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.
All the way home from Baltimore
We couldn't find a seat
Conductor says he's sorry for
The blisters on our feet
Comes a-riding in a bus
The high and the low
Mommy, daddy, you and I
Going on a trip
And we're not going home
Mommy, daddy, you and I
Driving, keep driving
Driving, driving all night
Sleeping on my daddy's shoulder
Drinking from a paper cup
And I'm wearing my grandfather's clothes
And they say that up North it gets cold
Crawling out of bed one night
Walking in my sleep
We're not the only family
To take this little trip
Driving all the way up
It's thirty below
Mommy, daddy, you and I
Even little kids
Getting ready to go
Mommy, daddy,you and I
Chilly, chilly-willy
It's colder the further we go
Some are born to take advantage
But saying it don't make it so
So hold me and don't let me go
'Cause the sidewalks are covered with snow
He's speaking English now
And he's smoothing out his clothes
He's Mr. Button Down
He's leaving home
Making changes day by day
And we still ain't got no plan
How we gonna make our way
In this foreign land?
Well we'll keep driving, keep driving
Driving with all of our might
Changing, still changing
Changing the water of life
Keep that little man a shining
See how the tail can wag the dog
And we're all riding in this old bus
And the driver is singing to us
And we're wearing out grandfather's clothes
'Cause we heard that up North it gets cold
We couldn't find a seat
Conductor says he's sorry for
The blisters on our feet
Comes a-riding in a bus
The high and the low
Mommy, daddy, you and I
Going on a trip
And we're not going home
Mommy, daddy, you and I
Driving, keep driving
Driving, driving all night
Sleeping on my daddy's shoulder
Drinking from a paper cup
And I'm wearing my grandfather's clothes
And they say that up North it gets cold
Crawling out of bed one night
Walking in my sleep
We're not the only family
To take this little trip
Driving all the way up
It's thirty below
Mommy, daddy, you and I
Even little kids
Getting ready to go
Mommy, daddy,you and I
Chilly, chilly-willy
It's colder the further we go
Some are born to take advantage
But saying it don't make it so
So hold me and don't let me go
'Cause the sidewalks are covered with snow
He's speaking English now
And he's smoothing out his clothes
He's Mr. Button Down
He's leaving home
Making changes day by day
And we still ain't got no plan
How we gonna make our way
In this foreign land?
Well we'll keep driving, keep driving
Driving with all of our might
Changing, still changing
Changing the water of life
Keep that little man a shining
See how the tail can wag the dog
And we're all riding in this old bus
And the driver is singing to us
And we're wearing out grandfather's clothes
'Cause we heard that up North it gets cold
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Mommy Daddy You and I Lyrics as written by David Byrne Chris Frantz
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is one of Byrne's finest koans. I've been trying to figure it out (in the context of the album, Naked, which is definitely a concept album about human nature where songs like "Nature Boy" and "Nothing But Flowers" express different points of view) for about 20 years.
First, the lyrics are from a little boy's point of view, but the music in the verses is sinister. It starts specific "All the way from Baltimore . . ." and gets general: "Crawling out of bed . . . we're not the only family to make this little trip." Cold s a central image. "Chilly Willy". There is obviously immigration, the sense of enforced forward progress through a strange world where we aren't ever going home, such as through a 'normal' lifetime: "Making changes day by day, we still ain't got no plan . . " . And we rely on tradition to help us, because it's a crazty world out there: "some are born to take advantage . . . and we're wearing our grandfather's coat . . . "
I feel it's almost existentialist, where we all need to go but can never know where we're going. "Changing the water of life.". There isn't a song on Naked that isn't a wider metaphor, whether its presented that way explicitly or not. This one is, but it's obscure and the little details throw you off. Now, to see if anyone has any insight on 'Big Daddy' and 'Bill'. This is an album worth figuring out. It's meant to be, but I don't know if a critic has ever risen to the challenge!