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.
Said that I'm afraid to die
with a pitchfork ready
And a man who sits up high
And I can hear the fire
I'm a dead dog sinner
And a man too scared to try
And you're too close to call
I would sell my mother
For the chance to hear you talk
And oh no, I tried
And I tried
What if you could see my skin
Would you burn me moving
Would you make a match out of my head
What if you could touch my hand
Through the deep sweat sweating
For a guilty, guilty man
What if you could see my heart
Would you say, "Oh brother
you're the reason that we still all fall
and the reason that we still look starved"
And oh no, I tried
I tried
(x7)
with a pitchfork ready
And a man who sits up high
And I can hear the fire
I'm a dead dog sinner
And a man too scared to try
And you're too close to call
I would sell my mother
For the chance to hear you talk
And oh no, I tried
And I tried
What if you could see my skin
Would you burn me moving
Would you make a match out of my head
What if you could touch my hand
Through the deep sweat sweating
For a guilty, guilty man
What if you could see my heart
Would you say, "Oh brother
you're the reason that we still all fall
and the reason that we still look starved"
And oh no, I tried
I tried
(x7)
Lyrics submitted by YourFavWeapon83, edited by ywmymuse, Jimbo454, hannah1101
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i'm really curious about the line in question still, because really, i think all of the possible words could make sense, other than 'money'. you don't sell money, you give it away. and it just sounds nothing like the word money.
"I would sell my martyr" - like selling out or offering up his martyr. makes sense, but andy is very religious and i don't know if he'd say something like that
"I would sell my mutter" - he's a musician, so selling his 'mutter' is selling his voice, his way of expressing himself, his livelihood.
"I would sell my mother" - i honestly thought this was what he was saying for a long time. i assumed the h sound was missing because of andy's accent when singing? selling one's mother is considered generally a pretty serious thing i suppose, like someone else said, its like swearing on 'your mother's grave', but obviously andy's mother is still alive, so..
because i've wondered about the meaning for so long, it kind of took on all three meanings to me. which i like a bit more than just one word, one meaning. art is all about perception, and only andy can say for sure what the line is
beautiful song, regardless. ragc! never ceases to amaze me
I think he says "What if you could touch my HAND".
is it really "i would sell my murder for the chance to hear you talk"? because, it just doesn't sound like murder at all.... every other website says it's money, which it's definitely not...hm.
I'm almost sure it's martyr.
i could have sworn it was "mother" with an accent? like "i swear on my mother's grave" type thing.
I think its "I would sell my mutter for the chance to hear you talk" because he doesn't want to talk anyway . And why would it be mother? He never mentions her.
I'm a dead dog sinner And man too scared to try
And you're too close to call I would sell my mutter for the chance to hear you talk
I would sell my mother for the chance to hear you talk that's what I hear
I feel like this is from the brother's aspect. Mostly because he feels guilty, and he's glorifying his brother:
"What if you could touch my hand Through the deep sweat sweating For a guilty, guilty man
What if you could see my heart Would you say oh brother You're the reason that we still don't fall and the reason that we still don't starve"
I could be misinterpreting it though.
I'm with MunkeyNerd on this one; I think this is from the perspective of the brother. Trying to get the Sailor to see that he is full of guilt, and that he "tried" to control himself; begging his brother to let him live.
it's "i would sell my MUTTER for the chance to hear you talk" duhhhhh