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.
Etty in the room a cry
Mama say she must wipe her eye
Papa say she no fi foolish
Like she never been to school at all
It is no wonder
It's a perfect pander
While they were dancing in that bar room last night
Johnson in the room afret
Uncle say he must hold up him head
Aunty say she no fi foolish
Like a no time fi him wedding day
It is no wonder
It's a perfect pander
While they were dancing in that bar room last night
One pound ten for the wedding cake
Plenty bottle of cola wine
All the people them dress up in a white
Fi go eat out Johnson wedding cake
It is no wonder
It's a perfect pander
While they were dancing in that bar room last night, yeah, yeah
Etty in the room a cry
Mama say she must wipe her eye
Papa say she no fi foolish
Like she never been to school at all
It is no wonder
It's a perfect pander
While they were dancing in that bar room last night
Johnson in the room afret
Uncle say he must hold up him head
Aunty say she no fi foolish
Like a no time fi him wedding day
It is no wonder
It's a perfect pander
While they were dancing in that bar room last night
One pound ten for the wedding cake
Plenty bottle of cola wine
All the people them dress up in a white
Fi go eat out Johnson wedding cake
It is no wonder
It's a perfect pander
While they were dancing in that bar room last night, yeah, yeah
Yeah there was sweet and dandy
Sweet and dandy
Sweet and dandy
Sweet and dandy
Sweet and dandy
Sweet and dandy
Sweet and dandy
Oh, sweet and dandy
There was sweet and dandy
There was sweet and dandy
There was sweet and dandy
There was sweet and dandy
There was sweet and dandy, sweet and dandy
Sweet and dandy, sweet and dandy
Mama say she must wipe her eye
Papa say she no fi foolish
Like she never been to school at all
It is no wonder
It's a perfect pander
While they were dancing in that bar room last night
Johnson in the room afret
Uncle say he must hold up him head
Aunty say she no fi foolish
Like a no time fi him wedding day
It is no wonder
It's a perfect pander
While they were dancing in that bar room last night
One pound ten for the wedding cake
Plenty bottle of cola wine
All the people them dress up in a white
Fi go eat out Johnson wedding cake
It is no wonder
It's a perfect pander
While they were dancing in that bar room last night, yeah, yeah
Etty in the room a cry
Mama say she must wipe her eye
Papa say she no fi foolish
Like she never been to school at all
It is no wonder
It's a perfect pander
While they were dancing in that bar room last night
Johnson in the room afret
Uncle say he must hold up him head
Aunty say she no fi foolish
Like a no time fi him wedding day
It is no wonder
It's a perfect pander
While they were dancing in that bar room last night
One pound ten for the wedding cake
Plenty bottle of cola wine
All the people them dress up in a white
Fi go eat out Johnson wedding cake
It is no wonder
It's a perfect pander
While they were dancing in that bar room last night, yeah, yeah
Yeah there was sweet and dandy
Sweet and dandy
Sweet and dandy
Sweet and dandy
Sweet and dandy
Sweet and dandy
Sweet and dandy
Oh, sweet and dandy
There was sweet and dandy
There was sweet and dandy
There was sweet and dandy
There was sweet and dandy
There was sweet and dandy, sweet and dandy
Sweet and dandy, sweet and dandy
Lyrics submitted by badphish, edited by JimTheSoundman
Sweet And Dandy Lyrics as written by Frederick Hibbert
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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scrappy123, I think you're wrong about the family's skepticism. It's about the nerves of Johnson and Ettie before their wedding: She is crying and he is fretting in their rooms. Their families are reassuring them.
Ettie is being calmed by her mother, and being told by her father that she mustn't act foolish, as if she's never been to school. The first verse is about Ettie, not Johnson, and she has been to school, but her father is saying she is acting as if she hasn't.
Johnson is told by his uncle to hold up his head, and his aunty is saying he can't act foolish as if it's not his wedding day. The guests are dressed up and waiting to celebrate, and in the end everything is sweet and dandy.
Agree with you about the lyric generally, but can someone explain " it's a perfect pander" ? Why pander is it a dialect thing or what? mowers
i think the lyrics are wrong there. its supposed to be "it's a perfect wonder"
whoops my bad, lol, was just thinking in my head and completely forgot the actual lyrics! sorry, but i'm afraid i can't help you with "pander"
Don't you think "pander" (as it is written here) is more likely to be 'ponder'? As in, to ponder the meaning or reason of something. It goes well as a simple emphasis of the previous line.<br /> <br /> The spelling "pander" could either be a mis-hearing, mis-typing or just the more common patois spelling of 'ponder'.