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.
My brother's blood boils in my arms
It balls my fingers into fists
It bubbles blisters burns my palms
It floods with fury, fights, and fits
It's got the good guy in me hiding
It kicks my humble heart around
It's got me fiendin' for the fire
That could finish off this town
It's got me good
It's my brother's blood on a cherry tree
It stains the bark from branch to root
It puddles thick with pits and leaves
It strains the sweetness from the fruit
It's got me lookin' for communion
A hidin' spot off underground
An open plot I could climb in to
A lighting promise in my mouth
A blackout oath I swore and meant, but couldn't conjure up again
I don't know one thing about my brother's blood
No,I don't know one thing about my brother's blood
It's my brother's blood
In my dirty lungs
In my crooked mouth
On my swollen tongue
On my father's gun
On each stranger's face
Across the bluebird sky
On every hand I shake
Night after night
With each chuckled prayer
Such sweet relief
My fists full of hair
With each desperate drive for elusive peace
With every endless night
With each wasted week
All that dialogue doublin' back on me
All that tangled talk
All my growling need
It's my brother's back
It's my father's arms
It's every twisted fact
In my sorry heart
My sorry heart, my sorry heart
I spit and scream what's done is done
Go make your peace with everyone
They don't need to know about my brother's blood
No they don't need to know about my brother's blood
It balls my fingers into fists
It bubbles blisters burns my palms
It floods with fury, fights, and fits
It's got the good guy in me hiding
It kicks my humble heart around
It's got me fiendin' for the fire
That could finish off this town
It's got me good
It's my brother's blood on a cherry tree
It stains the bark from branch to root
It puddles thick with pits and leaves
It strains the sweetness from the fruit
It's got me lookin' for communion
A hidin' spot off underground
An open plot I could climb in to
A lighting promise in my mouth
A blackout oath I swore and meant, but couldn't conjure up again
I don't know one thing about my brother's blood
No,I don't know one thing about my brother's blood
It's my brother's blood
In my dirty lungs
In my crooked mouth
On my swollen tongue
On my father's gun
On each stranger's face
Across the bluebird sky
On every hand I shake
Night after night
With each chuckled prayer
Such sweet relief
My fists full of hair
With each desperate drive for elusive peace
With every endless night
With each wasted week
All that dialogue doublin' back on me
All that tangled talk
All my growling need
It's my brother's back
It's my father's arms
It's every twisted fact
In my sorry heart
My sorry heart, my sorry heart
I spit and scream what's done is done
Go make your peace with everyone
They don't need to know about my brother's blood
No they don't need to know about my brother's blood
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Kevin talks about the theme of this concept in the interview next to his review in AP. "My Brother's Blood boils in my arms" is a sentiment expressing that "in God's eyes, there's nothing to differentiate me and someone in sub-Saharan Africa than the lottery that I won being born where I was." He goes on to talk about how "fucked up and upside down it is," "when we start putting a value on what lives are worth because of the color of the skin or the class structure in society." The imagery he uses clearly shows his anger in the extremity of difference in our situations. I know personally it really upsets me when I hear of people struggling in other places simply because of "the lottery" Kevin talks about and I think this is him coming to terms with the "fury, fights and fits" it gives him.
This is by far his best work. Aside from the strong message and clear visualizations, take a look at the alliteration and the fact that the majority of the lyrics fit into the pattern for iambic quadrameter. I mean who does that? Really good writers of poetry, that's who. And then he's able to put some killer guitar in there and make the whole thing sound like the most badass song ever. This is why Kevin Devine is a lyrical genius and I hope he's around for a long time to keep making songs like this.
My brother's blood boils in my arms It balls my fingers into fists It bubbles, blisters, burns my palms It floods with fury, fights and fits It's got the good guy in me hiding It kicks my humble heart around It's got me fiending for the fire That could finish off this town. Oh it's got me good
It's my brother's blood on a cherry tree It stains the bark from branch to root It puddles thick with pits and leaves It strains the sweetness from the fruit It's got me looking for communion A hiding spot off underground An open plot I could climb into A lightening promise in my mouth
A blackout oath I swore and meant But couldn't conjure up again I don't know one thing about my brother's blood No Oh I don't know one thing about my brother's blood
It's my brother's blood on my dirty lungs On my crooked mouth On my swollen tongue On my father's gun On each stranger's face Across the bluebird sky On every hand I shake Night after night With each chuckled prayer Such sweet relief My fists full of hair And each desperate drug (drive?) for elusive peace And every endless night and every wasted week All that dialogue Doubling back on me All that tangled talk All mygrowling need It's my brother's back, It's my father's arms It's every twisted fact In my sorry heart My sorry heart, My sorry heart
I spit and scream what's done is done Go make your peace with everyone They don't need to know about my brother's blood. No oh they don't need to know about my brother's blood.
love this.
Amazing song. Great live. Can't wait to hear it live again :)
What a fantastic performer.
I heard this on "The Current".... gotta rep MN. awesome song, went home and bought it the same day. really awesome jam.
Amazing words! but what is the song about? some kind of frustration..I would guess drug addiction
in 2007, i think, maybe 2008? his older brother died from AIDS, shortly before his father passed away. he said in an interview at the debut of album "brothers blood" that this album was a dedication to his late brother and father. saying "you never realize how good you have it, until you got it bad" saying, "i used to be so pessimistic, but now, i see the good in everything i find, im tired of sleeping with sadness in my bones, so i simply decided not to."
youtube.com/watch
this video is AMAZING! please take the time to watch : )
I read that Kevin's brother died from AIDS, and the his memory haunts him. That's what I'm assuming this song is about.
this song is so incredible.
I don't know anything really specific about Kevin's family/history but judging from his songs it seems like he sings a lot about his brother and his influence on him. He sings a lot about his brother's anger, drug abuse, mistakes... like in you'll only end up joining them, he says "my brother michael he went one way, and at the fork i heard him say, don't you follow, don't go making my mistakes." It seems his brother and family in general has had a heavy influence on him. I think everyone has hereditary tendencies that we're not proud of or want to reject but still sometimes get the best of us.
i like that he talks about his personal experience and simultaneously puts it into a much greater context of our society. kevin devine is such a powerful singer and writer. i love that he screams a good portion of this, pouring himself into every perfectly placed word. this song is chilling live. so fucking good.