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.
We didn't come out of nowhere
whether we belive that we're bound to end up there,
along the way we keep an eye
on passengers and passers-by,
on road blocks and on one way streets.
I had the chance of a lifetime.
Whether I believe that the course set is all mine,
I've got an atlas I can hold,
I've got a road map you can fold,
I've got a station we can change
but the world we live in isn't giving anything for free
unless we think it should be.
A lesson learned of you and you and you and me.
One more stop for the tour guide
to buy a souvenier that matches the inside
to get a look at those who paid to see what somebody else made
to hear what somebody else said before
and one more drink for the driver
who always kind of hoped he would be a survivor.
And so what better way to learn than first to crash but not to burn,
to back up traffic on Route 1981?
But the ice we're skating won't be waiting for another night
as cold as this one
or a warm sun.
A lesson learned of you and you and everyone.
But it's not the height or weight that has been sinking
arks or breaking covenants,
it's crossing over solid yellow lines,
it's failing to make the worst of worst times.
I always thought I would find you
if I just looked up and saw I was behind you.
I'd let your brakelights be my guide,
let someone else give me a ride
or lose my words and have to start again, so
We didn't come out of nowhere.
Whether we believe that we have to be somewhere,
we know that nowhere feels the same once there's a place put to a name,
a TV dinner in the living room.
I stayed in bed until I lost my head and then I went outside
and walked around while the rain fell down.
A lesson learned of you and you and everyone who stuck around
to know that all we want is something better,
but all we need is food and shelter.
Everything falls under one of those.
It's just one of those things that everybody knows.
But it doesn't stop them.
Why would it? Why?
Is there any way this could be mine,
everything on this street but the stop sign?
whether we belive that we're bound to end up there,
along the way we keep an eye
on passengers and passers-by,
on road blocks and on one way streets.
I had the chance of a lifetime.
Whether I believe that the course set is all mine,
I've got an atlas I can hold,
I've got a road map you can fold,
I've got a station we can change
but the world we live in isn't giving anything for free
unless we think it should be.
A lesson learned of you and you and you and me.
One more stop for the tour guide
to buy a souvenier that matches the inside
to get a look at those who paid to see what somebody else made
to hear what somebody else said before
and one more drink for the driver
who always kind of hoped he would be a survivor.
And so what better way to learn than first to crash but not to burn,
to back up traffic on Route 1981?
But the ice we're skating won't be waiting for another night
as cold as this one
or a warm sun.
A lesson learned of you and you and everyone.
But it's not the height or weight that has been sinking
arks or breaking covenants,
it's crossing over solid yellow lines,
it's failing to make the worst of worst times.
I always thought I would find you
if I just looked up and saw I was behind you.
I'd let your brakelights be my guide,
let someone else give me a ride
or lose my words and have to start again, so
We didn't come out of nowhere.
Whether we believe that we have to be somewhere,
we know that nowhere feels the same once there's a place put to a name,
a TV dinner in the living room.
I stayed in bed until I lost my head and then I went outside
and walked around while the rain fell down.
A lesson learned of you and you and everyone who stuck around
to know that all we want is something better,
but all we need is food and shelter.
Everything falls under one of those.
It's just one of those things that everybody knows.
But it doesn't stop them.
Why would it? Why?
Is there any way this could be mine,
everything on this street but the stop sign?
Lyrics submitted by DakotaFloyd
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