My Gen X Playlist: Swiss Army Romance – Dashboard Confessional

My sister-in-law is an accomplished attorney, a wonderful mom and a good human being. But that’s not what impresses me the most about her. What I’m most in awe with is she is MacGyver. Something is broken? Her first instinct is to open it up to fiddle around to see if she can fix it. My first instinct is the yellow pages and a phone call. I only reference the yellow pages because that’s how long I’ve been like this. The river runs deep.

I would love to have an ounce of MacGyver in me. I just don’t have that gene. My sister-in-law has taken apart and fixed her garage door opener, refrigerator and microwave to name a few. All she needs are a few paper clips, a shoelace, a stick of gum, matches and a Swiss Army knife. She has all of that, there’s nothing she can’t fix. Amazing.

Dashboard Confessional released Swiss Army Romance in 2000. I’ll be honest. I’ve listened to the CD many times and had no idea what the song was about. This is becoming too commonplace with me. I really liked the energy and vibe of the semi-yelling of the lyrics.

The title track to the first Dashboard Confessional album, this song is about teenage girls trying to grow up fast. They wear makeup and tight jeans and use fake IDs when really they’re very unsure of themselves and putting on an act. Chris Carrabba wrote the song because he felt like girls were missing the best years of their lives because they wanted to act older than they were.

Songfacts

Teenage years are difficult, no matter what generation you are. I can’t imagine what it’s like now, in the midst of social media. I just hope these young kids remember to be kind, not only to others, but also to themselves. No matter how much we want one, there’s no Swiss Army gadget that can fix our adolescent years. Even for the best of us, surviving this phase of life can be a little bumpy. You just have to do your best to push through.

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For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

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