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.
Piano
We’ve been in these woods
Since i don’t know when
Now my axe is blunt
Though there’s nothing cut
If you want me to
I will show you
Where to go to
In these woods
It’s been wonderfull
Like a struggle should
I’ve got no bitter thoughts
Yes my stay’s been good
We’ll go barefoot
Alien blisters from walking to rome
Give me my tongue back
I’ll wipe off the dirt of your songs
Soprano
Organ
Drums
Guitar
We spent a lot of time
In a hallow heartache
Breading in the pine
With a pile of footage
But there came a day
When i shook my head
Like a wind-up toy
Shiny cherry red
We grew up in woods
Defining
What broke down in woods
By denying
Either dusk or dawn
On my shoestrings
All the rabbits hung in a cold rain
Heaven of the sorry kind
Wisdom from a runner’s mind
We fell down in woods
As united doves
Lumberjacks in mist
Warming up to stoves
If i weren’t a wood
I would wrap you in with drifting wood
I’d take you down like a river would
We grew up like trees
Leaving shades behind
Cruising noman’s land
We were weak plants
If you want me to
I will hold you
I will rock you
In these woods of mine
We’ve been in these woods
Since i don’t know when
Now my axe is blunt
Though there’s nothing cut
If you want me to
I will show you
Where to go to
In these woods
It’s been wonderfull
Like a struggle should
I’ve got no bitter thoughts
Yes my stay’s been good
We’ll go barefoot
Alien blisters from walking to rome
Give me my tongue back
I’ll wipe off the dirt of your songs
Soprano
Organ
Drums
Guitar
We spent a lot of time
In a hallow heartache
Breading in the pine
With a pile of footage
But there came a day
When i shook my head
Like a wind-up toy
Shiny cherry red
We grew up in woods
Defining
What broke down in woods
By denying
Either dusk or dawn
On my shoestrings
All the rabbits hung in a cold rain
Heaven of the sorry kind
Wisdom from a runner’s mind
We fell down in woods
As united doves
Lumberjacks in mist
Warming up to stoves
If i weren’t a wood
I would wrap you in with drifting wood
I’d take you down like a river would
We grew up like trees
Leaving shades behind
Cruising noman’s land
We were weak plants
If you want me to
I will hold you
I will rock you
In these woods of mine
Lyrics submitted by SurfingOnSinewaves
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
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