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Does this line: “Don’t ever let yourself regret the things you didn’t do” immediately mean to you: Don’t regret being adventurous? When I analyse it, it seems to mean different things. Maybe context is important to the perceived meaning. It’s a song and so it needs to pan but I’m beginning to wonder if it means what I meant it to mean!
No, to me it means don’t beat yourself up over missed opportunities. I like it, actually, that sentiment. With so much pressure to achieve, to do, to be fortunate and so on, if you don’t, it’s easy to feel very guilty, and who wants that? 🙂
Ooh, and it pans musically too and isn’t too tongue twisty either. Is this a song you are planning to sing?
At face value, John, to me it means the opposite. “Never regret not taking the adventurous decisions.”
The things you didn’t do? Maybe they were missed opportunities, but maybe not. Maybe they were best left alone. It’s all water under the bridge now, so there’s no point in spending time and effort on regretting what might have been.To mean “Don’t regret being adventurous” I think your line would have to read something like:
“Don’t ever let yourself regret thoee wild decisions made.”
You’d have to play around with that if you’ve got a rhyming scheme to maintain.Hmm. It was intended to mean if you seek adventure now it will not be necessary to later regret not having done so, but it does seem to imply the opposite.
Good line but in the wrong song!
Jonathan, I sing like a cat with its tail in a mangle, but maybe someone else might want to sing it. My interest is in the music and words.
Thanks, both of you.Thanks Jane. The previous line, which I’m still working on, is something like:
Go now, go now, don’t hesitate, your only master’s you,
Don’t ever let yourself regret the things you didn’t do.I think in that context it’s clearer. No?
I got your intended meaning anyway, John, but with the preceding line to me it is now crystal clear.
OK so the message is: do those things now and you won’t regret having missed out later. It’s clearer with the preceding line, I think. Pretty snappy line imo 🙂
I interpret this directly as: don’t ever put yourself in the position where you might regret the things you didn’t do,
which leads me indirectly to: don’t hold back from doing the things you could have done because you’re likely to regret it later.The word adventure didn’t spring to mind when I read your post (though I get what you mean). Holding back from the things you could have done could be interpreted as just about anything, but it depends on context. Examples: you could have sent a letter; you could have taken a job; you could have helped a person in need. Or, it could be something more adventurous as: you could have taken that road trip; could have asked that person out on a date. In all instances, having taken the plunge, where might things have led had you said yes?
Your lines:
Go now, go now, don’t hesitate, your only master’s you,
Don’t ever let yourself regret the things you didn’t do
have great clarity. Fab!Thanks, everyone. Bit of a relief, back on track now. It’s the context that makes all the difference. The song is about seeking adventure now, because it’s later than you think. Eg:
Hitchhike down to Mexico,
Drive to Kathmandu,
Better do it now, my friend,
Time catches up with you.Thanks again, everyone.
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