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.
old man, i heard some things about the boy you used to be.
no father, no king, just a broken old man broken by the whiskey.
too afraid to stay, too smart to not leave,
too young to be a bird who forgot to sing,
and a ground that never knew the knees
of a boy and his own tale of two cities.
"sometimes a man breaks, sometimes he can't bend
when his youth is a wound time won't mend.
(never the best of times)
sometimes a man breaks, sometimes he can't bend
at the thought of peace as something only lent.
(only the worst of mine)
sometimes a man breaks, sometimes he can't bend
when his son is another one who won't understand":
the irish temper, it's history's chains,
and the bottle's stain that just won't wash away.
but a seed was planted in the sod of nothingness from which you came,
and flowers grew and roses bloomed
to form this garden of a life you've made.
And in this city you once knew as hell
is a garden where i enjoy myself.
And in this father I hardly know
was a son who took back what the bottle stole
so i could be the boy you couldn't be
have the father you didn't get to see
have the youth you did not get to live
or feel the love this world forgot to give.
And for this gift i don't deserve to get
i'll make damn sure i earn this.
"o' your friends say boston's beautiful,
but they didn't live here, they didn't die here
in the Hyde Park years.
o' your friends say boston's beautiful,
but they didn't live hard, they didn't die hard
when sons dragged out their fathers from bars.
o' your friends say boston's beautiful,
but they didn't dream here, they didn't scream here
when no one hears.
o' your friends say boston's beautiful,
but they didn't hide here, they didn't cry here
when little boys weren't allowed to shed their tears."
there just aren't enough men like you.
no father, no king, just a broken old man broken by the whiskey.
too afraid to stay, too smart to not leave,
too young to be a bird who forgot to sing,
and a ground that never knew the knees
of a boy and his own tale of two cities.
"sometimes a man breaks, sometimes he can't bend
when his youth is a wound time won't mend.
(never the best of times)
sometimes a man breaks, sometimes he can't bend
at the thought of peace as something only lent.
(only the worst of mine)
sometimes a man breaks, sometimes he can't bend
when his son is another one who won't understand":
the irish temper, it's history's chains,
and the bottle's stain that just won't wash away.
but a seed was planted in the sod of nothingness from which you came,
and flowers grew and roses bloomed
to form this garden of a life you've made.
And in this city you once knew as hell
is a garden where i enjoy myself.
And in this father I hardly know
was a son who took back what the bottle stole
so i could be the boy you couldn't be
have the father you didn't get to see
have the youth you did not get to live
or feel the love this world forgot to give.
And for this gift i don't deserve to get
i'll make damn sure i earn this.
"o' your friends say boston's beautiful,
but they didn't live here, they didn't die here
in the Hyde Park years.
o' your friends say boston's beautiful,
but they didn't live hard, they didn't die hard
when sons dragged out their fathers from bars.
o' your friends say boston's beautiful,
but they didn't dream here, they didn't scream here
when no one hears.
o' your friends say boston's beautiful,
but they didn't hide here, they didn't cry here
when little boys weren't allowed to shed their tears."
there just aren't enough men like you.
Lyrics submitted by HomerunHenry
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the entire "o' your friends say boston's beautiful..." part is epic. it's been a long time since i've heard this much sincerity in song, very moving.
the last part is really moving although i've never been to Boston.
This is a powerful song, and it basically deals with how the singer's father didn't have a father of his own, and had to constantly drag the old man out of bars.
The father worked hard to build his character so that the singer could have a father himself, and the childhood his father before him was robbed of. He had to grow up too fast.
It could also be a song about straight edge because the youngest kid, the narrator, wants to set himself apart from his grandfather and be a better person, like his dad.
'The Unbreakable' was written about Patrick Flynn's grandfather, and is virtually about how self-sacrificing his grandfather had been to help his family, even in the roughest of times.
Though after Pat was told about the truth of his grandfather "old man, i heard some things about the boy you used to be. no father, no king, just a broken old man broken by the whiskey." He later wrote this song in realisation of his own father’s sacrifices. Pilaf1996 pretty much hit the nail on the head. They’re truly an amazing band and the song is a proven result of it, probably the best on their ’08 album.
This is probably my favourite Have Heart song ever. It is just full of so much emotion.
i think that the song is both about that and straight edge, though i could be wrong. i was just thinking how you've got the "boston straight edge" (and have heart hoodies with that on) and the song is called bostons
This song and basically every other Have Heart song makes me feel so true to hardcore, it puts it in the right position of what hardcore's about.
I'm not trying to sound like alot of kids who just because they write lyrics and think they have good morals are true to hardcore, thats just annoying as fuck...
user-defined-guy 04-08-2009
i think that the song is both about that and straight edge, though i could be wrong. i was just thinking how you've got the "boston straight edge" (and have heart hoodies with that on) and the song is called bostons
lol just because there from boston and there straight edge...doesn't mean there song boston is about straight edge...