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.
Caught cutting through the running tide.
Bleeding out;
Portrayed way past a prime tripping over words and playing tricks on time.
Eastern standard time of the dead.
Wear clocks round our necks like tombstones.
Fuck not lest ye be fucked.
A point invariably moot when you've outgrown smarts and frustration is your strongest suit.
Keep in mind, it's the wisest man that will always be told to foret his ego for a minute and
Realize that he can't replace his ass just because he found a crack in it.
(26 years past my prime as if minutes made a difference)
And How can we sit so still when it's so hard
(Like ostriches with heads in sand we fear our desires.)
So hard to find what you loved
(Breathe every breath like it wasn't a countdown)
To find what you felt in that touch?
(Breathe every breath like it wasn't a countdown)
And How can I go searching for these days when I'm standing among them?
Rhetorical wisdom is a locked door a lost chance and all you'll ever see a statement betrayed like Your worst enemy.
Breathe every breath like it wasn't a countdown.
Can't change a mind lost to the hours held so dear,
Can't force your way out of a dream purchased with fear.
Bleeding out;
Portrayed way past a prime tripping over words and playing tricks on time.
Eastern standard time of the dead.
Wear clocks round our necks like tombstones.
Fuck not lest ye be fucked.
A point invariably moot when you've outgrown smarts and frustration is your strongest suit.
Keep in mind, it's the wisest man that will always be told to foret his ego for a minute and
Realize that he can't replace his ass just because he found a crack in it.
(26 years past my prime as if minutes made a difference)
And How can we sit so still when it's so hard
(Like ostriches with heads in sand we fear our desires.)
So hard to find what you loved
(Breathe every breath like it wasn't a countdown)
To find what you felt in that touch?
(Breathe every breath like it wasn't a countdown)
And How can I go searching for these days when I'm standing among them?
Rhetorical wisdom is a locked door a lost chance and all you'll ever see a statement betrayed like Your worst enemy.
Breathe every breath like it wasn't a countdown.
Can't change a mind lost to the hours held so dear,
Can't force your way out of a dream purchased with fear.
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
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“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.
That isn't what that line means at all. "Fuck not lest ye be fucked" means that if you fuck other people, you yourself will get fucked.