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.
A long time ago
I turned to myself
And said "You are my daughter"
I saw that the image I saw there was well
"So you are my daughter"
Well then maybe we've got something to talk about
Who told you so?
That gold burns slow
Like coal camper's candles all lost in the snow
Lay down, you're on
The warmth that I'm weaving is for you alone
Up on the sun
Where it never rains or snows
There's an ocean
With a wind that never blows
And if you see it closer
Then the finer points will show
Not too much more
Too much more
Up on the sun
Where it never rains or snows
There's an ocean
With a wind that never blows
And if you see it closer
Then the finer points will show
Not too much more
Too much more
I turned to myself
And said "You are my daughter"
I saw that the image I saw there was well
"So you are my daughter"
Well then maybe we've got something to talk about
Who told you so?
That gold burns slow
Like coal camper's candles all lost in the snow
Lay down, you're on
The warmth that I'm weaving is for you alone
Up on the sun
Where it never rains or snows
There's an ocean
With a wind that never blows
And if you see it closer
Then the finer points will show
Not too much more
Too much more
Up on the sun
Where it never rains or snows
There's an ocean
With a wind that never blows
And if you see it closer
Then the finer points will show
Not too much more
Too much more
Lyrics submitted by notthatguysomeoneelse
Up on the Sun Lyrics as written by C. Kirkwood
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
I think i remember reading that they were playing some of their psychedelic and countryish stuff to their early-eighties hardcore audience, who hated it and were shouting "Hippies! Hippies!", so Curt started singing nonsensical lyrics like "A long time ago I turned to myself and said, 'you are my daughter'" to piss them off. A reviewer once called this song something like "the greatest demonstration of interplay between guitar, bass and drums ever written". I think i got all the above from the rykodisc re-release liner notes. Beautiful song
In their book (Too High To Die: Meet the Meat Puppets) they confirm this. Though he only mentions saying "You are my daughter" to insult the crowd and piss them off more.
I think this song is about a man who at one time was not present in his daughter's life, maybe he left when she was born. Now he's come back into her life and going to make an effort to be a good father. "I turned to myself, and said 'You are my daughter'" I think he sees himself in her. "I saw that the image I saw there was well. 'So you are my daughter' Well then maybe we've got something to talk about" Maybe he's wants to talk to her about why he left and why he decided to come back and how he's going to be a good father now. "Who told you so?" Seems she already new about him and why he left, and he's surprised she was told...so maybe he left when she was very young. But he's going to make up for not being present by keeping her safe and warm "up on the sun where it never rains or snows."
--maybe I'm reading to much into it, but I feel like this might be what it's about.
easily one of my favorite songs of all time.
This song is amazing. This and plateau are my two favorite songs by the meat pupptets, plateau being one of my favorite if not my favorite song of all time (The meat puppets version, not nirvana's, even though that version was done very well). But you could probably tell by my username :P
I've always loved this song... still don't know what it's supposed to be about.
This song has such an amazingly special place in my heart. When my mom was in labor, my dad was playing a collection of mix tapes he had made for the occasion and this was the song that was playing when they finally got me out. I think the song is about Curt's daughter, but some of the stuff describes in a pretty poetic way what it'd be like to be standing on the sun if you interprit it that way.
It's a beautiful song...ultimately lyrics don't matter. It's whatever you want to make it. And that's probably what Curt Kirkwood would tell you. I mean, maybe he would. Love the Puppets
this song creeps into my head every once in a while. i love this song :D