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.
She was sitting on a swing
And dangling her feet
Like the leaves of a tree
I think I heard her singing.
We're still out at 10 in the evening.
I knew her in the way that
I knew not to speak.
Quietly took a seat
And thought I'd stay for a week
And dangling her feet
Like the leaves of a tree
I think I heard her singing.
We're still out at 10 in the evening.
I knew her in the way that
I knew not to speak.
Quietly took a seat
And thought I'd stay for a week
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I Can't Go To Sleep
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
beautiful song, lyrics don't need interpretation-- the whole thing just speaks for itself... sometimes sitting in silence is the best way to enjoy the time with someone you love.
"Quietly took a seat, and thought I'd stay for a week" - who else hasn't felt like this at some point? Amazing song.
i love this song. its so beautiful. i agree with smitten kitten.
this song just paints the most beautiful picture in my mind. there is nothing better than just letting the silence tell her how much you love her
It's an amazing song yes. But if you look closely at the words and the way the song flows, you'll come to appreciate this song even more.
The speaker comes to this enchanted seen of a beautiful girl, casually sitting on a swing. Dangling her feet, swinging them back and forth, without a care in the world. How beautiful. How innocent.
Then like the leaves of the tree, which the girl is swinging from the girl starts to sing. Re-enacting the sound of the leaves blowing in the wind. How delicate.
Then from first look it would appear the Chorus is being sung by the girl who is sitting on the swing, but it is NOT. The Chorus is the speaker, who is so overwhelmed with this image of beauty that he is witnessing comes to the realization that it is Only 10 in the evening. There is much more to the nite with this beautiful girl and it is like he is trying to wake himself up, out of this dream, which he is so sure he is in, as he repeats "And we're still out at 10 in the evening" over and over again.
The last couple lines signify that he knows he should not speak to her, or state how beautiful he thinks this image is, as the girl would stop singing if he were to say something to her. He decides to keep his distance and not to alter this Majestic beauty. He wants to keep it pure and real.
So, he takes a seat on some grass and just quitely wathches her. For hours upon hours. And he is so mesmerized by this girl that he would be happy for weeks just watching her.
And we're still out at 10 in the evening.
i agree with everything you're saying, but i almost feel as if the reason he says "and we're still out at 10 in the evening" is to show how mesmerized he was by her and her singing, and he just lost track of the time. but i mean, who knows lol
i think he sits on the swing next to her with a profound and humble smile as he watches and listens... a reverent smile....
also methinks that he sits next to her during the day and the day just flys by. through high noon, to sunset, dusk, evening, then eventually at night, 10 at night. which works great, when dreams start everywhere, his has already begun.
I love the image of this song, I always go on the swings in my backyard with my ipod and sing while swaying back and forth with my eyes closed, so it kinda reminded me of that.
i wonder what the title means. the lyrics are pretty straightforward yet perfect, but what is we are not a football team?
This song is so amazing, I agree with you who said everyone has felt this way before. And Danfran I think you have most of it right but I think the chorus is in a different place. Like this girl he stays out with even after it gets late. Also I want to point out the flanger effect throughout the verses. It gives a very flowing sound that mimics a swing. Like the noise passing through ones ears as they go back and forth on the swing. That's another reason why I thin the chorus isn't taking place in the setting of the versus, because the feeling of the verse is gone.
He forgot about the time and everything else in the world , he is with her and when they are together nothing else exists, at one time he looks at his clock and its 10 pm and he gets out of his special world but just for a second. at the end when he sings " and we're still out at 10 in the evening" the important thing is the word " we " and still his singing about the time when in their world time doesn't exist