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.
One last time.
Why? You change yourself into something different.
Why? You change for no one Else's but the whole worlds.
Expectations.
You dug yourself real deep this time.
So lose the shovel.
You dug yourself real deep this time.
So listen here.
Lean on this crutch or be trampled!
Look back at this filthy world it's what we are left with.
This filthy world, it's what were left with.
Try turning this around.
I just look back at the filthy world, and I bow down.
Cry out.
Love is reflection, painted deep, drowning in your own self-reflections.
Drowning in your own, disconnected reflections.
We're all torn from this.
We're all torn.
Disconnected.
Reflections.
Why? You change yourself into something different.
Why? You change for no one Else's but the whole worlds.
Expectations.
You dug yourself real deep this time.
So lose the shovel.
You dug yourself real deep this time.
So listen here.
Lean on this crutch or be trampled!
Look back at this filthy world it's what we are left with.
This filthy world, it's what were left with.
Try turning this around.
I just look back at the filthy world, and I bow down.
Cry out.
Love is reflection, painted deep, drowning in your own self-reflections.
Drowning in your own, disconnected reflections.
We're all torn from this.
We're all torn.
Disconnected.
Reflections.
Lyrics submitted by Wcopper
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This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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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,
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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.
This is just my analysis, but I'm fairly sure I have it right.
"Why? You change yourself into something different. Why? You change for no one Else's but the whole worlds. Expectations."
These lines are basically saying that you should change based on what you want to be; not what society wants you to be.
"You dug yourself real deep this time. So lose the shovel. You dug yourself real deep this time. So listen here."
This part is adding on to the previous section saying that you're getting yourself stuck by not being who you are. "So lose the shovel" is saying you should stop getting yourself into an even worse situation.
"Lean on this crutch or be trampled!"
I believe this line is describing how a lot of people think the world works. To "lean on this crutch" is to just try to fit in instead of be yourself. To "be trampled" would basically mean to be disliked by others, unpopular, and so on.
"Look back at this filthy world it's what we are left with."
This line is basically telling us to look at the world that we messed up so badly, and that it's all we have.
"Try turning this around."
This line is telling us that trying to make the world a better place is much better than simply giving up and adding to the world's problems.
"I just look back at the filthy world, and I bow down. Cry out."
This line is saying he is disappointed in what he sees in the world.
"Love is reflection, painted deep, drowning in your own self-reflections."
This line is important. It's saying that people will love you for what you already see when you look in the mirror; not what you want to see. "Painted deep" means that it runs deeper than skin; that it's your personality as well that will always shine through. "Drowning in your own self-reflections" means that you are caring too much about how you appear to others.
"We're all torn from this. We're all torn. Disconnected. Reflections."
This is kind of saying that we've derailed from the once unique world that was a supporter of creativity. "Disconnected reflections" symbolizes, again, what doesn't matter when you look in the mirror.
Hope that cleared a few things up!
-Aaron