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.
As water rushes, as sewer grates over-faced. All bloated corpse, all ever-was. As love becomes hated, as light shades to grey. Swelled to envelop all ever-nothing.
All stagnation becomes all too apparent. As horizon forced below. While smiling frown, while laughing weep. As mould grows thickly, silently all around.
As scream becomes whimper, under weight of shroud befouled. All clamour now silence / nature leagues below. Let's see you fight with lungs full of stone! Hope all forgotten, beauty as beast.
All breath to fire / All sustenance to filth, All flesh to rot / All temples to rubble, All toil turns to trouble / All to nothing, ALL HORROR! ALL HORROR!
Faceless, mindless, souls sold all the way out. Heartless, hopeless, ensnared in useless sorrows...
What's the use of all light shining with idiot eyes screwed tight shut? Profane it all, just tell me, what's the use?
If you're going to use those stupid hands to build an ugly pyre, and truss me up there by mob-hoofed force, I'll be wanting more than just a penny. More than just a miserable fucking penny... ...A miserable pox-ridden penny for the guy.
I could hurl a thousand curses, and not one could gift you fair judgement.
So crack out those ten-a-penny lighters, and spark up your miserable flames...
All stagnation becomes all too apparent. As horizon forced below. While smiling frown, while laughing weep. As mould grows thickly, silently all around.
As scream becomes whimper, under weight of shroud befouled. All clamour now silence / nature leagues below. Let's see you fight with lungs full of stone! Hope all forgotten, beauty as beast.
All breath to fire / All sustenance to filth, All flesh to rot / All temples to rubble, All toil turns to trouble / All to nothing, ALL HORROR! ALL HORROR!
Faceless, mindless, souls sold all the way out. Heartless, hopeless, ensnared in useless sorrows...
What's the use of all light shining with idiot eyes screwed tight shut? Profane it all, just tell me, what's the use?
If you're going to use those stupid hands to build an ugly pyre, and truss me up there by mob-hoofed force, I'll be wanting more than just a penny. More than just a miserable fucking penny... ...A miserable pox-ridden penny for the guy.
I could hurl a thousand curses, and not one could gift you fair judgement.
So crack out those ten-a-penny lighters, and spark up your miserable flames...
Lyrics submitted by TheIndestructableD
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
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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,
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.