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.
(Hey, hey, hey)
I don't like walking around this old and empty house
So hold my hand, I'll walk with you my dear
The stairs creak as you sleep
It's keeping me awake
It's the house telling you to close your eyes
And some days I can't even dress myself
It's killing me to see you this way
'Cause though the truth may vary
This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore
(Hey, hey, hey)
There's an old voice in my head
That's holding me back
Well, tell her that I miss our little talks
Soon it will be over and buried with our past
We used to play outside when we were young
And full of life and full of love
Some days I don't know if I am wrong or right
Your mind is playing tricks on you, my dear
'Cause though the truth may vary
This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore
(Hey)
Don't listen to a word I say
(Hey)
The screams all sound the same
(Hey)
Though the truth may vary
This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore (hey, hey)
You're gone, gone, gone away
I watched you disappear
All that's left is a ghost of you
Now we're torn, torn, torn apart
There's nothing we can do
Just let me go, we'll meet again soon
Now wait, wait, wait for me, please hang around
I'll see you when I fall asleep
(Hey)
Don't listen to a word I say
(Hey)
The screams all sound the same
(Hey)
Though the truth may vary
This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore
Don't listen to a word I say
(Hey)
The screams all sound the same
(Hey)
Though the truth may vary
This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore
Though the truth may vary
This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore
Though the truth may vary
This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore
I don't like walking around this old and empty house
So hold my hand, I'll walk with you my dear
The stairs creak as you sleep
It's keeping me awake
It's the house telling you to close your eyes
And some days I can't even dress myself
It's killing me to see you this way
'Cause though the truth may vary
This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore
(Hey, hey, hey)
There's an old voice in my head
That's holding me back
Well, tell her that I miss our little talks
Soon it will be over and buried with our past
We used to play outside when we were young
And full of life and full of love
Some days I don't know if I am wrong or right
Your mind is playing tricks on you, my dear
'Cause though the truth may vary
This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore
(Hey)
Don't listen to a word I say
(Hey)
The screams all sound the same
(Hey)
Though the truth may vary
This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore (hey, hey)
You're gone, gone, gone away
I watched you disappear
All that's left is a ghost of you
Now we're torn, torn, torn apart
There's nothing we can do
Just let me go, we'll meet again soon
Now wait, wait, wait for me, please hang around
I'll see you when I fall asleep
(Hey)
Don't listen to a word I say
(Hey)
The screams all sound the same
(Hey)
Though the truth may vary
This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore
Don't listen to a word I say
(Hey)
The screams all sound the same
(Hey)
Though the truth may vary
This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore
Though the truth may vary
This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore
Though the truth may vary
This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore
Lyrics submitted by awkbird, edited by Lacksang, fluorine, JMSmusic, yousaf, TacoLover, AllieDeeter, Eldking, s870621345, owenpa, Amasterd20, kenziebear, trucywright, JaWood, HersheySurgeon, JerichoB
Little Talks Lyrics as written by Ragnar Thorhallsson Nanna Bryndis Hilmarsdottir
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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.
Great version of a great song,
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Its a song about an old couple. The women is probably suffering from alzheimer's or a similar disease that has mental side effects. "Some days a can't even dress/trust myself" answer, "its killing me to see you this way" the chorus is refering to either the truth about what this life actually means or the truth in a diseased mind, either one the ship (life) will carry there bodies (not minds) safe together until its over (shore). they begin to sing together when it goes "your gone gone gone away" and then the next five lines because the husband is watching his wife become a ghost of who she was and the wife can hardly recongnize her husband. "Just let me go we'll meet again soon" you dont have to fight to hold on anymore, but "wait wait wait" because there are short periods when she can remember.
the little voice thats holding her back could even be her old self, holder her back from dying because the husband says "tell her that i miss our little talks" and she then says "soon it will all be over buried with our past" this could be a stretch but the song is titled "little talks"
I think if you read and listent o the whole thing again with these ideas they will seem pretty obvious. Or I could be 100% wrong...
Good interpretation :) I had the same idea while I read the lyrics.
Beautiful
@penname I completely agree. My mom died of alzheimer's and this song just reminds me of her disease. You are 100% on the mark. Funny how such a deep, sad topic has become a rocking live favorite.