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.
You'll never have to hear the word "no"
If you keep all your friends on the payroll
The non-disclosure pages signed
Your secret's safe between those lines
The scaffolding will cheer and console you
But remember what your mother told you
That good help is so hard to find
For people that are so refined
You're trying to turn into the skid
In this never-ending grid
There's a long, slow fade
To a darkened stage
And I hear you say
"Only a fool gives it away"
Only a fool would give
Only a fool gives it away
You said you wanna stake out your claim
High above the city from where you came
Don't you know the air's so thin?
It starves the brain of oxygen
I know it's such a dangerous place
For there are more ascensions than there is space
Angels causing accidents
The camera phones'll document
But if I start to levitate
Pull me down with all your weight
There's a long, slow fade
To a darkened stage
And I hear you say
"Only a fool gives it away"
Only a fool would give
Only a fool gives it away
You're trying to turn into the skid
In this never-ending grid
But you should know it's not ideal
All those hands upon the wheel
There's a long, slow fade
To a darkened stage
And I hear you say
"Only a fool gives it away"
There's a long, slow fade
To a darkened stage
And I hear you say
"Only a fool gives it away"
Only a fool would give
Only a fool would give
Only a fool would give
Only a fool gives this away
If you keep all your friends on the payroll
The non-disclosure pages signed
Your secret's safe between those lines
The scaffolding will cheer and console you
But remember what your mother told you
That good help is so hard to find
For people that are so refined
You're trying to turn into the skid
In this never-ending grid
There's a long, slow fade
To a darkened stage
And I hear you say
"Only a fool gives it away"
Only a fool would give
Only a fool gives it away
You said you wanna stake out your claim
High above the city from where you came
Don't you know the air's so thin?
It starves the brain of oxygen
I know it's such a dangerous place
For there are more ascensions than there is space
Angels causing accidents
The camera phones'll document
But if I start to levitate
Pull me down with all your weight
There's a long, slow fade
To a darkened stage
And I hear you say
"Only a fool gives it away"
Only a fool would give
Only a fool gives it away
You're trying to turn into the skid
In this never-ending grid
But you should know it's not ideal
All those hands upon the wheel
There's a long, slow fade
To a darkened stage
And I hear you say
"Only a fool gives it away"
There's a long, slow fade
To a darkened stage
And I hear you say
"Only a fool gives it away"
Only a fool would give
Only a fool would give
Only a fool would give
Only a fool gives this away
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Really like this song. As it was said, I feel like it's a slap in the face. A great deal of our daily interaction with others is very shallow and empty. So if you're bored and don't want to be alone, you'll have to pay for friends. Figuratively of course, but it's an unspoken rule that you must bring something to the table in your circle of friends.
My immediate reaction to this song was like "ooooooooh" the gauntlet was thrown down, it definitely seemed a little bitter and insulting.
"You'll never have to hear the word "no" If you keep all your friends on the payroll" like snap.
The only thing that makes me question if the song is maybe written as a sort of reminder to himself to stay grounded is the line "But if I start to levitate Pull me down with all your weight" The rest of the song pretty clearly is saying that someone can get wrapped up in los angeles and the high life and start thinking they are untouchable and better than everyone else.
Eg: "High above the city from where you came Don't you know the air's so thin? It starves the brain of oxygen" better get some ice for that burn.
I'm totally open to other interpretations but honestly I'm having a lot of fun imagining him just insulting high and mighty traditional "Los Angeles~~~" People (maybe his ex wife oops)
I heard Ben Gibbard introduce this song on Sirius Alt Nation.
He said that he wrote this song after attending an event with "someone who is really well known by the public". Basically he said that he was at this event and was getting tired of hearing these celeberties say "Oh have you met this person? He is my best friend in the world but he's also my assistant." and he found it to be such an ironic thing to claim, so thats how he came about this song that is ultimately about friendships that actually have more foundation to it (jobs) rather than just the sake of being friends. The person they see to be their best friend is also on their pay roll, which is how the opening line "You'll never have to hear theword "no" If you keep all your friends on the payroll" came to be.
I believe this song is directly talking about our government and all of its efforts to keep us asleep and them in power. The government keeps.it's friends on.the payroll nice and rich so they never have to hear the word no. Non disclosure papers being signed to secure secrecy about many things such as spiritual matters, extraterrestrials and other black budget projects and scams. People Will cheer and console the gov believing their lies. The never ending grid refers to the matrix grid. Not.ideal all hands upon the wheel. Referring to all.those gov.criminals.hands on the wheel of fortune gambling the state of our world out of greed.The long slow fade to the darkened stage refers to the gradual evolution to the point that we are heading to now. The darkend stage is the false show stage that these government actors are playing on. Also the future dark.condition of our world. Stake out your claim false deception, false godlyhood above the city from where you came hinting that some.of these gov actors are not from this planet. You have to be a dumbass to think you can.play the Creator and get away with it. Lack of oxygen in the brain all.these people suffer from their ignorance. Dangerous place more ascension then there is space is true. Dangerous to them because it is beyond their grasp. Think.these people.will ever ascend? Probably not. There is more ascensions, more unseen.forms.of.the soul.and other worlds than there.is space or what we perceive as space. Angels have been helping us for a long time. Causing certain accidents to occur to push us along and to wake us up. People have documented evidence of other beings causing supernatural things to happen to us and this planet. Also lots of extraterrestrial evidence being filmed, such as them disarming nuclear war fair and.other weapons of mass destruction. If I levitate pull me down with all your weight referring.to the extensive efforts that the gov.goes.to keep us from spiritually maturing. You learn.and see much more when you leave the body. You learn and see the truth. They lose power from.this. can't fool those who are awake. Levitation is very much an out of body experience. Only a fool gives this away refers to the government thinking they'd be a fool if they came out with the truth and gave up all their money and power. This song's badass a nice big middle finger to the gov :)