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.
Call it bad my bad my bad influence
Big town holds me back
Big town skins my mind
Small minds wear me down
Spreadading salt on fertile ground
Honest pleasures now forsaken
Drastic measures to be taken
Can't accept your difference
They call it bad influence
Free mind, free soul
It's time for liberation to flow
Free mind, free soul
It's time so let your future unfold
Call it bad my bad my bad influence
Break out of the mold before the mold sets in
Dangerous walls are closin' in
They twist the truth then give it a spin
Love's a grenade, I'll pull the pin
Free mind, free soul
It's time for liberation to flow
Free mind, free soul
It's time so let your future unfold
The circle is wide
Shadows flower into the light bad influence
Bad such a bad influence
You think I'm bad you think I'm bad
Well I'm the most fun that you ever had
So good, so good
But people say I'm a bad influence
Wide mouths, narrow minds
Can't accept your difference
Open season on new ideas
They call it bad influence
Free mind, free soul
It's time for liberation to flow
Free mind, free soul
It's time so let your future unfold
My bad my bad influence just a bad influence
My bad my bad influence call it bad
My bad my bad influence
Wide mouths with narrow minds
Narrow minds, creak and grind
Rally to a peaceful sound
Let the barriers tumble down
My bad my bad influence
My bad my bad influence
Break out of the mold before the mold sets in
Dangerous walls are closin' in
They twist the truth then give it a spin
If love's a grenade, better pull the pin!
Call it bad my bad my bad influence
Big town holds me back
Big town skins my mind
Small minds wear me down
Spreadading salt on fertile ground
Honest pleasures now forsaken
Drastic measures to be taken
Can't accept your difference
They call it bad influence
Free mind, free soul
It's time for liberation to flow
Free mind, free soul
It's time so let your future unfold
Call it bad my bad my bad influence
Break out of the mold before the mold sets in
Dangerous walls are closin' in
They twist the truth then give it a spin
Love's a grenade, I'll pull the pin
Free mind, free soul
It's time for liberation to flow
Free mind, free soul
It's time so let your future unfold
The circle is wide
Shadows flower into the light bad influence
Bad such a bad influence
You think I'm bad you think I'm bad
Well I'm the most fun that you ever had
So good, so good
But people say I'm a bad influence
Wide mouths, narrow minds
Can't accept your difference
Open season on new ideas
They call it bad influence
Free mind, free soul
It's time for liberation to flow
Free mind, free soul
It's time so let your future unfold
My bad my bad influence just a bad influence
My bad my bad influence call it bad
My bad my bad influence
Wide mouths with narrow minds
Narrow minds, creak and grind
Rally to a peaceful sound
Let the barriers tumble down
My bad my bad influence
My bad my bad influence
Break out of the mold before the mold sets in
Dangerous walls are closin' in
They twist the truth then give it a spin
If love's a grenade, better pull the pin!
Call it bad my bad my bad influence
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Plastic Bag
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“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
mmm.. rock on.
This song seems to me to be about gay rights issues and the people that oppose them being close-minded and not wanting to expand their knowledge. They are singing of being different and coming out even though it is not going to be accepted by society. They are embracing the difference even though others cannot.