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.
We can share the women
We can share the wine
We can share what we got of yours
'Cause we done shared all of mine
Keep a-rolling
Just a mile to go
Keep on rolling, my old buddy
You're moving much too slow
I just jumped the watchman
Right outside the fence
Took his ring, four bucks in change
It ain't that heaven-sent?
Hurts my ears to listen
Burns my eyes to see
Cut down a man in cold blood, Shannon
Might as well be me
We used to play for silver
Now we play for life
One's for sport and one's for blood
At the point of a knife
Now the die is shaken
Now the die must fall
There ain't a winner in the game
You don't go home with all
Not with all
Leaving Texas
Fourth day of July
Sun so hot, clouds so low
The eagles filled the sky
Catch the Detroit Lightning out of Santa Fe
Great Northern out of Cheyenne
From sea to shining sea
Gotta get to Tulsa
First train we can ride
Got to settle one old score
One small point of pride
Ain't no place a man can hide, Shannon
We'll keep you from the sun
Ain't no bed will give us rest, man
You keep us on the run
Jack Straw from Wichita
Cut his buddy down
Dug for him a shallow grave
And laid his body down
Half a mile from Tucson
By the morning light
One man gone and another to go
My old buddy you're moving much too slow
We can share the women, we can share the wine
We can share the wine
We can share what we got of yours
'Cause we done shared all of mine
Keep a-rolling
Just a mile to go
Keep on rolling, my old buddy
You're moving much too slow
I just jumped the watchman
Right outside the fence
Took his ring, four bucks in change
It ain't that heaven-sent?
Hurts my ears to listen
Burns my eyes to see
Cut down a man in cold blood, Shannon
Might as well be me
We used to play for silver
Now we play for life
One's for sport and one's for blood
At the point of a knife
Now the die is shaken
Now the die must fall
There ain't a winner in the game
You don't go home with all
Not with all
Leaving Texas
Fourth day of July
Sun so hot, clouds so low
The eagles filled the sky
Catch the Detroit Lightning out of Santa Fe
Great Northern out of Cheyenne
From sea to shining sea
Gotta get to Tulsa
First train we can ride
Got to settle one old score
One small point of pride
Ain't no place a man can hide, Shannon
We'll keep you from the sun
Ain't no bed will give us rest, man
You keep us on the run
Jack Straw from Wichita
Cut his buddy down
Dug for him a shallow grave
And laid his body down
Half a mile from Tucson
By the morning light
One man gone and another to go
My old buddy you're moving much too slow
We can share the women, we can share the wine
Lyrics submitted by itsmyownmind
Jack Straw Lyrics as written by Robert Hall Weir Robert C. Hunter
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Let's see, there are 4 men or persons in this song (5 if you count the man that was robbed at the beginning of the song for his rings and $4.00 in change). There is the narrator, his buddy (who is moving much too slow), the man that was robbed (and possibly murdered by the narrator), Shannon and Jack Straw.
If the man robbed was murdered by the narrator (who says it might have been just as easily him) that leaves 4 people left: The narrator, his "slow buddy", Shannon and Jack Straw.
The narrator next mentions Shannon by saying that she/he keeps them on the run. Considering that they played a card game where the stakes weren't for money but for life instead, it could be surmised that Shannon was the winner of the hand. Or, Shannon could be the narrator's female love interest. Hard to tell. He keeps communicating with him/her.
The next murder occurs when Jack Straw murders his buddy and buries him. Who is Jac Straw's buddy? An unnamed card player at the game? Next, it is said that one man is down and another to go. This would leave now only the Narrator, his "slow buddy", Jack Straw and Shannon (assuming the man robbed was murdered). This leaves 4 people left.
Now, either Jack Straw's buddy that he murdered, was a member of the dangerous card game that was not mentioned before in the song, or Jack Straw IS the narrator who has now killed his buddy that is "moving too slow". Or, Shannon is Jack Straw and has killed the before unmentioned other card player in the game.
If Shannon is Jack Straw who killed the unknown card player then it makes sense as to why the narrator continues with the admonition towards his slow moving buddy to pick up the pace; as they are next (one man down and another to go).
So, in my analysis of this song's potential meaning, the song ends with the narrator and his "slow moving buddy" being pursued by Jack Straw/Shannon who was the winner of the murderous hand in their card game. Of course, I still can't reconcile why the narrator communicates with Shannon twice in the song, but his second reference to Shannon keeping them on the run is damning evidence that Shannon is Jack Straw and is trying to kill the narrator and his slow buddy.
What do you think?
@clayk Note: what if the song is narrated by, not one, but two of the charachters or more? Only because it seems to me that your point on it being either Shannon OR his acquired buddy after the first murder ... there is much to break down, and you did a fine job! Thank you... I do have to say, in addition the the impact of lyrics on our psyche, when I sing this song I feel like an angel. Especially this whole verse: "Leaving Texas Leavin' Texas, fourth day of July,<br /> Sun so hot, the clouds so low, the eagles filled the sky.<br /> Catch the Detroit Lightnin' out of Sante Fe,<br /> The Great Northern out of Cheyenne, from sea to shining sea.<br /> <br /> This verse reminds me of seeing the Dead in Vegas in 94... whew!! 116 degrees, my first show .... mama mama many worlds I've come.<br />