| Tom Waits – Falling Down Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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All songs - like poetry - mean different things to different people. My idea of the drive behind this song is slightly different from those posted above. I think it's about a good, straight/narrow type of guy who becomes involved with the wrong girl, and then about the effects this has on his life. In this case, "She loves you for all that you are not" would not mean "she loves you even though you're a screw up," it would mean that he's not her type, but he tries to fit into her mold anyway. The second verse would seem to contrast who he was before with who he has become. Forgetting the roses and not going to church on Sundays would imply that he once brought roses and went to church. She's not going to choose him for any moral stance he makes, so he ought to go ahead and drink and follow the crowd (which is what the ear-to-the-ground line seems to mean). So, while he may be "falling down" in a literal sense, he also seems to be falling down on a personal level. He is not changing for the better. Nobody's addressed the third verse yet, which has to do with the destruction of the hotel. My idea is that the hotel is the holding place for his soul, or at least of everything that makes him unique. The crowd he became involved with, though, broke the windows, they stripped his soul, taking everything. And now the whole thing has fallen, on every level. |
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| Iron & Wine – Jezebel Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I loved this song before reading "Skinny Legs And All" by Tom Robbins but I understand and appreciate this song so much more after reading that book. If you want a clear understanding of this song, I really recommend "Skinny Legs and All." |
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| Iron & Wine – Her Tea Leaves Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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It is a beautiful song. I like it especially because, like many of Iron & Wine's songs, every line has meaning, and the symbolism is great as always. I really like the first verse mention of yarrow. The yarrow plant thrives in poor soil and while many plants require attention to thrive, the yarrow requires none, much like the relationship Sam is describing in this song. |
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