the crowds," "it's cool to take these chances, it's cool to fake romances and grow up fast.") Also, I think it might have to do with her trying to grow up and be an adult.
  • Ariel from Woodbridge, Ctthe title Swiss Army Romance, does not mean "Non-Existient", nor does it refer to the Swiss Army knife in fact the Swiss army is one of the best armies in the world, it means pointless and neutral.
  • Meg from Worcester, MaIt seems as if it's about a relationship he had with a girl who was very fake...as a result, any "love" that they may have had mut have turned out to be fake as well. What I get from it is a deep description of a girl that tells a lot of lies about herself, and isn't true to herself, in order to be cool and have tons of friends. He must know the real her, and must have wanted her to act like her real self. She probably didn't want to stop acting popular, so he deserts her and nothing real ever happened.
  • Alison from Fairfield, Ctchris is the man, i mean, his poetry is so freaking good
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Pete Anderson

Pete AndersonSongwriter Interviews

Pete produced Dwight Yoakam, Michelle Shocked, Meat Puppets, and a very memorable track for Roy Orbison.

Metallica

MetallicaFact or Fiction

Beef with Bon Jovi? An unfortunate Spandex period? See if you can spot the true stories in this Metallica version of Fact or Fiction.

Corey Hart

Corey HartSongwriter Interviews

The Canadian superstar talks about his sudden rise to fame, and tells the stories behind his hits "Sunglasses At Night," "Boy In The Box" and "Never Surrender."

Al Kooper

Al KooperSongwriter Interviews

Kooper produced Lynyrd Skynyrd, played with Dylan and the Stones, and formed BS&T.

John Parr

John ParrSongwriter Interviews

John tells the "St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)" story and explains why he disappeared for so long.

In The Cards

In The CardsSong Writing

Songwriters have used cards and card games to make sense of heartache, togetherness, and even Gonorrhea.