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.
Me and Javi
Shouted slogans in Spanish
Like it was our world to win
Then they moved the plant
Down to Ojeda
Time to bite your tongue again
I've seen the fabled city
And its streets are paved with gold
But an iron fence runs 'round it
And its iron gate is closed
What ain't right ain't right
He told me
But something else passed behind his eyes
Now he's downtown on his knees
Washing floors for somebody
And quietly biding his time
I've seen the fabled city
And its streets are paved with gold
But an iron fence runs round it
And its iron gate is closed
At the gas station
On Sunset and Crescent
I met an angel sad and old
She lived in the alley
Behind the market
In the shadows maybe hidden from the Lord
And for a dollar
She sang a song
That sounded more like a prayer
A wish that her dead mother and father
Couldn't look down and see her there
I've seen the fabled city
And its streets are paved with gold
But an iron fence runs round it
And its iron gate is closed
On the wire outside my window
There sit 100 swallows
And I suspect that if one flew
The 99 would follow
Shouted slogans in Spanish
Like it was our world to win
Then they moved the plant
Down to Ojeda
Time to bite your tongue again
I've seen the fabled city
And its streets are paved with gold
But an iron fence runs 'round it
And its iron gate is closed
What ain't right ain't right
He told me
But something else passed behind his eyes
Now he's downtown on his knees
Washing floors for somebody
And quietly biding his time
I've seen the fabled city
And its streets are paved with gold
But an iron fence runs round it
And its iron gate is closed
At the gas station
On Sunset and Crescent
I met an angel sad and old
She lived in the alley
Behind the market
In the shadows maybe hidden from the Lord
And for a dollar
She sang a song
That sounded more like a prayer
A wish that her dead mother and father
Couldn't look down and see her there
I've seen the fabled city
And its streets are paved with gold
But an iron fence runs round it
And its iron gate is closed
On the wire outside my window
There sit 100 swallows
And I suspect that if one flew
The 99 would follow
Lyrics submitted by ZDLR my idol!
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I believe that the opening is definitely a reference to outsourcing. The next verse I believe has something to do with racism and immigration as many people don't understand that immigrants are not useless. Why would he use the javier? there are plenty of other names that he could have used in place of it. But Javier makes sense because its a spanish name, and the typical spanish stereotype is that they are maids and cleaning services. It can also be a statement on how people want to close immigration and have racist thoughts because they feel that immigrants are only good for their stereotypes and can not advance in society. However Javier is willing to do what it takes to work and make his money, perhaps he has a family. The next verse I feel is about how the wall street criminals crashed the economy and she may have been one of them and she lost everything and she is ashamed of all the crimes she committed as a worker on wall street. The final verse is about how mainstream Americans (the 99 swallows) will follow the top 1% (the one swallow that flew) no matter what they do because they lead the economy. As for the chorus I believe the fabled city refers to New York and how great of city it is and how great the people are and how Wall Street (the iron fence) brings it down, although in addition it can be believed that the fabled city is a better america and corporate america and our government bring it down.