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.
One, two
One, two, three, four
Some love is just a lie of the heart
The cold remains of what began with a passionate start
And they may not want it to end
But it will it's just a question of when
I've lived long enough to have learned
The closer you get to the fire the more you get burned
But that won't happen to us
'Cause it's always been a matter of trust
Now I know you're an emotional girl
It took a lot for you to not lose your faith in this world
But I can't offer you proof
But you're going to face a moment of truth
It's hard when you're always afraid
You just recover when another belief is betrayed
So break my heart if you must
It's a matter of trust
You can't go the distance
With too much resistance
I know you have doubts
But for God's sake don't shut me out
This time you've got nothing to lose
You can take it, you can leave it, whatever you choose
I won't hold back anything
And I'll walk away a fool or a king
Some love is just a lie of the mind
It's make believe until it's only a matter of time
And some might have learned to adjust
But then it never was a matter of trust
I'm sure you're aware love
We've both had our share of
Believing too long
When the whole situation was wrong
Some love is just a lie of the soul
A constant battle for the ultimate state of control
After you've heard lie upon lie
There can hardly be a question of why
Some love is just a lie of the heart
The cold remains of what began with a passionate start
But that can't happen to us
'Cause it's always been a matter of trust
It's a matter of trust
It's always been a matter of trust
It's a matter of trust
'Cause it's always been a matter of trust
One, two, three, four
Some love is just a lie of the heart
The cold remains of what began with a passionate start
And they may not want it to end
But it will it's just a question of when
I've lived long enough to have learned
The closer you get to the fire the more you get burned
But that won't happen to us
'Cause it's always been a matter of trust
Now I know you're an emotional girl
It took a lot for you to not lose your faith in this world
But I can't offer you proof
But you're going to face a moment of truth
It's hard when you're always afraid
You just recover when another belief is betrayed
So break my heart if you must
It's a matter of trust
You can't go the distance
With too much resistance
I know you have doubts
But for God's sake don't shut me out
This time you've got nothing to lose
You can take it, you can leave it, whatever you choose
I won't hold back anything
And I'll walk away a fool or a king
Some love is just a lie of the mind
It's make believe until it's only a matter of time
And some might have learned to adjust
But then it never was a matter of trust
I'm sure you're aware love
We've both had our share of
Believing too long
When the whole situation was wrong
Some love is just a lie of the soul
A constant battle for the ultimate state of control
After you've heard lie upon lie
There can hardly be a question of why
Some love is just a lie of the heart
The cold remains of what began with a passionate start
But that can't happen to us
'Cause it's always been a matter of trust
It's a matter of trust
It's always been a matter of trust
It's a matter of trust
'Cause it's always been a matter of trust
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"'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."
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."
Gentle Hour
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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,
Punchline
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Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
I like all the reviews made before, but I miss one small thing, that the first time I heard this song in 1986 really cracked me up and got all my attention and put me heels over head when I came to know the Billy Joel (much) expected new work: The beginning of the song A MATTER OF TRUST:
"A... one, a... two, a... one two three four...."
I was totally raptured within only five seconds. I was totally won... again. That's mastery. Only the biggest ones can do this. The rest of the song I was so in shock, that even today can't go over that euphorical -whatever- sensation, that those five words in his voice do to me.
A guy is proposing to his girl. He is persuading her to go for it in the face of her fear of getting burned. He argues that the trust they have in each other should be reason enough to "go the distance". One can infer that "the distance" is sex, but I think it is marriage. Trust will outlast all of the other kinds of love he mentions and therefore will give them a strong foundation for a successful marriage.
Billy is talking about the different kind of loves he's seen in here. There are the ones with the fiery beginnings that burn out and such. But he's telling this woman that those aren't him and her, he's saying for them they just can't seem to trust eachother because they've both been hurt before. Especially the girl.
@Good OL MC spot on. We've all been here before - we have difficult trusting people in the present because of whatever's happened in our past.
kay well pretty much hes convincing her to take a risk and trust him even though shes been hurt before and cant trust people anymore. Im like that too you know I cant trust people and it makes it near impossible to have a relationship with someone, nevermind a healthy one. Its really hard. "the closer you get to the fire the more you get burned"...keep in mind that the further away you get the more you get cold
I was raised by music. billy joel mostly. and this song has gotten my through anything. I can apply it to any relationship in my life.
You can't love someone you can't trust, and this is such a great song btw
He's trying to make her see that they've both been there and done that and can (or have) learned from the relationships of the past. If they are open and trust each other it can work this time. She's obviously been hurt a lot and he wants to reassure her. My fave lines: "I won't hold back anything/And I'll walk away a fool or a king."
I'm sure you're aware love We've both had our share of Believing too long When the whole situation was wrong
Some love is just a lie of the soul A constant battle for the ultimate state of control After you've heard lie upon lie There can hardly be a question of why Some love is just a lie of the heart The cold remains of what began with a passionate start But that can't happen to us Because it's always been a matter of trust
Love to know what you're up to .... What? You know what ...
a true song about being in love many times, and finally finding the "right one"
this is one of billy joel's best! i love this song and the above poster said i can relate it to almost any relationship in my life. i felt like he was talking to me with this verse:
I know you're an emotional girl It took a lot for you to not lose your faith in this world I can't offer you proof But you're gonna face a moment of truth It's hard when you're always afraid You just recover when another belief is betrayed So break my heart if you must It's a matter of trust