I don't really need to see
So I don't need to see so I'll paint...
I don't know, I'll paint it black
I don't need to see
I don't see how you see out of your window
Well I don't need to see, I'll paint mine black
I don't need to see
I don't see how you see out of your windows
I don't need to see, I'll paint mine black

I don't know me and, you don't know you
So we, fit so good together
'Cause I knew you like I knew myself
We clung on like
Barnacles on a boat
Even though the ship sinks you know you can't let go
I was talking like, two hands knocking
Yelling, "Let me in. Let me in. Please come out!"

Black glass, dirt-based soap
Tell yourself, what you know
My friends, oh my friends
Bury your head, I'll help you bury your hands
Hard hit, hard to miss
The problems are, what a problem is

My light came off quick, call it your asterisk
It's buried in a boys in a boys first book of the stars
Saw it, a satellite, constant unblinking as
Buried at the bottom of the bottom of a brackish lake

I don't really need to see
So I don't need to see so I'll paint...
I don't know, I'll paint it black
I don't need to see
I don't see how you see out of your window
But I don't need to see, I'll paint mine black
I don't need to see
I don't see how you see out of your windows
I don't need to see, I'll paint mine black


Lyrics submitted by prod, edited by judotoss, cecioce89

Barnacles song meanings
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  • +1
    General Comment

    so he has a friend,who isn't really open with what he's thinking,' don't see how you see out of your window i don't need to see, i'll paint mine black' and shuts himself out of conversation. he's trying to provoke this friend to join in on the bullshit, or meaningful discussion, whatever. thats the part about 'i was talking like two hands knocking yelling 'let me in, let me in, please come out.' that comes up again at the end with the drums making a desperate knocking noise.
    to me the part of we clung on like barnacles...and i hear it as 'even though the shit stinks' is about holding on to the potential that they all had but aren't letting go.

    jellaronion March 17, 2009   Link

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