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.
Wow, wow, wow (2x)
The treacherous streetlights
Call for the blinders
Blurring the dark sides of
The rule of supply and demand
I'll never be street wise
but signs of the times I know
Will reveal themselves in beastly shapes
Shoved inside a container when fifteen
Shipped on board a boat bound for Seville
Recycled by the members of the crew
She ends up on the streets of downtown Oslo
And defiant and proud she stands her ground at night
Somebody will give in
And I don't know how she feels but I know it ain't right
The treacherous streetlights
Call for the blinders
Blurring the dark sides of
The rule of supply and demand
I'll never be street wise
but signs of the times I know
Will reveal themselves in beastly shapes
Swinging hips and smiles from ivory teeth
There is a darker story underneath
And you say, "She sure enough makes this part of town look good, now."
Is it profession or face that appeals the most to you?
And now swallow hard, play the game, get through the night,
Get it on
And now, I don't know how she feels but I know it ain't right
The treacherous streetlights
Call for the blinders
Blurring the dark sides of
The rule of supply and demand
I'll never be street wise
but signs of the times I know
Will reveal themselves in beastly shapes
Wow, wow, wow
The treacherous streetlights
call for the blinders
I'll never be street wise
but signs of the times I know
will reveal themselves in beastly shapes
Beastly shapes
The treacherous streetlights
Call for the blinders
Blurring the dark sides of
The rule of supply and demand
I'll never be street wise
but signs of the times I know
Will reveal themselves in beastly shapes
Shoved inside a container when fifteen
Shipped on board a boat bound for Seville
Recycled by the members of the crew
She ends up on the streets of downtown Oslo
And defiant and proud she stands her ground at night
Somebody will give in
And I don't know how she feels but I know it ain't right
The treacherous streetlights
Call for the blinders
Blurring the dark sides of
The rule of supply and demand
I'll never be street wise
but signs of the times I know
Will reveal themselves in beastly shapes
Swinging hips and smiles from ivory teeth
There is a darker story underneath
And you say, "She sure enough makes this part of town look good, now."
Is it profession or face that appeals the most to you?
And now swallow hard, play the game, get through the night,
Get it on
And now, I don't know how she feels but I know it ain't right
The treacherous streetlights
Call for the blinders
Blurring the dark sides of
The rule of supply and demand
I'll never be street wise
but signs of the times I know
Will reveal themselves in beastly shapes
Wow, wow, wow
The treacherous streetlights
call for the blinders
I'll never be street wise
but signs of the times I know
will reveal themselves in beastly shapes
Beastly shapes
Lyrics submitted by gonzoid
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
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.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
in my opinion, he talks about his teenage years living in Oslo, specifically during the night, the 'she' being Oslo
The song is about a girl from a downtrodden place in Europe, shoved aboard a boat either by her own choice or her family in hopes of reaching a better future, namely Seville, Spain;
"Shoved inside a container when fifteen Shipped on board a boat bound for Seville"
The crew of the ship finds her stowed away, sexually abused by the crew (recycled), and dumped off at the next port which happens to be Oslo;
"Recycled by the members of the crew She ends up on the streets of downtown Oslo"
Now destitute and without a place to call home, she continues to prostitute herself. She does so with a smile, but it most likely is killing her inside;
"And defiant and proud she stands her ground at night And I don't know how she feels but I know it ain't right"
Her story is told through the eye of an Oslo resident empathizing with her story, wishing it wasnt the way she had to live. He wishes she couldn't stand on the street corner at night, being illuminated and sold underneath the streetlights. He knows it doesn't matter though, as there will always be a need for her services;
"The treacherous streetlights call for the blinders glaring the dark sides of the rule of supply and demand I'll never be street wise but signs of the times I know will reveal themselves in beastly shapes"
She is quite beautiful though, and it makes this Oslo resident wonder about how she got to be where she is;
"Swinging hips and smiles from ivory teeth There is a darker story underneath"
Through his eyes, he has to admit that she does look rather tempting and can see how she is at least willing to do her job professionally;
"And you say, "She sure enough makes this part of town look good, now." Is it professional face that appeals the most to you?"
Hang in there, kid;
"And now swallow hard, play the game, get through the night, Get on And now, I don't know how she feels but I know it ain't right"