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 was a husband who drove his wife home drunk from the parties
He was a husband who drove his wife home
And in the car he would lean her head gently against the side door window
And in the bathroom he would hold her hair back and hope, saying;
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
So tall these days
And in the morning she'd wake up and crouch recollections all day
But she would always always wake up the next morning
He'd take one look at her a say "Oh, oh it's okay"
And her conscience would issue yet another last warning, saying;
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
So tall these days
And she would ask for time
And she'd ask for time
And she'd ask for time
And she'd ask for time
And she would beg for time
And she’d beg for time
And call it a gift
And he would give her time
And he'd give her time
And he’d give her time
And he'd give her time
But time is not given and time is not taken
It just sifts through its sift
But time is not given and time is not taken
It just sifts through its sift
Sifts through its sift
Just sifts through its sift
Oh, Oh ooooo
Sifts through its sift
Just sifts through its sift
And it was coffee and coffee and coffee and coffee and coffee
And coffee some more
He'd go to work and she'd take a sick day and rot at the core
And by the time he came back she'd scrub the bathrooms and make them smell like pine
It would be almost as if nothing had happened
And he'd give her time
Oh, oh, and he’d give her time saying:
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh don't they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh, they build buildings so tall these days
And she would ask for time
And she’d ask for time
And she’d ask for time
She’d beg for time
And she would beg for time
And she’d beg for time
And call it a gift
And he would give her time
And he'd give her time
And he’d give her time
And he'd give her time
But time is not given and time is not taken
It just sifts through its sift
But time is not given and time is not taken
It just sifts through its sift
Oh sifts though its sift,
Sifts through its sift
Oh oooo
Oh sifts through its sift
Sifts through its sift
He was a husband drove time
Home, time, car
Oh core
Cores the day
Core coffee
Core warning
Last warning
Was a husband
Time pine
Scrub scrub
Bathroom
Lean hair back
Car window
Hope
Time give
Don't they build buildings so tall these days
He was a husband who drove his wife home
And in the car he would lean her head gently against the side door window
And in the bathroom he would hold her hair back and hope, saying;
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
So tall these days
And in the morning she'd wake up and crouch recollections all day
But she would always always wake up the next morning
He'd take one look at her a say "Oh, oh it's okay"
And her conscience would issue yet another last warning, saying;
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
So tall these days
And she would ask for time
And she'd ask for time
And she'd ask for time
And she'd ask for time
And she would beg for time
And she’d beg for time
And call it a gift
And he would give her time
And he'd give her time
And he’d give her time
And he'd give her time
But time is not given and time is not taken
It just sifts through its sift
But time is not given and time is not taken
It just sifts through its sift
Sifts through its sift
Just sifts through its sift
Oh, Oh ooooo
Sifts through its sift
Just sifts through its sift
And it was coffee and coffee and coffee and coffee and coffee
And coffee some more
He'd go to work and she'd take a sick day and rot at the core
And by the time he came back she'd scrub the bathrooms and make them smell like pine
It would be almost as if nothing had happened
And he'd give her time
Oh, oh, and he’d give her time saying:
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh don't they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh, they build buildings so tall these days
And she would ask for time
And she’d ask for time
And she’d ask for time
She’d beg for time
And she would beg for time
And she’d beg for time
And call it a gift
And he would give her time
And he'd give her time
And he’d give her time
And he'd give her time
But time is not given and time is not taken
It just sifts through its sift
But time is not given and time is not taken
It just sifts through its sift
Oh sifts though its sift,
Sifts through its sift
Oh oooo
Oh sifts through its sift
Sifts through its sift
He was a husband drove time
Home, time, car
Oh core
Cores the day
Core coffee
Core warning
Last warning
Was a husband
Time pine
Scrub scrub
Bathroom
Lean hair back
Car window
Hope
Time give
Don't they build buildings so tall these days
Lyrics submitted by geekusa
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I think it's about a woman who's an alcoholic and her husband, who stands by her.
I think the buildings reference is what he says to himself almost as a mantra for why there is still hope that despite how bad off she is ,there is still hope for her to get better. As in "he would hold her hair back and hope, saying "they build buildings so tall these days...", "he'd give her time saying they build buildings so tall these days".
If you notice it's always HIM saying "they build buildings so tall"... he holds her hair back, cleans her up constantly saying to himself "if they can build buildings so tall, anything is possible - she can get better so I'll continue to wait and support her".
thats how i interpret that sentance too.