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.
(Humming)
Gather round, you wounded people
Shadows fall upon the steeple
Soon shall come the closing of
The closing of the gates.
For there is word of plague among us
Curse the one whose poison stung us
All along the alleyways
The satyrs wait their fate.
But who's to blame when all are guilty?
Morals stained and conscience filthy
Abreast your idol replicas
Your replicas of lust
Cause in the sky I hear the threshing
Dare to watch your Lord undressing?
And all you beg forgiveness
And feed on his disgust
But if perhaps the salt might stain your skin
And if perhaps the smoke might weep your eyes
Listen While The Threnodies Begin (Uhuhuhu)
No, no one in here gets out alive
But let your frailty not deceive you
A little pinprick, rest relieves you
And dream of all the days that are
The years that are to come
For you will dance and you'll be nimble
Pirouettes upon a thimble
And I will be beside you
Lest I lose you once again
But if perhaps my sorrows are all show
And I should find a crack among the gates
Guilt shall follow me wherever l'll go
Though I try I know I can't escape
When you're gone the earth will crumble
I will try, but I will stumble
And all through these city streets
My robes shall drag the ground
Cause hear the children swing with sorrow
Yesterday was once tomorrow
No more I'll be troubled
By the troubles of this world
But if I lose my step along the way
And if the speech of victim fills my throat
Out beyond past the cliffs that shape the day
It's there I'll wander, there I'll stray
It's there I will look for you when all my trials are done
(Uhuhuhu)
I feign to sleep to save my breath
This love is loss
This life is theft
And all that's left is some vain need to carry on
(Uhuhuhu)
And though I fear the tightening of the skies
Against the daw I'll watch you rise
Oh Lord, the company I keep within my head
(Uhuhuhu)
The scent of flesh might tease the nose
It claims the calm, it clings the clothes
Could that be you my love, your dust upon the wind?
Gather round, you wounded people
Shadows fall upon the steeple
Soon shall come the closing of
The closing of the gates.
For there is word of plague among us
Curse the one whose poison stung us
All along the alleyways
The satyrs wait their fate.
But who's to blame when all are guilty?
Morals stained and conscience filthy
Abreast your idol replicas
Your replicas of lust
Cause in the sky I hear the threshing
Dare to watch your Lord undressing?
And all you beg forgiveness
And feed on his disgust
But if perhaps the salt might stain your skin
And if perhaps the smoke might weep your eyes
Listen While The Threnodies Begin (Uhuhuhu)
No, no one in here gets out alive
But let your frailty not deceive you
A little pinprick, rest relieves you
And dream of all the days that are
The years that are to come
For you will dance and you'll be nimble
Pirouettes upon a thimble
And I will be beside you
Lest I lose you once again
But if perhaps my sorrows are all show
And I should find a crack among the gates
Guilt shall follow me wherever l'll go
Though I try I know I can't escape
When you're gone the earth will crumble
I will try, but I will stumble
And all through these city streets
My robes shall drag the ground
Cause hear the children swing with sorrow
Yesterday was once tomorrow
No more I'll be troubled
By the troubles of this world
But if I lose my step along the way
And if the speech of victim fills my throat
Out beyond past the cliffs that shape the day
It's there I'll wander, there I'll stray
It's there I will look for you when all my trials are done
(Uhuhuhu)
I feign to sleep to save my breath
This love is loss
This life is theft
And all that's left is some vain need to carry on
(Uhuhuhu)
And though I fear the tightening of the skies
Against the daw I'll watch you rise
Oh Lord, the company I keep within my head
(Uhuhuhu)
The scent of flesh might tease the nose
It claims the calm, it clings the clothes
Could that be you my love, your dust upon the wind?
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
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
reminds me a great deal of waves of grain actually, while this one does seem a lot more focused on personal loss, guilt, redemption etc, i see a fair amount of social commentary type imagery thrown in. in particular the lines about the plague and the people sealed in the town early on remind me of camus...