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.
Mike:
This is a story of them against us, win or lose
Forcing your feet into someone else's shoes
Everybody's got something to say, that we ought to
Live their way, what we're doing's not okay
In this world everybody's got a chip on
Both sides of the neck, got no respect
Wait up a sec
You ever feel like the pressure is
Too much to take, too much weight?
Ladies and gentlemen
If anybody can hear me right now please shout back
We're not the only ones feeling so trapped
In the dream of somebody else, in fact
They got their heads full of some overblown scheme
Opportunity they missed back when they were sixteen
And all they want to do is push you to be that
And all you want to do is scream back
Holly / Tak / Mike:
Gonna be sombody
(For anybody telling me I can't)
Gonna be someone
(For anyone who told me I had no chance)
Gonna be somebody
(I'm telling you the time has come)
Gonna be someone
(And maybe you'll get it when I'm finally done)
We don't sleep to dream, we sleep to build stamina
Energy to do our thing, get your camera
Cause this ride is about to begin
Sit down and buckle it in, lemme say it again
In this world everybody's got a chip on
Both sides of the neck, got no respect
Wait up a sec
When I was young they said the
Odds of making it were slim to none
Ladies and, fuck it
I'm tired of them saying the dream you have
Doesn't exist, telling you you're worthless saying you should quit
Basically telling you that you'll never be shit
Really they're pissed cause they'll never achieve some
Opportunity they missed back when they were sixteen
And all they want to do is push you to be that
And all you want to do is scream back
Lupe Fiasco:
They're gonna think you're crazy
Mumbling to yourself in the basement all day
Uh-uh-uh-ing and to yourself
My pops didn't dig it with shoveling it to myself
My boys used to get it they dug it because they felt
My undertaking took me I was making in my stealth
A wealth of rhymes of crazy I would chuckle to myself
Then they went into the mental rolodex
See I knew 'em by heart like a brain in my chest
Then I took 'em to school where subjects were getting felt
Books under my seat notebook laying on my desk
My teacher's like, "Mr. Jaco?"
"Yes?"
"With all that knowledge, you ain't trying to college
Be a lawyer or a doctor, get a whole lot of dollars
Rather degrade woman and glorify violence?"
Well the work that works for me might not work for you
No homework, I got work to do
This is a story of them against us, win or lose
Forcing your feet into someone else's shoes
Everybody's got something to say, that we ought to
Live their way, what we're doing's not okay
In this world everybody's got a chip on
Both sides of the neck, got no respect
Wait up a sec
You ever feel like the pressure is
Too much to take, too much weight?
Ladies and gentlemen
If anybody can hear me right now please shout back
We're not the only ones feeling so trapped
In the dream of somebody else, in fact
They got their heads full of some overblown scheme
Opportunity they missed back when they were sixteen
And all they want to do is push you to be that
And all you want to do is scream back
Holly / Tak / Mike:
Gonna be sombody
(For anybody telling me I can't)
Gonna be someone
(For anyone who told me I had no chance)
Gonna be somebody
(I'm telling you the time has come)
Gonna be someone
(And maybe you'll get it when I'm finally done)
We don't sleep to dream, we sleep to build stamina
Energy to do our thing, get your camera
Cause this ride is about to begin
Sit down and buckle it in, lemme say it again
In this world everybody's got a chip on
Both sides of the neck, got no respect
Wait up a sec
When I was young they said the
Odds of making it were slim to none
Ladies and, fuck it
I'm tired of them saying the dream you have
Doesn't exist, telling you you're worthless saying you should quit
Basically telling you that you'll never be shit
Really they're pissed cause they'll never achieve some
Opportunity they missed back when they were sixteen
And all they want to do is push you to be that
And all you want to do is scream back
Lupe Fiasco:
They're gonna think you're crazy
Mumbling to yourself in the basement all day
Uh-uh-uh-ing and to yourself
My pops didn't dig it with shoveling it to myself
My boys used to get it they dug it because they felt
My undertaking took me I was making in my stealth
A wealth of rhymes of crazy I would chuckle to myself
Then they went into the mental rolodex
See I knew 'em by heart like a brain in my chest
Then I took 'em to school where subjects were getting felt
Books under my seat notebook laying on my desk
My teacher's like, "Mr. Jaco?"
"Yes?"
"With all that knowledge, you ain't trying to college
Be a lawyer or a doctor, get a whole lot of dollars
Rather degrade woman and glorify violence?"
Well the work that works for me might not work for you
No homework, I got work to do
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