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.
I got an invitation from a girl I used to know back home
It was an invitation asking me to telephone
She said, it's getting lonely here
And I've been gone for close a year
I took the first flight out to meet the girl I used to know back home
She met me off the flight, a million dollars in her long red gown
With a man in a black hat just to drive us back to town
Now the faces all look the same
And all the places have the same old names
But in a year you've changed just like the girl I used to know back home
Yes, in a year you've changed just like the girl I used to know back home
Maybe it's true that I go on and on and on
Maybe it's true that I'm the lonely one alone
What can I say to you, what can I say to you?
Yes, in a year you've changed just like the girl I used to know back home
It took another year before I started getting itchy toes
And then I had to leave, but that's the way the story goes
Well I reckon if she'd made me stay
I'd never live to see another day
I took the first flight out and left the girl I used to know back home
Maybe it's true that I go on and on and on
Maybe it's true that I'm the lonely one alone
What can I say to you, what can I say to you?
I took the first flight out and left the girl I used to know back home
Back home, I left the girl back home
I left the girl back home
I left the girl back home
It was an invitation asking me to telephone
She said, it's getting lonely here
And I've been gone for close a year
I took the first flight out to meet the girl I used to know back home
She met me off the flight, a million dollars in her long red gown
With a man in a black hat just to drive us back to town
Now the faces all look the same
And all the places have the same old names
But in a year you've changed just like the girl I used to know back home
Yes, in a year you've changed just like the girl I used to know back home
Maybe it's true that I go on and on and on
Maybe it's true that I'm the lonely one alone
What can I say to you, what can I say to you?
Yes, in a year you've changed just like the girl I used to know back home
It took another year before I started getting itchy toes
And then I had to leave, but that's the way the story goes
Well I reckon if she'd made me stay
I'd never live to see another day
I took the first flight out and left the girl I used to know back home
Maybe it's true that I go on and on and on
Maybe it's true that I'm the lonely one alone
What can I say to you, what can I say to you?
I took the first flight out and left the girl I used to know back home
Back home, I left the girl back home
I left the girl back home
I left the girl back home
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Invitation Lyrics as written by Gareth Young Cheryl Parker
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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”
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,
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.