Dead leaves and the dirty ground
When I know you're not around
Shiny tops and soda pops
When I hear your lips make a sound
When I hear your lips make a sound

Thirty notes in the mailbox
Will tell that I'm coming home
And I think I'm gonna stick around
For a while so you're not alone
For a while so you're not alone

If you can hear a piano fall
You can hear me coming down the hall
If I could just hear your pretty voice
I don't think I need to see at all
I don't think I need to see at all

Soft hair and a velvet tongue
I want to give you what you give to me
And every breath that is in your lungs
Is a tiny little gift to me
Is a tiny little gift to me

I didn't feel so bad 'til the sun went down
Then I come home
No one to wrap my arms around
Wrap my arms around

Well, any man with a microphone
Can tell you what he loves the most
And you know why you love at all
If you're thinking of the holy ghost
If you're thinking of the holy ghost


Lyrics submitted by weezerific:cutlery

Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground Lyrics as written by Jack White

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground song meanings
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130 Comments

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  • +3
    General Comment

    My take on it is that it is about a couple who knows their relationship is over and all the trouble and other people in the video represent all the turmoil going on at home but neither of them want to admit the relationship is over because they both care deeply for one another. That is why all the turmoil and Meg is clear because it's like this tension he knows is there but won't admit to.

    DoorsFanon August 20, 2002   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    Everyone's making this song too complicated. It's not about Meg either, why would he write a song about a divorce four years after the fact? Meg and Jack got married too young as they grew up a little they realized they were better as friends and so they divorced, no sob story at all. This is about someone else.

    Dead leaves and the dirty ground when I know you're not around (It's fall when they break up) shiny tops and soda pops when I hear your lips make a sound (It was summer or spring when together)

    Thirty notes in the mailbox will tell you that I'm coming home (He's been away, possibly on tour and he's been writing her while he's away letting her know that he's coming back) and I think I'm gonna stick around for a while so you're not alone (he's saying he's going to take a break from touring to stay with her for awhile)

    If you can hear a piano fall you can hear me coming down the hall (now he's there, and he realizes somethings up so he's running down the hall, probably screaming her name) if I could just hear your pretty voice I don't think I need to see at all (And if she would just answer him you know a 'Jack, I'm in here' he'd be okay)

    Soft hair and a velvet tongue I want to give you what you give to me and every breath that is in your lungs is a tiny little gift to me (Simple, he's telling her what he loves about her)

    I didn't feel so bad till the sun went down then I come home no one to wrap my arms around (He was alright till nightfall and he had to crawl into the bed all alone)

    Well any man with a microphone can tell you what he loves the most (Saying that any musician, any singer always puts his music before everything) and you don't know your love at all if you're thinking of the holy ghost (saying the same thing, but going deeper on it, saying that if you believe that he loves anything more than singing and performing then you don't know him at all, even if he told you that. Also explaining more why she left him, she felt like he was choosing touring and music over her and got tired of always being by herself while he was gone)

    That's whay I think this song is about. I really don't think it's about Meg, because she didn't leave, they still lived together in his parent's basement after they divorced for awhile, in this song someone left him because they couldn't take him being away so much, and him and Meg didn't have this problem because 1. it was before the band started touring and 2. she's in the frickin band with him, whereever he goes she goes. I swear you find out they were married and suddenly every song is about them

    Shaddixon October 06, 2007   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    God, there aren't enough good things to say about this song. It's so raw and uncut; simply beautiful. My favorite part of the song is," Soft hair and a velvet tongue, I wanna give you what you gave to me" sigh

    faton April 24, 2002   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    This song is so fucking brilliant, I have to swear to show the intensity of how much I love this song. The words are so sweet! So beautiful, I want a guy to say them to me... :)

    carmson September 09, 2002   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    " I didn't feel so bad till the sun went down then I come home no one to wrap my arms around "

    Omg, too tru, too tru... I'm so glad i'm not the only one who feels like this at times, ok with me all of the time, their music is just so on spot I can't believe!

    Horsey_Roseon May 02, 2003   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    This is the only song I almost officially got to cover, but again, somehow, the lobotomy failed

    Heeltoeholeon September 10, 2015   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    'every breath that is in your lungs is a tiny little gift to me' thats my favourite line. the white stripes are so simply enjoyable, their music is truth, innocent, and straightforward. I love the heavy boom-boom beats, they just thud along like nothing I've ever heard. It's amazing that such a small woman could make music like that. I guess you can say that the White Stripes turn covers into exemplary, original peices.

    jimmytheexploderon May 02, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I fucking love this song.

    Pure poetry, everything in it. From the title, to the lyrics, to the raw sound, this song is pure poetry.

    Outernationaliston February 02, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I love this song. I think its the perfect white stripes song. It totally shows what there about. Its raw, honest, queit in places and loud in others, great lyrics, vocals, drums and guitar and its bluesy as hell! Great song.

    Debaser19on June 12, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    "If you can hear a piano fall you can hear me coming down the hall"

    i love it.

    Ignacia_on December 28, 2007   Link

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