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.
Lookah yonder!
A big black cloud come!
Yes, a big black cloud come.
Come to the Tupelo,
Come to the Tupelo.
Yonder on the horizon,
Yonder on the horizon.
Stopped at the mighty river,
Stopped at the mighty river,
And sucked the damn thing dry,
Tupelo-o!
Oh, Tupelo,
In a valley hides a town called Tupelo.
Distant thunder rumble,
Distant thunder rumble,
Rumble hungry like the Beast,
The Beast it cometh, cometh down,
The Beast it cometh, cometh down,
Wow-wo-wo,Tupelo bound.
Tupelo-o!
Oh, Tupelo
The Beast it cometh, Tupelo bound.
Why the hen won't lay no egg, can't get that cock to crow,
The horse is spooked & crazy, oh God help Tupelo
God help Tupelo,
God help Tupelo,
Oh God help Tupelo.
Ya can say these streets are rivers
Ya can call these rivers streets
Ya can tell yaself ya dreamin' buddy, but no sleep runs this deep,
No!
No sleep runs this deep, no sleep runs this deep
Women at their windows, ain crashing on the pane
Writing in the frost Tupelos' shame, Tupelo's shame,
Tuprlo's shame,
God help Tupelo
God help Tupelo
God help Tupelo
God help Tupelo
Oh, go to sleep little children, the sandmans on his way ,
Go to sleep little children, he sandmans in his way ,
But the little children know,
But the little children know,
They listen to the beating of their blood,
Listen to the beating of their blood ,
Listen to the beating of their blood,
Listen to the beating of their blood!
The sandman's mud!
The sandman's mud!
The sandman's mud!
The sandman's mud!
And the black rain come down,
The black rain come down,
Black rain come down,
Water, water everywhere,
Water, water everywhere,
Where no bird can fly no fish can swim
Where no bird can fly no fish can swim
No fish can swim
Until The King is born,
Until The King is born,
Until The King is born...
Tupelo-o!
Oh, Tupelo
Until The King is born in Tupelo..
In a clap-board shack with a roof of tin
Where the rain came down and leaked within,
A young mother frozen on a concrete floor,
With a bottle and a box and a cradle of straw...
Tupelo-o!
Yeah! Yeah!
Hey, Tupelo!
With a bottle and a box and a cradle of straw
Well Saturday gives what Sunday steals,
And a child is born on his brothers heels,
Come Sunday morn the first-born dead,
In a shoebox tied with a ribbon red...
Tupelo-o!
Yeah, O Tupelo
In a shoebox buried with a ribbon red...
Mama, rock you lil' one slow,
Mama, rock your baby,
Mama, rock you lil' one slow,
Mama, rock your baby,
Mama, rock your baby,
Mama, rock your baby,
Mama, rock you lil' one slow,
Mama, rock your baby,
Mama, rock your baby,
Mama, rock your baby,
Til the King is born in Tupelo
Til the King is born in Tupelo
Til the King is born in Tupelo
Til the King is born in Tupelo
Mama, rock you lil' one slow,
Mama, rock your baby,
Mama, rock you lil' one slow,
Mama, rock your baby,
Til the King is born in Tupelo,
Til the King is born in Tupelo,
Til the King is born in Tupelo,
Til the King is born in Tupelo!
Tupelo-o!
Yeah! Yeah!
And carry the burden of Tupelo,
Tupelo-o!
Yeah, yeah, yeah! Tupelo, Tupelo, Tupelo, Tupelo...
Yeah! The King will walk on Tupelo!
Tupelo-o!
Yeah!
He carried the burden outta Tupelo!
Tupelo-o!
Yeah, Tupelo
You will reap just what you sow!
A big black cloud come!
Yes, a big black cloud come.
Come to the Tupelo,
Come to the Tupelo.
Yonder on the horizon,
Yonder on the horizon.
Stopped at the mighty river,
Stopped at the mighty river,
And sucked the damn thing dry,
Tupelo-o!
Oh, Tupelo,
In a valley hides a town called Tupelo.
Distant thunder rumble,
Distant thunder rumble,
Rumble hungry like the Beast,
The Beast it cometh, cometh down,
The Beast it cometh, cometh down,
Wow-wo-wo,Tupelo bound.
Tupelo-o!
Oh, Tupelo
The Beast it cometh, Tupelo bound.
Why the hen won't lay no egg, can't get that cock to crow,
The horse is spooked & crazy, oh God help Tupelo
God help Tupelo,
God help Tupelo,
Oh God help Tupelo.
Ya can say these streets are rivers
Ya can call these rivers streets
Ya can tell yaself ya dreamin' buddy, but no sleep runs this deep,
No!
No sleep runs this deep, no sleep runs this deep
Women at their windows, ain crashing on the pane
Writing in the frost Tupelos' shame, Tupelo's shame,
Tuprlo's shame,
God help Tupelo
God help Tupelo
God help Tupelo
God help Tupelo
Oh, go to sleep little children, the sandmans on his way ,
Go to sleep little children, he sandmans in his way ,
But the little children know,
But the little children know,
They listen to the beating of their blood,
Listen to the beating of their blood ,
Listen to the beating of their blood,
Listen to the beating of their blood!
The sandman's mud!
The sandman's mud!
The sandman's mud!
The sandman's mud!
And the black rain come down,
The black rain come down,
Black rain come down,
Water, water everywhere,
Water, water everywhere,
Where no bird can fly no fish can swim
Where no bird can fly no fish can swim
No fish can swim
Until The King is born,
Until The King is born,
Until The King is born...
Tupelo-o!
Oh, Tupelo
Until The King is born in Tupelo..
In a clap-board shack with a roof of tin
Where the rain came down and leaked within,
A young mother frozen on a concrete floor,
With a bottle and a box and a cradle of straw...
Tupelo-o!
Yeah! Yeah!
Hey, Tupelo!
With a bottle and a box and a cradle of straw
Well Saturday gives what Sunday steals,
And a child is born on his brothers heels,
Come Sunday morn the first-born dead,
In a shoebox tied with a ribbon red...
Tupelo-o!
Yeah, O Tupelo
In a shoebox buried with a ribbon red...
Mama, rock you lil' one slow,
Mama, rock your baby,
Mama, rock you lil' one slow,
Mama, rock your baby,
Mama, rock your baby,
Mama, rock your baby,
Mama, rock you lil' one slow,
Mama, rock your baby,
Mama, rock your baby,
Mama, rock your baby,
Til the King is born in Tupelo
Til the King is born in Tupelo
Til the King is born in Tupelo
Til the King is born in Tupelo
Mama, rock you lil' one slow,
Mama, rock your baby,
Mama, rock you lil' one slow,
Mama, rock your baby,
Til the King is born in Tupelo,
Til the King is born in Tupelo,
Til the King is born in Tupelo,
Til the King is born in Tupelo!
Tupelo-o!
Yeah! Yeah!
And carry the burden of Tupelo,
Tupelo-o!
Yeah, yeah, yeah! Tupelo, Tupelo, Tupelo, Tupelo...
Yeah! The King will walk on Tupelo!
Tupelo-o!
Yeah!
He carried the burden outta Tupelo!
Tupelo-o!
Yeah, Tupelo
You will reap just what you sow!
Lyrics submitted by MassAsShadows
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On July 13-15, 1864, the battle of Tupelo occured.. perhaps that has something to do with it? There are lots of metaphors which could be about an army..but the whole song just has that apocolypse tinge to it! And i love the way Sikth make this song feel almost shamanic with the drumming! Fantastic, quite dark song!