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.
Let’s build up tall into the sky
We can sit on those beams and smile
and eat our sandwiches
and smoke cigarettes
Like those boys who built
New York City
No fear of falling,
oh it looks so pretty
Oh look, a funeral.
A carnival.
Sugar.
Sugar, so high, high.
Let’s build all this shit
no-one’s ever gonna buy
When we come round we’ll
blame the sugar high
and act all sheepish,
and kinda sorry-ish
They’ll just sit there like
monuments
Plastic flapping in the wind
Like a flag
So sad
Sugar, so high, high.
Hey Charlie don’t you know Seanie, don’t you know Paddy, don’t you know the Baileys?
Good old boys at the races
In a big tent at the races
He’s a friend of mine, he’s a friend of yours, he’s a friend of ours,
like not so wiseguys
Yeah, not so wiseguys
And they’ll do anything for Sugar.
Sugar, so high, high.
Yeah anything for sugar, sugar so high, high.
Anything, anything
Can’t let go of the good times
Good times. Good times.
Sugar so high.
Sugar, sugar so high.
Free to those who can afford it, to those who can afford it.
Very dear to those who can’t, to those who can't.
Free to those who can afford it, to those who can afford it.
Very dear to those who can’t, to those who can't.
We can sit on those beams and smile
and eat our sandwiches
and smoke cigarettes
Like those boys who built
New York City
No fear of falling,
oh it looks so pretty
Oh look, a funeral.
A carnival.
Sugar.
Sugar, so high, high.
Let’s build all this shit
no-one’s ever gonna buy
When we come round we’ll
blame the sugar high
and act all sheepish,
and kinda sorry-ish
They’ll just sit there like
monuments
Plastic flapping in the wind
Like a flag
So sad
Sugar, so high, high.
Hey Charlie don’t you know Seanie, don’t you know Paddy, don’t you know the Baileys?
Good old boys at the races
In a big tent at the races
He’s a friend of mine, he’s a friend of yours, he’s a friend of ours,
like not so wiseguys
Yeah, not so wiseguys
And they’ll do anything for Sugar.
Sugar, so high, high.
Yeah anything for sugar, sugar so high, high.
Anything, anything
Can’t let go of the good times
Good times. Good times.
Sugar so high.
Sugar, sugar so high.
Free to those who can afford it, to those who can afford it.
Very dear to those who can’t, to those who can't.
Free to those who can afford it, to those who can afford it.
Very dear to those who can’t, to those who can't.
Lyrics submitted by niteflite01
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The lines...
"Hey Charlie don't you know Seanie, don't you know Paddy, don't you know the Baileys? Good old boys at the races In a big tent at the races"
...refer to the now infamous fundraising tent erected by Fianna Fail, an Irish political party, at the Galway races. The tent because the epitome of all that was wrong with corrupt Irish politics. Bankers and property magnates would show up to the tent, caked in bling, surrounded by attractive young women and occasionally even their wives, and get drunk with their elected representatives and regulators. Business and politicians corrupt hand in corrupt hand.
The verse....
"Let's build all this shit no-one's ever gonna buy When we come round we'll blame the sugar high and act all sheepish, and kinda sorry-ish They'll just sit there like monuments Plastic flapping in the wind Like a flag"
....refers to the so-called ghost-estates in Ireland. Built just before the economy went bust, there are now estates of half built, empty homes littering Ireland, monuments to the political and economic decline.
Thanks for the information. very interesting.