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.
Sometimes I think this cycle never ends
We slide from top to bottom and we turn and climb again
And it seems by the time that I have figured what it's worth
The squeaking of our skin against the steel has gotten worse
But if I move my place in line, I'll lose
And I have waited, the anticipation's got me glued
I am waiting for something to go wrong
I am waiting for familiar resolve
Sometimes it seems that I don't have the skills to recollect
The twists and turns of plot that turned us from lovers to friends
I'm thinking I should take that volume back up off the shelf
And crack it's weary spine and read to help remind myself
But if I move my place in line, I'll lose
And I have waited, the anticipation's got me glued
I am waiting for something to wrong
I am waiting for familiar resolve
I am waiting for another repeat
Another diet fed by crippling defeat
And I am waiting for that sense of relief
I am waiting for you to flee the scene
As if you held in your hand the smoking gun
And on the floor lay the one you said you loved
And it's strange
They're all basically the same
So I don't ask names anymore
Sometimes I think this cycle never ends
We slide from top to bottom and we turn and climb again
And it seems by the time that I have figured what it's worth
The squeaking of our skin against the steel has gotten worse
The squeaking of our skin against the steel has gotten worse
The squeaking of our skin against the steel has gotten worse
We slide from top to bottom and we turn and climb again
And it seems by the time that I have figured what it's worth
The squeaking of our skin against the steel has gotten worse
But if I move my place in line, I'll lose
And I have waited, the anticipation's got me glued
I am waiting for something to go wrong
I am waiting for familiar resolve
Sometimes it seems that I don't have the skills to recollect
The twists and turns of plot that turned us from lovers to friends
I'm thinking I should take that volume back up off the shelf
And crack it's weary spine and read to help remind myself
But if I move my place in line, I'll lose
And I have waited, the anticipation's got me glued
I am waiting for something to wrong
I am waiting for familiar resolve
I am waiting for another repeat
Another diet fed by crippling defeat
And I am waiting for that sense of relief
I am waiting for you to flee the scene
As if you held in your hand the smoking gun
And on the floor lay the one you said you loved
And it's strange
They're all basically the same
So I don't ask names anymore
Sometimes I think this cycle never ends
We slide from top to bottom and we turn and climb again
And it seems by the time that I have figured what it's worth
The squeaking of our skin against the steel has gotten worse
The squeaking of our skin against the steel has gotten worse
The squeaking of our skin against the steel has gotten worse
Lyrics submitted by heartattack, edited by eyobri
Expo '86 Lyrics as written by Christopher Walla Benjamin Gibbard
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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I must be the only person on the entire site who doesn't think its about a guy in a failing relationship.
I think it is about someone who has many quick fling-romances. Not serious relationships, but more than just dating.
It seems like with each partner, neither of them seem like it would be a long term commitment, more so them getting into a relationship because of the initial lust period and then later on down the track realizing it was too fast and that they're just better as friends.
'Sometimes I think it cycle never ends' is the repetition of these various relationships.
'By the time that I figure what its worth, the squeaking of our skin agaisnt the steel has gotten worse' makes me think of sex. How by this point, the relationships always seem to be sexually based because other interest is lost.
'If I move my place in line, ill lose' is how the partner finds them as disposable and possibly also oftenly flings like them.
'I am waiting for something to go wrong. I am waiting for familiar resolve' the relationship failing in a way, and the resolve is a break up.
'Sometimes it seems that I don't have the skills to recollect, it twists and turns a plot that turned us from lovers to friends' forgetting what made them lose attraction to eachother.
'Im thinking I should take that volume back up off the shelf, and crack its weiry spine on me to helop remind myself' but knowing it happens everytime.
'And if you held in your hand the smoking gun, and on the floor lay the one you said you loved' is how the operative words are 'you SAID you loved' as if the relationships were partly fake and they just say love because that's what you do in relationships.
'And its strange, but they are basically the same, so I don't ask names anymore' clearly because all the relationships are all the same, it doesn't matter who its with because the person will be gone after a while.
I really hope someone reads this as half the comments are from 2004, and I specifically created an account to post my opinion since no one else shared the same view.