It was almost the end for them. Honestly, most people don’t realize how close the Foo Fighters came to just vanishing into the ether around 2002. Dave Grohl was playing drums for Queens of the Stone Age, the chemistry in the studio was toxic, and the recordings for One by One sounded flat. Dead. They’d spent a million dollars on a version of the album they ended up scrapping. In the middle of that mess, the times like these foo fighters lyrics were born, not as a stadium anthem, but as a literal survival note from Dave to himself.
You’ve heard the song a thousand times at grocery stores or graduations. It feels like a warm hug now. But when you actually look at the words, they aren't about "getting through it" in a Hallmark card sort of way. They’re about the friction of being stuck between who you were and who you're becoming.
The 7/4 Time Signature and the Feeling of Being Off-Balance
Musically, the song starts in 7/4 time. That’s weird for a radio hit. Most rock songs live in a comfortable 4/4 box—thump, thump, thump, thump. By using 7/4 for the main riff, Grohl created this physical sensation of stumbling. You’re looking for that eighth beat, that resolution, and it never comes. It keeps looping back on itself.
This mirrors the lyrics perfectly. "I'm a new day rising / I'm a brand new sky to hang the stars upon tonight." It sounds optimistic, right? Maybe. But read it again. It’s a guy trying to convince himself that he’s okay while he’s standing on shifting sand. Grohl has admitted in several interviews, including his memoir The Storyteller, that the band was essentially broken during the Coachella 2002 period. He felt like he was "learning to live again" outside the shadow of what the Foo Fighters had become.
The lyrics aren't just poetry; they are a document of a mid-life crisis happening in real-time at 33 years old.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Chorus
"It's times like these you learn to live again / It's times like these you give and give again."
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Most listeners interpret this as "hard times make you stronger." That’s the surface level. But if you look at the history of the band’s internal struggle, "give and give again" sounds a lot more like exhaustion. It’s about the demand placed on an artist—or anyone, really—to keep producing even when the well is dry.
When Grohl wrote these lines, he was divided. He loved the anonymity of being "just the drummer" for Queens of the Stone Age. He was tired of being the frontman, the CEO, the face of a massive rock machine. The times like these foo fighters lyrics represent the moment he decided to stop fighting the pressure and start leaning into the vulnerability of it.
The Bridge and the Resolution
Then the song shifts. The bridge drops the 7/4 tension and moves into a steady, driving 4/4. "I'm a little divided / Do I stay or run away and leave it all behind?"
That is the most honest line Dave Grohl ever wrote. It wasn't a metaphor. He was actually considering leaving the band. He had the "Million Dollar Demos" sitting in a vault, sounding terrible, and a side project that felt like home. The resolution in the song—the way the music finally settles into a groove—is the sound of him choosing to stay.
Why the Lyrics Became a Global Anthem During the Pandemic
We have to talk about 2020. It’s impossible to discuss this song now without mentioning the BBC Radio 1 Stay Home Live Lounge cover. You had Dua Lipa, Chris Martin, and Rag'n'Bone Man all singing these words from their living rooms.
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Why did this specific song work?
It’s because of the phrase "learning to walk again." It’s humble. It doesn't promise that things will be perfect. It just promises that you'll figure out the mechanics of existing again. The times like these foo fighters lyrics don't offer a cure; they offer a shared experience of being "down and out" but not finished.
Specifically, the line "I'm a tightrope walker / No net at all to catch my fall" resonated because, for a while, the entire world felt like it was walking that wire. There’s a certain grit in the Foo Fighters’ writing that avoids the cheesiness of other "inspirational" rock songs. It’s loud, it’s distorted, and it’s messy.
The Evolution of the Acoustic vs. Electric Versions
If you want to understand the depth of the lyrics, you have to compare the One by One album version to the acoustic version often found on Skin and Bones.
- The Electric Version: This is about defiance. The drums are massive (Taylor Hawkins at his peak energy), and the guitars are layered thick. Here, the lyrics feel like a shout into the wind.
- The Acoustic Version: This is about realization. When the tempo slows down and the distortion is stripped away, "I'm a new day rising" sounds much more fragile. It sounds like a prayer.
Many fans prefer the acoustic version because it highlights the poetic structure. Grohl uses a lot of elemental imagery—sky, stars, sun, stone. It’s very grounded. It’s not about spaceships or abstract concepts. It’s about the ground beneath your feet and the sky above your head.
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Acknowledging the Critics
Not everyone loves the song. Some critics in the early 2000s called it "mid-tempo radio filler." They thought the Foo Fighters were becoming too safe, too "dad rock." And honestly? Maybe they were. But there is a massive difference between "safe" and "universal."
Writing a song that means something to a 5-year-old and an 80-year-old is actually the hardest thing to do in music. It's easy to be edgy and niche. It's incredibly difficult to be sincere without being cringey. The reason these lyrics survived the "dad rock" labels is that they are rooted in a very specific, very real period of near-failure for the band.
How to Apply the "Times Like These" Philosophy Today
If you’re dissecting these lyrics because you’re going through a transition, there are a few actionable ways to look at Grohl’s "lesson" here:
- Accept the "Divided" State: Grohl admitted he was divided. He didn't try to hide it. If you're feeling torn between two paths, stop trying to force a decision immediately. Write it out.
- The 7/4 vs. 4/4 Approach: Sometimes life feels off-beat. You’re out of sync with your friends, your job, or your era. The song teaches us that you can stay in that "off" rhythm for a while before finding your resolution. You don't have to be "in time" all the time.
- Give and Give Again (Within Reason): The song acknowledges that living requires constant output. But it also emphasizes the "learning" part. If you aren't learning while you're giving, you're just burning out.
The times like these foo fighters lyrics are essentially a masterclass in resilience. They remind us that the "new day rising" isn't a gift—it’s something you have to actively become.
To truly appreciate the track, listen to the 2002 original followed immediately by the 2021 live version at Madison Square Garden. You can hear the difference in Dave’s voice. In 2002, he was trying to believe the words. In 2021, he knew they were true. That shift from hope to certainty is what makes the song a permanent fixture in the rock canon.
Next Steps for Deep Diving into Foo Fighters Lore:
- Watch "Back and Forth": This documentary covers the specific era where One by One was recorded and nearly destroyed the band.
- Compare the Demos: Search for the "Million Dollar Demos" online. Hearing the "bad" version of these songs helps you understand why the final lyrics needed to be so strong.
- Check the Credits: Look at the production shift between the scrapped sessions and the final product to see how the band simplified their sound to let the lyrics breathe.