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.
Merge, a vessel, a harbour
A perfect union
Of gift and reception
Each an eye
On the same face
Loss and gain
Fly into the mouth of the ground
Six feet under
Thanks to some failure
Fly into the mouth of the ground
Six feet under
One for the night
One for the dark
Taste each other
For a moment, then goodbye
Hold her eyes
Share the same air
Oh lay it down
Oh lay it bare
I'm speechless
Naked as a fiery sunset
You turn, not fleeting
Destroyed not complete
A perfect cacophony
Rising like vapour
Solid and liquid
Awkward and trapping
Stolen but paid for
Legs and knees and ankles and toes
When it burns an old enemy flows
Legs and knees and ankles and toes
When it burns an old enemy flows
Gathered and strewn
From this altitude
To some other moon
Wearing false armour
And useless shields
Failed to exist
Crying out and into the streets
They are always prepared for the cries
Prepared for the worst
Crying out loud at the untold
They are transfixed but not transformed
Stop accommodating echoes
Into these hard-pressed streets
Into these well-travelled streets
Into these hard-pressed streets
A perfect union
Of gift and reception
Each an eye
On the same face
Loss and gain
Fly into the mouth of the ground
Six feet under
Thanks to some failure
Fly into the mouth of the ground
Six feet under
One for the night
One for the dark
Taste each other
For a moment, then goodbye
Hold her eyes
Share the same air
Oh lay it down
Oh lay it bare
I'm speechless
Naked as a fiery sunset
You turn, not fleeting
Destroyed not complete
A perfect cacophony
Rising like vapour
Solid and liquid
Awkward and trapping
Stolen but paid for
Legs and knees and ankles and toes
When it burns an old enemy flows
Legs and knees and ankles and toes
When it burns an old enemy flows
Gathered and strewn
From this altitude
To some other moon
Wearing false armour
And useless shields
Failed to exist
Crying out and into the streets
They are always prepared for the cries
Prepared for the worst
Crying out loud at the untold
They are transfixed but not transformed
Stop accommodating echoes
Into these hard-pressed streets
Into these well-travelled streets
Into these hard-pressed streets
Lyrics submitted by LMK, edited by LonelyHikr
Merge, a Vessel, a Harbour Lyrics as written by Anthony Dekker
Lyrics © Red Brick Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
The first song I heard by them, wonderful at that. This song reminds me of a dear friend of mine, He actually sent me the song. though i will leave my personal affairs out of this.
Beautiful song.
"Wearing false armour And useless shields Failed to exist"
its cacophony.
Beautiful song indeed. Don't know what I make of the song as whole, but there seems to be references to both life and death in the lyrics. Especially this part accounts for the death theme:
Gathered and strewn From this altitude To some other moon Wearing false armour And useless shields Failed to exist
It's described as if a body has been cremated and scattered (gathered and strewn) from a great height (from this altitude to some other moon) without any form of protection (wearing false armor and useless shields) to eventually disappear (failed to exist).
This part seems to account for the life part:
Loss and gain Fly into the mouth of the ground Six feet under Thanks to some failure Fly into the mouth of the ground Six feet under
.. describing the dawn of man perhaps. How we started living on the planet out of nothing by coincidence (fly into the mouth of the ground, six feet under, thanks to some failure)
One for the light (not night) One for the dark
Some remarks, because I suspect these lyrics are inaccurate in places.
For a moment, then goodbye (I hear "combine(d)") Hold her eyes (I hear "Polarized") and Crying out loud at the untold (I hear something like "are ... absorbed")
i hear some inaccuracies... just a few suggestions in CAPS:
One for the LIGHT One for the dark Taste each other For a moment, then COMBINE POLARIZED Share the same air Oh lay it down Oh lay it bare
I'm speechless Naked as a fiery sunset You turn BUT fleeting Destroyed BUT complete A perfect cocophony Rising like vapour Solid and liquid Awkward and trapping Stolen but paid for
Legs and knees and ankles and toes WHEN IT BURNS AND OH WHEN IT FLOWS Legs and knees and ankles and toes WHEN IT BURNS AND OH WHEN IT FLOWS
Crying out and into the streets They are always prepared for the (not sure if it's CRIES, or maybe something else, like CRIME right here?) Prepared for the worst Crying out loud, BUT THE NOISE IS ABSORBED They are transfixed but UNTRANSFORMED
and allow me to correct myself:
You turn BUT fleeting = ETERNAL BUT fleeting
First, I fixed the many, many errors that were in the lyrics. I think if someone considers themselves a critical listener they should have an audio system capable of allowing them to hear what they're listening to. The lyrics are very clear and obvious on this song when played through any decent setup. And of course, being able to hear the lyrics correctly goes a long way toward identifying the meaning :)
As to the meaning, let's do a little research first: It turns out that this song was released just after the Columbia Space Shuttle catastrophe and I'm 95% certain that is what this is about. I think it's an absolutely beautiful tribute to those who gave their lives to explore and understand our existence in this universe.