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.
[Intro: Tonya Combs (Solillaquists of Sound)]
See it coming anyday
People fed up on the way
Beaten, hungry and inspired
It's some safe and it won't take
Can't be 'fraid of pent up power
When there's problem tell me how
Millions suffering, why?
So the rich can sleep tonight
So the rich can sleep tonight
So our rich can sleep
[Verse 1: Sole]
We are, yeah I said it we are
Fucked as a nation
Bring the Vaseline out
Still under siege now
Without black helicopters in my eyes
You see they got black bags under them
And my girls are brown birds
Surveyin' the wreckage and
If you know what's real
Better go get solar panels then
This is so familiar
Like when the Iron Curtain fell
America is too big
Man who need a Bible Belt?
50-something states man we need to get back
Federal government has gotten too fat
With these rednecks on my back I can't come-up
They keepin' us down while the deficit get run up
Hold up, slow up
[Chorus: Tonya]
They play games but don't play fair
I break the rules but just get stared
For standing out is foulest thing
Running up against their greed
Our success is still within
Reaching keep on listenin'
For the march is in your mind
Chanting 'rich can't sleep tonight'
Chanting 'rich can't sleep tonight'
[Verse 2: Sole]
We are, yeah I tell ya we are
Decadent like Romans
Who's the new Caesar?
(?) should be the Green Caesar
Put a head where feet are
Tired of gettin' peed on
Peace gone
Uh, there ain't nobody safe as we all
Bankers are, please, why don't you pay us
They're on FOX screaming
'Fuck the third world, they jealous'
You goin' bankrupt on your surgery
While steady thumpin' Bibles
Yeah, Wall Street ate the whole cake
We should round 'em up
And put their bodies in a mass grave
Damn, my whole team got jobs
So we all crumbsnatchin'
Like millionaire broads
[Chorus: Tonya]
They play games but don't play fair
I break the rules but just get stared
For standing out is foulest thing
Running up against their greed
Our success is still within
Preaching, keep on listenin'
For the march is in your mind
Chanting "rich can't sleep tonight"
Chanting "rich can't sleep tonight"
[Verse 3: Swamburger]
Yo, yo, it's shady how some can note the light that Joe Blow
The cockblocks with the Joe who's about to blow
Rip up apologies, sorry brought the low blow
I was blowin' off steam, please no homo
No room for escorts, respect my effort
This the right that everybody ask for
It's the vast light, many when a class starts
Who you think I'm talkin' 'bout
Do I have to ask y'all?
Cause sometimes the public stays fronting
Give 'em all of you and all they understand is one thing
You could spend a good amount of time with your one thing
Only good will come is when you sell it out for one thing
We got a system that'll hang you from a G-string
Where most cops uh, give beatings
And it do sting, more than bee stings
Every nigga treated like they in the precinct
We gave 'er lots of drama acting for a new swing
I'm just tryna change directions of the mood see
(?) blocks day, we need to try some new schemes
Have you ever cut the puppet from his two strings?
Words that slay, maybe he's real
Is that a chain (what?) or just a cheap bail?
You trippin' if you believe you stealin' these meals
Feelin' like you hungry huh, now you know how we feel
[Outro: Tonya]
So the rich can sleep tonight
See it coming anyday
People fed up on the way
Beaten, hungry and inspired
It's some safe and it won't take
Can't be 'fraid of pent up power
When there's problem tell me how
Millions suffering, why?
So the rich can sleep tonight
So the rich can sleep tonight
So our rich can sleep
[Verse 1: Sole]
We are, yeah I said it we are
Fucked as a nation
Bring the Vaseline out
Still under siege now
Without black helicopters in my eyes
You see they got black bags under them
And my girls are brown birds
Surveyin' the wreckage and
If you know what's real
Better go get solar panels then
This is so familiar
Like when the Iron Curtain fell
America is too big
Man who need a Bible Belt?
50-something states man we need to get back
Federal government has gotten too fat
With these rednecks on my back I can't come-up
They keepin' us down while the deficit get run up
Hold up, slow up
[Chorus: Tonya]
They play games but don't play fair
I break the rules but just get stared
For standing out is foulest thing
Running up against their greed
Our success is still within
Reaching keep on listenin'
For the march is in your mind
Chanting 'rich can't sleep tonight'
Chanting 'rich can't sleep tonight'
[Verse 2: Sole]
We are, yeah I tell ya we are
Decadent like Romans
Who's the new Caesar?
(?) should be the Green Caesar
Put a head where feet are
Tired of gettin' peed on
Peace gone
Uh, there ain't nobody safe as we all
Bankers are, please, why don't you pay us
They're on FOX screaming
'Fuck the third world, they jealous'
You goin' bankrupt on your surgery
While steady thumpin' Bibles
Yeah, Wall Street ate the whole cake
We should round 'em up
And put their bodies in a mass grave
Damn, my whole team got jobs
So we all crumbsnatchin'
Like millionaire broads
[Chorus: Tonya]
They play games but don't play fair
I break the rules but just get stared
For standing out is foulest thing
Running up against their greed
Our success is still within
Preaching, keep on listenin'
For the march is in your mind
Chanting "rich can't sleep tonight"
Chanting "rich can't sleep tonight"
[Verse 3: Swamburger]
Yo, yo, it's shady how some can note the light that Joe Blow
The cockblocks with the Joe who's about to blow
Rip up apologies, sorry brought the low blow
I was blowin' off steam, please no homo
No room for escorts, respect my effort
This the right that everybody ask for
It's the vast light, many when a class starts
Who you think I'm talkin' 'bout
Do I have to ask y'all?
Cause sometimes the public stays fronting
Give 'em all of you and all they understand is one thing
You could spend a good amount of time with your one thing
Only good will come is when you sell it out for one thing
We got a system that'll hang you from a G-string
Where most cops uh, give beatings
And it do sting, more than bee stings
Every nigga treated like they in the precinct
We gave 'er lots of drama acting for a new swing
I'm just tryna change directions of the mood see
(?) blocks day, we need to try some new schemes
Have you ever cut the puppet from his two strings?
Words that slay, maybe he's real
Is that a chain (what?) or just a cheap bail?
You trippin' if you believe you stealin' these meals
Feelin' like you hungry huh, now you know how we feel
[Outro: Tonya]
So the rich can sleep tonight
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
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