Would YOU trade tomorrow for today?

[H. P. L.]

Every time I listen to Headlong Flight, I always end up scratching my head and thinking: would I trade tomorrow for today? What the **ll that it mean, in the end? I go back thinking to the deep thoughts of Giacomo Leopardi and come up empty handed.

So, what would you do?

[Khan]

I would trade tomorrow for June 23, 2018 and then pretend today was yesterday.

[Pound of Obscure]

Yes, getting old sucks.

[spock]

Like all great questions that face humanity - I googled the phrase. Nada. I thought maybe it was some wizened quote from Bill Shakespeare or Wild Bill Hickock, but looks like it's an Original Neil Peart.

 

So, having no better understanding than when I woke up this morning - I got nuthin'. It makes no sense to me. I mentally pass right by the line now to avoid a headache.

 

I guess he means that one should seize the day - tomorrow may be worse.

 

 

[Pound of Obscure]

QUOTE (spock @ Jul 18 2012, 08:57 AM)

I guess he means that one should seize the day - tomorrow may be worse.

I think its the opposite.

 

I would never trade tomorrow for today-----always hopeful that the future is brighter. Tomorrow will be a better day.

[H. P. L.]

QUOTE (Pound of Obscure @ Jul 18 2012, 04:02 PM)

QUOTE (spock @ Jul 18 2012, 08:57 AM) I guess he means that one should seize the day - tomorrow may be worse. I think its the opposite.   I would never trade tomorrow for today-----always hopeful that the future is brighter. Tomorrow will be a better day. See?

[Pound of Obscure]

QUOTE (H. P. L. @ Jul 18 2012, 09:14 AM)

QUOTE (Pound of Obscure @ Jul 18 2012, 04:02 PM) QUOTE (spock @ Jul 18 2012, 08:57 AM) I guess he means that one should seize the day - tomorrow may be worse. I think its the opposite.   I would never trade tomorrow for today-----always hopeful that the future is brighter. Tomorrow will be a better day. See? Nope. Not sure I see the confusion.   The meaning of the line seems crystal clear. Not much ambiguity in it.

[Khan]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v423/KublaKhan/HomerJAMAICAN.gif

[troutman]

QUOTE (Pound of Obscure @ Jul 18 2012, 05:44 AM)

Yes,  getting old sucks.

At times yes,

 

But over all, the memories of the past are priceless. Glad I was part of the 60's & 70's!

[metaldad]

QUOTE (Pound of Obscure @ Jul 18 2012, 08:44 AM)

Yes, getting old sucks.

[troutman]

QUOTE (metaldad @ Jul 18 2012, 07:04 AM)

QUOTE (Pound of Obscure @ Jul 18 2012, 08:44 AM) Yes,  getting old sucks. Just have a

[ReflectedLight]

[foxontherocks]

QUOTE (H. P. L. @ Jul 18 2012, 08:20 AM)

Every time I listen to Headlong Flight, I always end up scratching my head and thinking: would I trade tomorrow for today? What the **ll that it mean, in the end? I go back thinking to the deep thoughts of Giacomo Leopardi and come up empty handed. So, what would you do?

I think the real thing to think about is would you like to live it all again? Speaking as someone who is, for lack of a better term, "middle aged" (39), I think I would like to live it all again. It was a blast when I was living it, and yes, "some days were dark", but "some nights were bright" as well.

 

I wouldn't trade today for tomorrow, but I might trade today for yesterday or even for a time when I wasn't born. I've perpetually felt as if I were born in the wrong decade, and I think I'd have had the time of my life if I'd been a teenager in the mid to late 60s or mid to late 70s.

 

I now understand how my parents felt about the 80s. It simply wasn't their time. I love a lot of stuff from that time period, but I'm sure a lot of folks that were in their 30s or 40s could care less about that stuff nowadays. I always have a feeling that this is how I'm going to feel about the current time period when I'm 60. I do like that some kickass bands are still doing their thing (and WELL...not just a rehash of their old stuff), so here's to Rush, Iron Maiden, Devo, and so forth.

 

Keep on rockin'.

[H. P. L.]

QUOTE (Pound of Obscure @ Jul 18 2012, 04:30 PM)

QUOTE (H. P. L. @ Jul 18 2012, 09:14 AM) QUOTE (Pound of Obscure @ Jul 18 2012, 04:02 PM) QUOTE (spock @ Jul 18 2012, 08:57 AM) I guess he means that one should seize the day - tomorrow may be worse. I think its the opposite.   I would never trade tomorrow for today-----always hopeful that the future is brighter. Tomorrow will be a better day. See? Nope. Not sure I see the confusion.   The meaning of the line seems crystal clear. Not much ambiguity in it. I was just pointing out how two people can have opposite views of the same line.

[GeddysMullet]

I've pondered this line quite a bit myself and not come up with an interpretation of it that gives me enough information to answer the question. All I know is that it's a more positive sentiment than either:

 

QUOTE (Janis Joplin by way of Kris Kristofferson)

I'd trade all my tomorrows for a single yesterday

 

or

 

QUOTE (Don Henley)

Out on the road today I saw a Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac A little voice inside my head said don't look back, you can never look back I thought I knew what love was, what did I know Those days are gone forever, I should just let them go BUT...

 

...two of the most depressing lyrics in rock'n'roll ever!

[H. P. L.]

QUOTE (foxontherocks @ Jul 18 2012, 05:33 PM)

I think the real thing to think about is would you like to live it all again? Speaking as someone who is, for lack of a better term, "middle aged" (39), I think I would like to live it all again. It was a blast when I was living it, and yes, "some days were dark", but "some nights were bright" as well.

That's why I brought Leopardi in the equation.

He wrote a dialogue where two men ask themselves: would you like to live it all again? One replies: of course I would. Then the other goes: would you like to live it all again THE WAY YOU DID? You can't change anything. You just have to go through your life again the way it was. So the first one goes: No f***ing way!

And that would be my answer too. To live it all again the way it was, no point. It's like in Vonnegut's Timequake. It's a parody. If you cannot bring your experience with you, it's pointless to have one.

[Pound of Obscure]

QUOTE (H. P. L. @ Jul 18 2012, 10:43 AM)

QUOTE (Pound of Obscure @ Jul 18 2012, 04:30 PM) QUOTE (H. P. L. @ Jul 18 2012, 09:14 AM) QUOTE (Pound of Obscure @ Jul 18 2012, 04:02 PM) QUOTE (spock @ Jul 18 2012, 08:57 AM) I guess he means that one should seize the day - tomorrow may be worse. I think its the opposite.   I would never trade tomorrow for today-----always hopeful that the future is brighter. Tomorrow will be a better day. See? Nope. Not sure I see the confusion.   The meaning of the line seems crystal clear. Not much ambiguity in it. I was just pointing out how two people can have opposite views of the same line.

[Tombstone Mountain]

Hell no...my kids are this little only once...sopping up every second with a biscuit!

 

[MJH]

Carpe diem....

[Tarkus406]

We trade tomorrow for today every night at 12:00AM

[Jeffrey]

Tomorrow might never come, for that reason you should never trade for it.

[greyfriar]

QUOTE (spock @ Jul 18 2012, 02:57 PM)

but looks like it's an Original Neil Peart.

If I remember correctly the quotation is from Freddie Gruber. I've read that somewhere.

[spock]

QUOTE (greyfriar @ Jul 18 2012, 02:49 PM)

QUOTE (spock @ Jul 18 2012, 02:57 PM) but looks like it's an Original Neil Peart. If I remember correctly the quotation is from Freddie Gruber. I've read that somewhere. Maybe - I know fer sure that Freddie said "he'd do it all again", less sure about tomorrow/today trading.   I was thinking that tomorrow/today was NOT Freddie, but maybe somebody famous that Neil was weaving into the lyrics.

[Ancient Ways]

1975

Caress of Steel

[NYM86]

Headlong Flight's lyrics...yeesh. At least the music rocks.