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.
Ring them bells
Ring them sorrowful bells
Now freedom has come and gone
We've been waiting so long
Never ever so long
Now freedom has come and gone
Shake that tail
Like any other worried soul
Now freedom has come and gone
Steam train's coming
Thirteen stories high
If that steam train don't come
I swear I will lay down and die
This city makes canyons
All littered with snow
And beneath their crummy towers
Our tiny bodies blow and blow
So drown them bells
Drown them miserable bells
Freedom has come and gone
Freedom has come and gone
Freedom has come and gone
Freedom has come and gone
We was all of us just tumbling birds hanging in the sky
And hauled our bones, long troubling roads, and didn't none of us know why
And as we staggered towards a frightening dawn
I swear all I ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever believed in was all of us together all along
We was all of us just shot birds tumbling through the sky
We built cheap homes along company roads and didn't none of us ask why
And as we staggered towards a frightening dawn
I swear all I ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever believed in was all of us together all along
Imagine the view
From a helicopter gun shift
And a man comes into view
And you hit that switch
And you cut that man in two
Imagine the view
When they bounce that shit off of satellites
And they hit that switch
And when they hit that switch
All the heaven shits on you
Imagine the view
From a helicopter gun shift
And a man comes into view
And you hit that switch
And you cut that man in two
Imagine the view
When they bounce that shit off of satellites
And they hit that switch
And when they hit that switch
All the heaven falls on you
Imagine the view
Ring them sorrowful bells
Now freedom has come and gone
We've been waiting so long
Never ever so long
Now freedom has come and gone
Shake that tail
Like any other worried soul
Now freedom has come and gone
Steam train's coming
Thirteen stories high
If that steam train don't come
I swear I will lay down and die
This city makes canyons
All littered with snow
And beneath their crummy towers
Our tiny bodies blow and blow
So drown them bells
Drown them miserable bells
Freedom has come and gone
Freedom has come and gone
Freedom has come and gone
Freedom has come and gone
We was all of us just tumbling birds hanging in the sky
And hauled our bones, long troubling roads, and didn't none of us know why
And as we staggered towards a frightening dawn
I swear all I ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever believed in was all of us together all along
We was all of us just shot birds tumbling through the sky
We built cheap homes along company roads and didn't none of us ask why
And as we staggered towards a frightening dawn
I swear all I ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever believed in was all of us together all along
Imagine the view
From a helicopter gun shift
And a man comes into view
And you hit that switch
And you cut that man in two
Imagine the view
When they bounce that shit off of satellites
And they hit that switch
And when they hit that switch
All the heaven shits on you
Imagine the view
From a helicopter gun shift
And a man comes into view
And you hit that switch
And you cut that man in two
Imagine the view
When they bounce that shit off of satellites
And they hit that switch
And when they hit that switch
All the heaven falls on you
Imagine the view
Lyrics submitted by bootu
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Everytime I hear this song, I imagine that the footage from a gunship in Iraq (that made the rounds on the net) inspired the lyrics "Imagine the view...". Here is the video that I'm referring to: youtube.com/watch Of course, it could be any number of videos showing the same thing, but this is the one that the song makes me think of.
(Oh, and I believe it's "Gunship", not "gun shift".)