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.
Jesus was a talker
Out of place New Yorker
Hung out on the boulevard
Sellin' nickel candies
Saving all his quarters
Bought himself a cheap guitar
Started playing' bars
The kids came in their cars
You'd hear them shouting at the stage
[Chorus]
Jesus saves
Jesus saves
Jesus started changin'
Things got really strange
He saw his tee shirts everywhere
Started missing shows
The band came down to blows
But Jesus He no longer cared
Things got out of hand
And so he quit the band
But still the critics they would rave
[Chorus]
Her him cut through the night
On your late night radio waves
So the dice were cast
Today became the past
And Jesus He just disappeared
Headed for New York
Or so his label thought
And there he gave away the years
Last seen drinking wine
Beneath a flashing sign
Promising salvation to strays
[Chorus]
Her Him cut through the night
On your late night radio waves
Out of place New Yorker
Hung out on the boulevard
Sellin' nickel candies
Saving all his quarters
Bought himself a cheap guitar
Started playing' bars
The kids came in their cars
You'd hear them shouting at the stage
[Chorus]
Jesus saves
Jesus saves
Jesus started changin'
Things got really strange
He saw his tee shirts everywhere
Started missing shows
The band came down to blows
But Jesus He no longer cared
Things got out of hand
And so he quit the band
But still the critics they would rave
[Chorus]
Her him cut through the night
On your late night radio waves
So the dice were cast
Today became the past
And Jesus He just disappeared
Headed for New York
Or so his label thought
And there he gave away the years
Last seen drinking wine
Beneath a flashing sign
Promising salvation to strays
[Chorus]
Her Him cut through the night
On your late night radio waves
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there's a bit that comes before it, spoken:
[Intro to Jesus saves spoken by the bum] Hey, man, got a quarter? You ain't got nothin' that's ok man, that's ok. God bless you anyway. Here, I hope I didn't scare you or nothing like that. I, I ain't no bum or nothing like that. Yeah, I I use to live uptown once once before too you know. No, no, I did I did really. Use to come down here and look at all the characters. Never thought I'd be one of them though. Characters, man a lot of characters. He he, you got a minute, you got a minute, let me tell you a story about this friend of mine. D.T. Jesus use to stand for Down Town Jesus. He use to sell drugs and stuff down there, and they called him- that's why we use to call him DeTox. He was one character, one character that made it outa here. Let me tell you about him.