In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
I don't really need to see
So I don't need to see so I'll paint...
I don't know, I'll paint it black
I don't need to see
I don't see how you see out of your window
Well I don't need to see, I'll paint mine black
I don't need to see
I don't see how you see out of your windows
I don't need to see, I'll paint mine black
I don't know me and, you don't know you
So we, fit so good together
'Cause I knew you like I knew myself
We clung on like
Barnacles on a boat
Even though the ship sinks you know you can't let go
I was talking like, two hands knocking
Yelling, "Let me in. Let me in. Please come out!"
Black glass, dirt-based soap
Tell yourself, what you know
My friends, oh my friends
Bury your head, I'll help you bury your hands
Hard hit, hard to miss
The problems are, what a problem is
My light came off quick, call it your asterisk
It's buried in a boys in a boys first book of the stars
Saw it, a satellite, constant unblinking as
Buried at the bottom of the bottom of a brackish lake
I don't really need to see
So I don't need to see so I'll paint...
I don't know, I'll paint it black
I don't need to see
I don't see how you see out of your window
But I don't need to see, I'll paint mine black
I don't need to see
I don't see how you see out of your windows
I don't need to see, I'll paint mine black
So I don't need to see so I'll paint...
I don't know, I'll paint it black
I don't need to see
I don't see how you see out of your window
Well I don't need to see, I'll paint mine black
I don't need to see
I don't see how you see out of your windows
I don't need to see, I'll paint mine black
I don't know me and, you don't know you
So we, fit so good together
'Cause I knew you like I knew myself
We clung on like
Barnacles on a boat
Even though the ship sinks you know you can't let go
I was talking like, two hands knocking
Yelling, "Let me in. Let me in. Please come out!"
Black glass, dirt-based soap
Tell yourself, what you know
My friends, oh my friends
Bury your head, I'll help you bury your hands
Hard hit, hard to miss
The problems are, what a problem is
My light came off quick, call it your asterisk
It's buried in a boys in a boys first book of the stars
Saw it, a satellite, constant unblinking as
Buried at the bottom of the bottom of a brackish lake
I don't really need to see
So I don't need to see so I'll paint...
I don't know, I'll paint it black
I don't need to see
I don't see how you see out of your window
But I don't need to see, I'll paint mine black
I don't need to see
I don't see how you see out of your windows
I don't need to see, I'll paint mine black
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this song is about codependency and a good relationship gone bad where issues are just hidden or ignored. because neither party wants to see how bad things really are because they're stuck in the memory of how amazing things used to be together.
"i don't really need to see so i don't need to see so i'll paint i don't know, i'll paint it black" -the way he mumbles and slurs this really shows the confusion, denial, and futility of the situation, and turning the problems over and over in his head but not being able to find a real solution besides just covering it up by "painting it black"
-he tries to talk to her about the things that are wrong. 'i was talking like two hands knocking yelling 'let me in, let me in, please come out."
-and it was obviously about as useful as. "black glass" and "dirt-based soap"
"tell yourself what you know." -that it is beyond repair and there's more to the truth than whats being told.
"hard hit, hard to miss, problems are what a problem is." -eventually everything that is really going on comes out and it hurts him
"my light came up quick, call it your asterisk" -he caught on and and shes scrambling to correct her lies and fill him in on the other half of the truth. hence the asterisk displaced information
"buried like boys in a boys first book of the stars. -hes in awe of everything that she was hiding from him pouring over thoughts and memories connecting it all trying to make sense of it but failing.
"saw it as satellite constant unblinking as buried in the bottom of a bottom of a brackish lake" -what was going on with her was too big to hide.little rays of truth made it to the surface through all of the filth.
"i don't really need to see so i don't need to see so i'll paint i don't know, i'll paint it black" -he knowingly crawls back into his hole of cold comfort and denial.
i only read the first page of posts and was so furious so i had to make an account. I'm glad to see the more recent posts have a better idea of what Issac was getting at. all the people that tried to discount Issac Brock's work down to drug induced nonsense are fucking idiots. he is one of the best song writers of all time. he is a genius. if you really think hes that insane and just rambles or he just gets fucked up and throws some tracks down in a studio and its automagicaly a masterpiece. (like damn near everything he does is) sit in your moms basement and beat your dick till you write something as amazing as barnacles or teeth like gods shoe shine or bankrupt on selling.
Love your interpretation, I think that the "Black glass..:" part is not about the fact that it was useless trying talk to her but it's about the impossibility to solve the problems.<br /> Just my take :)
I like the lyrics that Isaac sings, especially "i don't know me & you don't know me & you don't know you, so we fit so good together cuz i knew you like i knew myself. we clung on like barnacles on a boat. even though the ship sinks, you know you can't let go."
Those are honestly some of my favorite lyrics ever written.
no he's not, stupid, that's just the way he is
Although this song is actually by Ugly Casanova, like ModestM said, I'll gladly share what I believe to be the meaning of this song. I feel like it's a huge contridiction. Even at the start-I don't need to see, I don't see how you see out of your window. I don't need to see, I'll paint mine black. There's obviously been some severed ties here, and he wants things back as they were, but at the same time he doesn't. And he knows they can't ever be. This contridiction is especially apparent during the bridge when he says "Black glass (you can't see out of black glass) dirt based soap (don't we wash dirt off with soap? what's the use in washing with soap that's dirt based) tell yourself what you know (tell yourself what you already know!?) problems are what a problem is. And it's true. It's a realization of detachment and useless attempts in resolving.
friend and lovers, close or not, they have their life and you yours. the window part refers to situations of life and regrets. you don't have to understand their doings, and most of the time, dont want to get involved -therefore- "bury your head, i'll help you bury your hands." i'll paint my windows black so you can't see in, and hopefully, i won't see out.
I think this song is about a to people who fall in love. Both are very depressed and don't know anything about themselves but they find each other and even through the most unhealthy problems in their relationship, they cling to each other. Even when the ship(their relationship is sinking). I think finally though they do break up and thats why he doesnt want to see and has to paint everything black. Even though it was a terrible relationship hes still very sad about it and cant understand how she can do anything simple or remotely hopeful such as look out her window.
idontremember hit the fucking nail in the head into the coffin. I love this song.
the dirt based soap is a metaphor for something that is supposed to clean (or fix) but dosent do its job
so he has a friend,who isn't really open with what he's thinking,' don't see how you see out of your window i don't need to see, i'll paint mine black' and shuts himself out of conversation. he's trying to provoke this friend to join in on the bullshit, or meaningful discussion, whatever. thats the part about 'i was talking like two hands knocking yelling 'let me in, let me in, please come out.' that comes up again at the end with the drums making a desperate knocking noise.
to me the part of we clung on like barnacles...and i hear it as 'even though the shit stinks' is about holding on to the potential that they all had but aren't letting go.
"I knew you like I knew myself"
Let that sink in, in context. That's pretty powerful. The camaraderie of a relationship, of confusion, two people finding themselves and the world together. It's an ages old theme; here it plays perfectly.
He has this relationship, but in the end he just wants to be lost alone, sinking with the ship. It's accepting defeat, but in a beautiful way, understanding that depression is part of life and part of art.
this song is really good