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.
As the congregation grows
The lung of solitude deflates
To my ears the greatest sin
Feel a bit like Beethoven
Simultaneous they speak unbeknownst
Exiled to the inner voice, difference is
He had no choice
We can't seem to find the air
To get our message through your heads
Poor respiration is sure
To keep clear communication obscure
As if I should care
As if (as if) you are listening (listening) out there (out here)
The louder you speak the more I can hear
The less I can understand
Pound on it, pound it in
To my ears the greatest sin
Feel a bit like Beethoven
Paint my lungs so silently
The darkest color of your noise
A crowd will contradict its own audibility
Can't hear the dialogue for the voice
No one is listening
Yet ears are ringing
Ears are ringing, ears are ringing
Ears are ringing, ears are ringing
Ears are ringing, ears are ringing
Ears are ringing, ears are ringing
In the morning I will see
What you were trying to say to me
As I respond into the sink
Need not again hear myself think
Ears are ringing, ears are ringing
Ears are ringing, ears are ringing
Ears are ringing, ears are ringing
Ears are ringing, ears are ringing
Wax within my ears has grown
Just like the snot inside my nose
My interpretation of distorted conversation
I will kill for isolation
Sacrifice the energy
To enjoy the breath of silence
When the blood comes naturally
I have chosen to plug my nose
Before the threshold of pain has grown
Mole out from society
Survive off my soliloquy
Removed I can speak as he, he, he has
Bleeding from nose, throat and ears
"I'm gonna get a cup of coffee"
"Most, most folks, most, most folks, uh"
"Most, mo-most fol-, most folks"
"Alright once again"
"Uh most, most folks have heard about"
"Alright that's good, good very nice"
"That's why folks call it fi-, that's why folks call it finger lickin'"
"Sounds good"
"That's why folks call it, call it, that's, oh wait, that's, that's why"
"That's why folks call it fi-, that's why folks call it"
"That's it"
"That's why folks call it"
"I'm not gettin' anywhere with this damn thing"
"Okay, fine"
The lung of solitude deflates
To my ears the greatest sin
Feel a bit like Beethoven
Simultaneous they speak unbeknownst
Exiled to the inner voice, difference is
He had no choice
We can't seem to find the air
To get our message through your heads
Poor respiration is sure
To keep clear communication obscure
As if I should care
As if (as if) you are listening (listening) out there (out here)
The louder you speak the more I can hear
The less I can understand
Pound on it, pound it in
To my ears the greatest sin
Feel a bit like Beethoven
Paint my lungs so silently
The darkest color of your noise
A crowd will contradict its own audibility
Can't hear the dialogue for the voice
No one is listening
Yet ears are ringing
Ears are ringing, ears are ringing
Ears are ringing, ears are ringing
Ears are ringing, ears are ringing
Ears are ringing, ears are ringing
In the morning I will see
What you were trying to say to me
As I respond into the sink
Need not again hear myself think
Ears are ringing, ears are ringing
Ears are ringing, ears are ringing
Ears are ringing, ears are ringing
Ears are ringing, ears are ringing
Wax within my ears has grown
Just like the snot inside my nose
My interpretation of distorted conversation
I will kill for isolation
Sacrifice the energy
To enjoy the breath of silence
When the blood comes naturally
I have chosen to plug my nose
Before the threshold of pain has grown
Mole out from society
Survive off my soliloquy
Removed I can speak as he, he, he has
Bleeding from nose, throat and ears
"I'm gonna get a cup of coffee"
"Most, most folks, most, most folks, uh"
"Most, mo-most fol-, most folks"
"Alright once again"
"Uh most, most folks have heard about"
"Alright that's good, good very nice"
"That's why folks call it fi-, that's why folks call it finger lickin'"
"Sounds good"
"That's why folks call it, call it, that's, oh wait, that's, that's why"
"That's why folks call it fi-, that's why folks call it"
"That's it"
"That's why folks call it"
"I'm not gettin' anywhere with this damn thing"
"Okay, fine"
Lyrics submitted by Fear_Of_Mole_Rats, edited by JulesGatz
Slowly Growing Deaf Lyrics as written by Daniel Heifetz Clinton Mckinnon
Lyrics © Exploration Group LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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They sing faster than I can think! I try to read the lyrics while listening to it and I try to think about the lines at the same time. This is a great song though.