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.
She's alone tonight,
With a bitter cup and,
She's undone tonight,
She's all used up,
She's been staring down the demons,
Who've been screaming she's just another so and so,
Another so and so
You are golden,
You are golden, Child
You are golden,
(Don't let go,)
(Don't let go tonight)
There's a fear that burns,
Like trash inside
And you're ashamed of the curse,
That burns your eyes
You've been hiding in your bedroom,
Hoping this isn't not how the story has to go
It's not the way it goes, It's your book now,
You're,
Golden,
You are golden, Child
You are golden,
(Don't let go,)
(Don't let go tonight)
You're a lonely soul,
Inlet of broken hearts
You're far from home,
It's a perfect place to start
(Yeah!)
(Burn,)
(Burn, Burn!)
So this final verse,
Is a contradiction
And the more we learn,
The less we know
We've been talkin' about a feeling,
We both know inside but couldn't find the words
I couldn't write this verse,
I've seldom been so sure,
About anything before
Golden,
You are Golden, Child
You are Golden,
(Don't let go,)
(Don't let go tonight)
This world is a dead man down (Golden, you are,)
Every breath is a singing crown away, (Golden, Child, you are,)
Like some debilitated king, (Golden, don't let go,)
Don't let go tonight
Earth Spins and your mind goes round' (Golden, you are,)
Green comes on the frozen ground, (Golden, Child, you are,)
And everything will be made new again, (Golden,)
Like freedom and spring, (Golden, Golden,)
Hey, like freedom and spring, (Golden, you are, hey,)
Like freedom and spring (Golden, Child, you are,)
(Gold)
With a bitter cup and,
She's undone tonight,
She's all used up,
She's been staring down the demons,
Who've been screaming she's just another so and so,
Another so and so
You are golden,
You are golden, Child
You are golden,
(Don't let go,)
(Don't let go tonight)
There's a fear that burns,
Like trash inside
And you're ashamed of the curse,
That burns your eyes
You've been hiding in your bedroom,
Hoping this isn't not how the story has to go
It's not the way it goes, It's your book now,
You're,
Golden,
You are golden, Child
You are golden,
(Don't let go,)
(Don't let go tonight)
You're a lonely soul,
Inlet of broken hearts
You're far from home,
It's a perfect place to start
(Yeah!)
(Burn,)
(Burn, Burn!)
So this final verse,
Is a contradiction
And the more we learn,
The less we know
We've been talkin' about a feeling,
We both know inside but couldn't find the words
I couldn't write this verse,
I've seldom been so sure,
About anything before
Golden,
You are Golden, Child
You are Golden,
(Don't let go,)
(Don't let go tonight)
This world is a dead man down (Golden, you are,)
Every breath is a singing crown away, (Golden, Child, you are,)
Like some debilitated king, (Golden, don't let go,)
Don't let go tonight
Earth Spins and your mind goes round' (Golden, you are,)
Green comes on the frozen ground, (Golden, Child, you are,)
And everything will be made new again, (Golden,)
Like freedom and spring, (Golden, Golden,)
Hey, like freedom and spring, (Golden, you are, hey,)
Like freedom and spring (Golden, Child, you are,)
(Gold)
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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Jon Foreman: "We are lonely souls in the land of broken hearts, far from home but this is where the story begins. And yes, you are the protagonist, you are the hero and the villain, the prince and the pauper and the clown all in one. So where do things head from here? well, that's your call... I remember drew laying down his line over top of the verses, this mellow, ethereal roof over top of the song."
This is just a really sweet song. It's fairly simple I think, well the way I interpret it is. Simply about someone who's down and out, depressed and who's self esteem has taken a battering and the singer is telling them that they're 'golden'. I love the way that's put, 'you are golden'. It's just so pure. I can hear this as if it's saying it to me, 'you are golden child', and it is such a comfort. I love how positive it is about everything. Just one of those simple, positive messages that mean so much. John Foreman, don't ever stop writing songs.
By the way, just a few lyrics corrections. I wouldn't bother if they didn't need to be made.
'Every breath is a singing crown away, like some debilitated king' = 'Every breath is a fading crown that we wear like some debilitated king'
'Earth spins and your mind goes round' = 'Earth spins and the moon goes round'
this song is excellent. I think its about someone whos feeling down and out and just not feeling as if shes speacial or as if shes worth anything. The lyrics are encouraging to say "hey you are golden because you are a child of God and he has made you in his image! God has a plan for you so you must be special"
Does anyone know what he says in the beginning of the song?
I think at the start he's jus repeating "like freedom" over and over again.
We interpreted this song in English class this year, so this is pretty much what i got from it: When he talks about being golden, i think its an amazing way to say that your are "pure or your really worth something".
when he says: There's a fear that burns, Like trash inside And you're ashamed of the curse, That burns your eyes
When you think of something burning, like a candle flame, you think its beautiful, and it represents something wonderful, but when you think of trash burning you think negativly, because trash burning isnt such a great thing, so i think that represents a bad thing that happened to her, and like tears, it burns her eyes.
awesome song.
"She's been staring down the demons, Who've been screaming she's just another so and so, Another so and so.."
^that's my favorite part of the song. it's so true. this song has helped me through some of the hardest times of my life. i love it.
"We are lonely souls in the land of broken hearts, far from home but this is where the story begins. And yes, you are the protagonist, you are the hero and the villain, the prince and the pauper and the clown all in one. So where do things head from here? well, that's your call... I remember drew laying down his line over top of the verses, this mellow, ethereal roof over top of the song." -Jon Foreman
I DON'T think they're singing Burn, burn, burn but they are singing la la la la during that part.
I love this song..it's so uplifting! like freedom in spring.