So Many Plans

Beirut's song "So Many Plans" is a poignant reflection on the ephemeral nature of dreams and friendships. The lyrics convey a sense of nostalgia and loss, as the narrator reminisces about the numerous plans and friendships that once filled their life. The repeated line, "We had so many plans," suggests a time of hope and ambition, where the future seemed full of possibilities. However, the subsequent lines, "This had to end, it had to end," indicate that these dreams were ultimately unfulfilled, and the friendships that once seemed eternal have faded away.

The imagery in the song is both vivid and melancholic. Phrases like "Leap from the sill, see where we land" evoke a sense of adventure and risk-taking, while "Safe from the wind, head in the sand" suggests a desire for security and avoidance of reality. The juxtaposition of these images highlights the tension between the desire to pursue one's dreams and the fear of the unknown. The repetition of "We sat so long, we sat too long" underscores a sense of inertia and missed opportunities, as if the narrator and their friends were paralyzed by indecision or complacency.

The use of the French phrase "Au revoir," meaning "goodbye," adds an additional layer of poignancy to the song. It implies a finality to the farewells, as if the narrator is coming to terms with the end of an era in their life. The repetition of this phrase, along with the line "We said it all in one night," suggests a sudden and perhaps unexpected conclusion to these relationships and plans. Overall, "So Many Plans" is a beautifully melancholic meditation on the passage of time, the fragility of dreams, and the inevitability of change.