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.
Hello stranger,
Can you tell us where you've been?
More importantly,
How ever did you come to be here?
Though a stranger,
You can rest here for a while.
But save your energy,
Your journey here is far from over.
Come the sunrise,
We'll descend through Judgment Valley
And weigh your worth
Before her majesty, the Verde River.
No direction but to follow what you know,
No direction but a faith in her decision,
No direction but to never fight her flow,
No direction but to trust the final destination.
You're a stranger til she whispers you can stay.
You're a stranger til she whispers that your journey's over.
Weigh your worth before her majesty, the Verde River.
Weigh your worth before her majesty, the Verde River.
Weigh your worth before her majesty, the Verde River.
Weigh your worth before her majesty, the Verde River.
No direction but to follow what you know,
No direction but a faith in her decision,
No direction but to never fight her flow,
No direction but to trust the final destination.
You're a stranger til she whispers you can stay.
You're a stranger til she whispers that your journey's over.
Weigh your worth before her majesty, the Verde River.
Weigh your worth before her majesty, the Verde River.
Weigh your worth before her majesty, the Verde River.
Weigh your worth before her majesty, the Verde River.
Can you tell us where you've been?
More importantly,
How ever did you come to be here?
Though a stranger,
You can rest here for a while.
But save your energy,
Your journey here is far from over.
Come the sunrise,
We'll descend through Judgment Valley
And weigh your worth
Before her majesty, the Verde River.
No direction but to follow what you know,
No direction but a faith in her decision,
No direction but to never fight her flow,
No direction but to trust the final destination.
You're a stranger til she whispers you can stay.
You're a stranger til she whispers that your journey's over.
Weigh your worth before her majesty, the Verde River.
Weigh your worth before her majesty, the Verde River.
Weigh your worth before her majesty, the Verde River.
Weigh your worth before her majesty, the Verde River.
No direction but to follow what you know,
No direction but a faith in her decision,
No direction but to never fight her flow,
No direction but to trust the final destination.
You're a stranger til she whispers you can stay.
You're a stranger til she whispers that your journey's over.
Weigh your worth before her majesty, the Verde River.
Weigh your worth before her majesty, the Verde River.
Weigh your worth before her majesty, the Verde River.
Weigh your worth before her majesty, the Verde River.
Lyrics submitted by mywitheredeye
The Green Valley Lyrics as written by Josh Eustis Carina Round
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Downtown Music Publishing
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
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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.
I think the album tells a based around a story of an individual's life, starting before birth, and ending after death. Green Valley and Oceans are key to this interpretation.
Green Valley takes place just before birth - The symbolism of the river represents the flow of life. This is a common metaphor in many spiritual traditions. Interestingly, the "River of Life" is mentioned in the bible at Rev 22:1, very close to the Rev 22:20 that was the title of another Puscifer song. ("Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb")
Guatama Buddha also said "Life is a river, always flowing". It is a large part of Buddhist and Taoist thought to never fight the flow of life.
Anyway, on to the song - as I see it, this song is some sort of pre-birth chat with the individual about to be born.
"Hello stranger can you tell us where you've been? More importantly however did you come to be here? Though a stranger you can rest here for awhile"
The traveler has been on a journey before this, and has arrived at a waystation of some sort before launching into life. Interestingly, it is repeated that he is a stranger throughout the album, until Oceans where the traveler is greeted as Sister or Brother.
"But save your energy your journey here is far from over Come the sunrise we'll descend through judgement valley And weigh your worth before her majesty the Verde River"
Save your energy, because this life is not easy. In the morning, you will start and it will be a challenge. We will see if you are up to it.
"No direction but to follow what you know No direction but have faith in her decision No direction but to never fight her flow No direction but to trust the final destination"
It is very common in eastern traditions, such as Taoism, to never fight against the flow of life. Accept things and move with them. Fighting the flow of life will lead to suffering. Words like Faith and Trust are important - Flow with life, and don't worry - have faith that it will work out. It's all that you can do.
"You're a stranger 'till she whispers "you can stay" You're a stranger 'till she whispers that your journey's over"
Not entirely sure on this part, but I think this essentially means he/she is a stranger throughout all of life. Then in Oceans, the traveler is welcomed as a Brother or Sister, and finally told that the journey's over.
The songs between this song and Oceans are various experiences the traveler has during life. When the river comes to its end, it flows out into the Ocean (aha!), and the difficult journey is over - the traveler can finally rest.
Oceans is the moment after death...I'll post about that on the page for that song, my favorite on the album.