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.
What if the world was split in two
Cut between the reds and the white and blue
And all Americans were thus denied
All rights to travel to the other side
Tell me where you'd want to see the most of all
Roman Colosseum or the Berlin Wall
Some little village or some cafe
Westminster Abbey or Champs-Élysées
It'd be the giddy up
It'd be the live it up
It'd be the pick me up
Of dancin' at the Bains-Douches
I couldn't give it up
I wanna get it up
I wanna live it up
And go dancin' at the Bains-Douches
What if the world would self-divide
Right when you were groovin' on the other side
And Americans were all forewarned --
Less than a week and you must all be gone
Tell me what it is you wanna see the most
Piccadilly Circus or The Holy Ghost
Ol' Mount Olympus or King Tut's Tomb
The Taj Mahal or the grove of Bohème[?]
It'd be the giddy up
It'd be the live it up
It'd be the pick me up
Of dancin' at the Bains-Douches
I'd wanna giddy up
I couldn't give it up
I'd want to live it up
And go dancin' at the Bains-Douches
I betcha my life
There'd be no violence there
There'd be loads of nationalities
Lots of atmosphere
Ah, get up
Ah, get up!
What if the world would come undone
Block out the glory of a foreign sun
All Americans put in a squeeze
Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea
Tell me where you wanna be at curtain time
Somewhere in the Alps or along the Rhine
Banging in the halls of the Parthenon
Banging in the ball near the Bardhaman
I'd gonna get it up
I'd wanna live it up
I'd wanna spiffy up
And go dancin' at the Bains-Douches
I couldn't give it up
It's such a giddy-up
It's such a pick-me up
Dancin' at the Bains-Douches
I bet'cha my life
There'd be no violence there
There'd be loads of nationalities
Lots of atmosphere
Ah, get up
I wanna live it up
I wanna do it up
Dancin' at the Bains-Douches
I couldn't give it up
It's such a pick-me up
I wanna get it up
And go dancin' at the Bains-Douches
I wanna get it up
I wanna live it up
I couldn't give it up
Dancin' at the Bains-Douches
Foreign Life!
I couldn't give it up
I wanna get it up
I wanna live it up
And go dancin' at the Bains-Douches
I'd want the giddy up
I want to live it up
I want the pick-me up
Go dancin' at the Bains-Douches
Cut between the reds and the white and blue
And all Americans were thus denied
All rights to travel to the other side
Tell me where you'd want to see the most of all
Roman Colosseum or the Berlin Wall
Some little village or some cafe
Westminster Abbey or Champs-Élysées
It'd be the giddy up
It'd be the live it up
It'd be the pick me up
Of dancin' at the Bains-Douches
I couldn't give it up
I wanna get it up
I wanna live it up
And go dancin' at the Bains-Douches
What if the world would self-divide
Right when you were groovin' on the other side
And Americans were all forewarned --
Less than a week and you must all be gone
Tell me what it is you wanna see the most
Piccadilly Circus or The Holy Ghost
Ol' Mount Olympus or King Tut's Tomb
The Taj Mahal or the grove of Bohème[?]
It'd be the giddy up
It'd be the live it up
It'd be the pick me up
Of dancin' at the Bains-Douches
I'd wanna giddy up
I couldn't give it up
I'd want to live it up
And go dancin' at the Bains-Douches
I betcha my life
There'd be no violence there
There'd be loads of nationalities
Lots of atmosphere
Ah, get up
Ah, get up!
What if the world would come undone
Block out the glory of a foreign sun
All Americans put in a squeeze
Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea
Tell me where you wanna be at curtain time
Somewhere in the Alps or along the Rhine
Banging in the halls of the Parthenon
Banging in the ball near the Bardhaman
I'd gonna get it up
I'd wanna live it up
I'd wanna spiffy up
And go dancin' at the Bains-Douches
I couldn't give it up
It's such a giddy-up
It's such a pick-me up
Dancin' at the Bains-Douches
I bet'cha my life
There'd be no violence there
There'd be loads of nationalities
Lots of atmosphere
Ah, get up
I wanna live it up
I wanna do it up
Dancin' at the Bains-Douches
I couldn't give it up
It's such a pick-me up
I wanna get it up
And go dancin' at the Bains-Douches
I wanna get it up
I wanna live it up
I couldn't give it up
Dancin' at the Bains-Douches
Foreign Life!
I couldn't give it up
I wanna get it up
I wanna live it up
And go dancin' at the Bains-Douches
I'd want the giddy up
I want to live it up
I want the pick-me up
Go dancin' at the Bains-Douches
Lyrics submitted by Scom
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