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.
He got bad, and she got mad, he lowered one more time
And she got even
No one heard a single word and as the clock ticked from next door
I could hear her breathing
And I said good morning Mrs. Sumner I would like you to meet my friend Mr. Bone
He has a house made out of butterflies
I can't sleep sometimes but I've been told
It's a lonely condition called growing old
Let me stumble sometimes
(intro to chorus)
I'm looking for a soul to cling to
Girl what you think about that
(chorus)
This time, well it all comes down
To loss and strain and butterflies
Then it comes right down to me
Hello have you been alright
Did you find a piece of something wrapped around the light side of your life
To make you feel better
Did you get out with your sanity
Did you save a little something for the people in need
And did you know with the rain in your pockets
You can change the weather
(intro to chorus)
(chorus)
(chorus)
Is it just the total for the wages of our sins
And have you made yourself a victim
In a game that you can't win
And our we caving in
And does it all depend on loss and strain and butterflies
And does it come right down to me anymore
This time
Does it all come down
To loss and strain and butterflies
Come on down to me
And she got even
No one heard a single word and as the clock ticked from next door
I could hear her breathing
And I said good morning Mrs. Sumner I would like you to meet my friend Mr. Bone
He has a house made out of butterflies
I can't sleep sometimes but I've been told
It's a lonely condition called growing old
Let me stumble sometimes
(intro to chorus)
I'm looking for a soul to cling to
Girl what you think about that
(chorus)
This time, well it all comes down
To loss and strain and butterflies
Then it comes right down to me
Hello have you been alright
Did you find a piece of something wrapped around the light side of your life
To make you feel better
Did you get out with your sanity
Did you save a little something for the people in need
And did you know with the rain in your pockets
You can change the weather
(intro to chorus)
(chorus)
(chorus)
Is it just the total for the wages of our sins
And have you made yourself a victim
In a game that you can't win
And our we caving in
And does it all depend on loss and strain and butterflies
And does it come right down to me anymore
This time
Does it all come down
To loss and strain and butterflies
Come on down to me
Lyrics submitted by winterfairy, edited by Donyana
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
yeah, Phrenchorn, I agree with you, but you don't have to put the same thing on every tabitha secret song that's under mb20, it's actually kind of a good thing cause more people can learn about the beginnings of the band by finding the lyrics here, because otherwise they would never find them under tabitha secret, anyway, enough about that, this song is like perfect, this whole song is pretty much my fav part, but I especially like the part that 1thatuwrecked mentioned and 'did you know with the rain in your pockets, you could change the weather' and the part at the end
Is it just the total for the wages of our sins And have you made yourself a victim In a game that you can't win And our we caving in And does it all depend on loss and strain and butterflies And does it come right down to me anymore
anyway, completely AWESOME SONG, this, Dear Joan, and Bed Of Lies, qualify for the top 3 mb20/tabitha songs ever, yeah, even over 3 am, push and long day Ca$hdogg