This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Lovers accustomed to tragedy
See every kiss in the window across the street
Breezes and blessings passing by, ah ooh-oh
I'm in the shade of the dogwood tree
Not the one where you told your name to me
Two hungry blackbirds land near by, ah ooh-oh
If I could be over you when the sky starts falling
Would you be happy under me?
If I could be under you if the earth was burning
Could you be trusted over me?
Spoke to a mother whose baby drowned
Gave me advice, or a rumor she once heard:
“Heaven's a distance, not a place,” ah ooh-oh
Gave her an ear from the corn we grew
You were away but she gave her thanks to you
That was a year ago come May, ah ooh-oh
If I could be over you when the sky starts falling
Would you be smothered under me?
If I could be under you if the earth was burning
Would you be crying over me?
I could hear kids in the yard next door
Cats in the brush when the calendar fell down
Wait by the shade-tree one more year, ah ooh-oh
Poetry tempered with tragedy
Tempted and pulled when you cry upon my sleeve
Two flocks of blackbirds meet the air, ah ooh-oh
See every kiss in the window across the street
Breezes and blessings passing by, ah ooh-oh
I'm in the shade of the dogwood tree
Not the one where you told your name to me
Two hungry blackbirds land near by, ah ooh-oh
If I could be over you when the sky starts falling
Would you be happy under me?
If I could be under you if the earth was burning
Could you be trusted over me?
Spoke to a mother whose baby drowned
Gave me advice, or a rumor she once heard:
“Heaven's a distance, not a place,” ah ooh-oh
Gave her an ear from the corn we grew
You were away but she gave her thanks to you
That was a year ago come May, ah ooh-oh
If I could be over you when the sky starts falling
Would you be smothered under me?
If I could be under you if the earth was burning
Would you be crying over me?
I could hear kids in the yard next door
Cats in the brush when the calendar fell down
Wait by the shade-tree one more year, ah ooh-oh
Poetry tempered with tragedy
Tempted and pulled when you cry upon my sleeve
Two flocks of blackbirds meet the air, ah ooh-oh
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
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This song is magical, it doesn't matter what it means, it matters how it makes you feel.
@AnHonestLiving I agree. This is one of Sam Beam's songs I don't care to analyze. The chorus just makes me feel things I can't even put words to, and that's enough.
I get the greatest feeling when I listen to this song. It's almost like I dont even want to think too much about what the song probably means..I love just focusing on the image that the chorus gives. Really gorgeous.
I always thought myself as a bad ass guy... but ever since I Started listening to sam's music... it just mesmerizes the fuck out of me... sam you son of a bitch what the fuck is in your brain... this is truly beautiful music...it makes me wanna vomit when I hear any of the other shit that people listen to...
ive heard the 'heavens a distance not a place' line in a carissa's wierd song, i dont remember which song though
yeah I guess it makes kinda sense since the drummer of carissa's weird is friends with sam... in fact I think it was him that introduced sam to sub pop records... so that may be one reason
Where can I get this song??? I have all three albums and The Woman King EP, but where is this song hiding???
@wanderlove It was recently released on iTunes in Archive Series Volume 1.
I found a video of this song just now and I've played it over and over and over for the last hour and it mesmerizes the fuck out of me, too.
Maybe after another hundred listens I'll be able to say what this song means to me but I am making no promises.
Bear with me with this one. It sounds absolutely ludicrous to anyone who listens to Sam, but just hear me out.
Seeing as how he wrote this in early 2002 (I think), I believe this song is about 9/11. Now before you roll your eyes, think of these lines:
"Two hungry blackbirds land near by, ah ooh-oh"
"If I could be over you when the sky starts falling" "If I could be under you if the earth was burning"
Both lines depicting the fall of the towers.
The entire section about the mother talks about dealing with the tragic loss of a loved one.
"Would you be smothered under me?" "Would you be crying over me?"
"I could hear kids in the yard next door Cats in the brush when the calendar fell down"
"Wait by the shade tree one more year"
"Two flocks of blackbirds meet the air, ah ooh-oh"
I didn't listen to the song with anything in mind, and in fact it was my mom who first thought of the analogy when I played it for her.
Thoughts?