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.
STUDENTS (singing in Latin)
In nomine patris, patris
Amen, amen
In nomine patris, patris
Amen, amen
(or something close...)
PRIEST
I want to welcome all of you back
I hope Christmas was a time of great joy for you and your families
Today is the Feast of the Epiphany
The celebration of the arrival of the three wise men
To pay homage to the baby Jesus
I want you to imagine what that journey must have been like
A journey resting entirely on fate
That they would know where they were going once they arrived
Imagine what a joy it must have been for them
To finally reach their destination
Seniors, you're coming to an end of your time at St. Cecelia's
LUCAS
Yeah!
PRIEST
You've lived together, studied together
And most importantly, prayed together
Strength for the journey
We begin in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
Let us take a moment now to call to mind those times
When we have fallen from God's grace
I confess...
PRIEST & STUDENTS
...to almighty God
And to you my brothers and sisters
That...(students continue praying)
PRIEST
Peter!
You're not fooling anyone!
Being an altar boy by day doesn't forgive what you do at night!
PETER
And you, my brothers and sisters
Pray for me to the Lord our God!
LUCAS
One among us dances with the Devil
NADIA
Loves my brother, God it makes me sick
???
Seven years in school
IVY
He's played it cool
STUDENTS
You can't keep it, tell us your secret
IVY
And for risking it all on your salvation (?)
I can fix you if you'd like to try
MATT
Think your actions through
STUDENTS
What's wrong with you?
So mistaken, lost and forsaken!
Dig down deep and save your soul
Grave mistakes will take their toll
Every sin is entered in
Heaven comes with discipline
PETER
I've hid it all so well, tell me how you know
STUDENTS
No more dodging, God is watching
His eye is on the lowly sparrow
The road is long, the path is narrow
ZACK
Your Catholic rules are not suggestions
???
Read the Bible
IVY
Would you speak for God?
???
Why can't you obey?
???
You've lost your way
STUDENTS
Scorned, reviled, waste of a child
SISTER CHANTELLE?
Time is ticking, graduation day
IVY
You have five months left to change your mind
STUDENTS
Lock those thoughts away, it's judgment day
Heaven's never, Hell is forever
Dig down deep and save your soul
Grave mistakes will take their toll
Every sin is entered in
Heaven comes with discipline
PETER
Doesn't it all make sense if the love is strong?
STUDENTS
No more dodging, God is watching
His eye is on the lowly sparrow
The road is long, the path is narrow
CLAIRE
Peter, honey, are you sleeping through mass again?
You know, if you keep this up, you're going straight to hell
PETER
Mom?
CLAIRE
Our first reading today is the story of how,
Despite the best efforts of a single mother
A child can still go horribly, horribly wrong
PETER
Mother, please!
CLAIRE
For his eighth birthday, Peter asked for an Easy Bake Oven
His father asked for a divorce
To me, the link between those two events was as strong
As Peter's attraction to my makeup table
PETER
Mom, this really isn't the best...
CLAIRE
I sent him to a Catholic boarding school thinking it would help
But, when he met his roommate Jason, the two of them locked eyes
And I said to myself, 'Claire, you wanted grandchildren?
Instead you're going to get ambiguous Christmas cards from South Beach'
IVY?
Please join us in singing our offertory hymn, number 273, 'A Bender Among Us'
STUDENTS
There's a bender among us, he must be exposed
Or he'll kidnap our children and take off their clothes
There's a bender among us, there's pink in our flock
A boy without conscience, whose led by his...
CLAIRE
...Cocktail: Peter's second favorite movie
His favorite: Top Gun
The signs were everywhere, we were practically tripping over them
PETER
Father?
PRIEST
Not in the funeral, Peter
MATT?
I'd like to start with just a...
If we could take a moment...
If maybe we were silent...
Or we had spoken...
PETER
Mom? What is it?
Ivy? Nadia? Matt?
Is it I? Lord, is it I?
STUDENTS
Timothy, Romans, Corinthians, Leviticus
Timothy, Romans, Corinthians, Leviticus
Timothy, Romans, Corinthians, Leviticus
Love the sinner, hate the sin, created in his image
Abomination, abomination, abomination, abomination
Bare the cross, bare the cross, bare the cross (?)
PRIEST
Let us go forth in peace to love and serve the Lord
STUDENTS
Praise be to God
PETER
Hail Mary full of grace...
In nomine patris, patris
Amen, amen
In nomine patris, patris
Amen, amen
(or something close...)
PRIEST
I want to welcome all of you back
I hope Christmas was a time of great joy for you and your families
Today is the Feast of the Epiphany
The celebration of the arrival of the three wise men
To pay homage to the baby Jesus
I want you to imagine what that journey must have been like
A journey resting entirely on fate
That they would know where they were going once they arrived
Imagine what a joy it must have been for them
To finally reach their destination
Seniors, you're coming to an end of your time at St. Cecelia's
LUCAS
Yeah!
PRIEST
You've lived together, studied together
And most importantly, prayed together
Strength for the journey
We begin in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
Let us take a moment now to call to mind those times
When we have fallen from God's grace
I confess...
PRIEST & STUDENTS
...to almighty God
And to you my brothers and sisters
That...(students continue praying)
PRIEST
Peter!
You're not fooling anyone!
Being an altar boy by day doesn't forgive what you do at night!
PETER
And you, my brothers and sisters
Pray for me to the Lord our God!
LUCAS
One among us dances with the Devil
NADIA
Loves my brother, God it makes me sick
???
Seven years in school
IVY
He's played it cool
STUDENTS
You can't keep it, tell us your secret
IVY
And for risking it all on your salvation (?)
I can fix you if you'd like to try
MATT
Think your actions through
STUDENTS
What's wrong with you?
So mistaken, lost and forsaken!
Dig down deep and save your soul
Grave mistakes will take their toll
Every sin is entered in
Heaven comes with discipline
PETER
I've hid it all so well, tell me how you know
STUDENTS
No more dodging, God is watching
His eye is on the lowly sparrow
The road is long, the path is narrow
ZACK
Your Catholic rules are not suggestions
???
Read the Bible
IVY
Would you speak for God?
???
Why can't you obey?
???
You've lost your way
STUDENTS
Scorned, reviled, waste of a child
SISTER CHANTELLE?
Time is ticking, graduation day
IVY
You have five months left to change your mind
STUDENTS
Lock those thoughts away, it's judgment day
Heaven's never, Hell is forever
Dig down deep and save your soul
Grave mistakes will take their toll
Every sin is entered in
Heaven comes with discipline
PETER
Doesn't it all make sense if the love is strong?
STUDENTS
No more dodging, God is watching
His eye is on the lowly sparrow
The road is long, the path is narrow
CLAIRE
Peter, honey, are you sleeping through mass again?
You know, if you keep this up, you're going straight to hell
PETER
Mom?
CLAIRE
Our first reading today is the story of how,
Despite the best efforts of a single mother
A child can still go horribly, horribly wrong
PETER
Mother, please!
CLAIRE
For his eighth birthday, Peter asked for an Easy Bake Oven
His father asked for a divorce
To me, the link between those two events was as strong
As Peter's attraction to my makeup table
PETER
Mom, this really isn't the best...
CLAIRE
I sent him to a Catholic boarding school thinking it would help
But, when he met his roommate Jason, the two of them locked eyes
And I said to myself, 'Claire, you wanted grandchildren?
Instead you're going to get ambiguous Christmas cards from South Beach'
IVY?
Please join us in singing our offertory hymn, number 273, 'A Bender Among Us'
STUDENTS
There's a bender among us, he must be exposed
Or he'll kidnap our children and take off their clothes
There's a bender among us, there's pink in our flock
A boy without conscience, whose led by his...
CLAIRE
...Cocktail: Peter's second favorite movie
His favorite: Top Gun
The signs were everywhere, we were practically tripping over them
PETER
Father?
PRIEST
Not in the funeral, Peter
MATT?
I'd like to start with just a...
If we could take a moment...
If maybe we were silent...
Or we had spoken...
PETER
Mom? What is it?
Ivy? Nadia? Matt?
Is it I? Lord, is it I?
STUDENTS
Timothy, Romans, Corinthians, Leviticus
Timothy, Romans, Corinthians, Leviticus
Timothy, Romans, Corinthians, Leviticus
Love the sinner, hate the sin, created in his image
Abomination, abomination, abomination, abomination
Bare the cross, bare the cross, bare the cross (?)
PRIEST
Let us go forth in peace to love and serve the Lord
STUDENTS
Praise be to God
PETER
Hail Mary full of grace...
Lyrics submitted by innocent_sheep
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