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.
Love spreads her arms
Waits there for the nails
I forgive you boy
I will prevail
Too much to take
Some cross to bear
I'm hiding in the trees with a picnic
She's over there, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
She didn't scream
She didn't make a sound
I forgive you boy
But don't leave town
Cold black skin
Naked in the rain
Hammer flash in the lightning
They're hurting her again
Let me put you in the picture
Let me show you what I mean
The messiah is my sister
Ain't no king, man, she's my queen
Let me put you in the picture
Let me show you what I mean
The messiah is my sister
Ain't no king, man, she's my queen
I have a dream
I've seen the light
Don't put it out, and she's alright
Yeah, she's my sister
She didn't scream
She didn't make a sound
I forgive you boy
But don't leave town
Cold black skin
Naked in the rain
Hammer flash in the lightning
They're hurting her again
Oh, oh, oh
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Let me put you in the picture
Let me show you what I mean
The messiah is my sister
Ain't no king, man, she's my queen
Let me put you in the picture
Let me show you what I mean
The messiah is my sister
Ain't no king, man, she's my queen
Let me put you in the picture
Let me show you what I mean
The messiah is my sister
Ain't no king, man, she's my queen
Let me put you in the picture
Let me show you what I mean
The messiah is my sister
Ain't no king, man, she's my queen
Let me put you in the picture
Let me show you what I mean
The messiah is my sister
Ain't no king, man, she's my queen
Let me put you in the picture
Let me show you what I mean
The messiah is my sister
Ain't no king, man, she's my queen
I've had a dream
I've seen the light
Don't put it out, and she's alright
Yeah, she's my sister
Waits there for the nails
I forgive you boy
I will prevail
Too much to take
Some cross to bear
I'm hiding in the trees with a picnic
She's over there, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
She didn't scream
She didn't make a sound
I forgive you boy
But don't leave town
Cold black skin
Naked in the rain
Hammer flash in the lightning
They're hurting her again
Let me put you in the picture
Let me show you what I mean
The messiah is my sister
Ain't no king, man, she's my queen
Let me put you in the picture
Let me show you what I mean
The messiah is my sister
Ain't no king, man, she's my queen
I have a dream
I've seen the light
Don't put it out, and she's alright
Yeah, she's my sister
She didn't scream
She didn't make a sound
I forgive you boy
But don't leave town
Cold black skin
Naked in the rain
Hammer flash in the lightning
They're hurting her again
Oh, oh, oh
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Let me put you in the picture
Let me show you what I mean
The messiah is my sister
Ain't no king, man, she's my queen
Let me put you in the picture
Let me show you what I mean
The messiah is my sister
Ain't no king, man, she's my queen
Let me put you in the picture
Let me show you what I mean
The messiah is my sister
Ain't no king, man, she's my queen
Let me put you in the picture
Let me show you what I mean
The messiah is my sister
Ain't no king, man, she's my queen
Let me put you in the picture
Let me show you what I mean
The messiah is my sister
Ain't no king, man, she's my queen
Let me put you in the picture
Let me show you what I mean
The messiah is my sister
Ain't no king, man, she's my queen
I've had a dream
I've seen the light
Don't put it out, and she's alright
Yeah, she's my sister
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To those who don't understand some of the lyrics, here are my thoughts.
"I'm hiding in the trees with a picnic, she's over there" "I forgive you, Boy, but don't leave town"
According to the story, what did the disciples do when Jesus was arrested? Where exactly were were they while he was crucified? What city or town were they in, relative to the greater Jerusalem metropolitan area of the day, when came back? What might they have missed had they left town?
"cold black skin naked in the rain, hammer flash in the lightning, they're hurting her again"
What do you "hammer" nails with? Also, when do you usually see lightning?
"Love Spreads" is a great title, because that's exactly what happened to the movement Jesus started, even to the point of conquering (or perhaps being coopted by) the same empire that tried to stamp it out. The first person in the song is now a true believer, having suffered the lesson of forsaking his master and watching her suffer cruelly.
Put yourself in the picture, so you can see what he means. Imagine trying to eat your sandwich and hearing the clangs and bangs of the process of fastening a human being, who remains silent, to some wood. One thing about crucifixion is that the whole process, whether it involves nails or just rope, involves exposure and the potential for suffocation. A victim suffers when he or she prolongs death by fighting to breathe, and also expends energy, which is further sapped by exposure. Eventually, they're all out of energy, and they can't do anything else but collapse and suffocate. If they catch you, that'll be the way you go out, and it'll take as long as you do. How's that sandwich now?
"I've had a dream, I've seen the light"
I think it should be, "I had a dream," or, "I have a dream," referencing Rev. Martin Luther King's famous speech. That's how I'd sing it, anyway. The connection was always plain to me, but I'm an American. I'm also reminded that there was an episode of Good Times about "Black Jesus," which I will leave for others to check out.