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.
Harness your hopes
On just one person
Because you know a harness
Was only made for one
Don't telegraph your passes
You'll end up with molasses
Cauterized in syrup
And syrup and molasses
And I'm checking out the asses
The assets that attract us
To anything that moves
We're deep inside the grooves
And it's time to shake the rations
'Cause someone's gonna cash in
The plot it turns again
The reference starts at ten
Well, show me
A word that rhymes with Pavement
And I won't kill your parents
And roast them on a spit
And a-don't you try to etch it
Or permanently sketch it
Or you're gonna catch a bad bad cold
And the freaks have stormed the White House
I moved into a lighthouse
It's on a scenic quay
It's oh so far away
Far away from the beginning
The shroud is made of linen
The yearling took your purse
The goth kid has a hearse
Heart-breaking
Earth-quaking
Kiwis they are home baking
Minds wide open truly
Leisure
A leisure suit is nothing
It's nothing to be proud of
In this late century
And I'm asking you to hold me
Just like the morning paper
Pinched between your pointer
Your index and your thumb
It's a semi-automatic
Believers are ecstatic
You see the way they cling
The cold metallic sting
And I'm living in a coma
For Donna de Varona
The harness made of hopes
The lovers on the ropes
Nun is to church
As the parrot is to perch
And my heart's
Wide open truly
On just one person
Because you know a harness
Was only made for one
Don't telegraph your passes
You'll end up with molasses
Cauterized in syrup
And syrup and molasses
And I'm checking out the asses
The assets that attract us
To anything that moves
We're deep inside the grooves
And it's time to shake the rations
'Cause someone's gonna cash in
The plot it turns again
The reference starts at ten
Well, show me
A word that rhymes with Pavement
And I won't kill your parents
And roast them on a spit
And a-don't you try to etch it
Or permanently sketch it
Or you're gonna catch a bad bad cold
And the freaks have stormed the White House
I moved into a lighthouse
It's on a scenic quay
It's oh so far away
Far away from the beginning
The shroud is made of linen
The yearling took your purse
The goth kid has a hearse
Heart-breaking
Earth-quaking
Kiwis they are home baking
Minds wide open truly
Leisure
A leisure suit is nothing
It's nothing to be proud of
In this late century
And I'm asking you to hold me
Just like the morning paper
Pinched between your pointer
Your index and your thumb
It's a semi-automatic
Believers are ecstatic
You see the way they cling
The cold metallic sting
And I'm living in a coma
For Donna de Varona
The harness made of hopes
The lovers on the ropes
Nun is to church
As the parrot is to perch
And my heart's
Wide open truly
Lyrics submitted by let it fall
Harness Your Hopes Lyrics as written by Stephen Joseph Malkmus
Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
I don't know if this was as tongue in cheek clever as they meant it to be but these two stanzas look closer. It's a call and response for rhyming words described:
Well show me A word that rhymes with Pavement And I won't kill your parents And roast them on a spit --> (Displacement)
And a-don't you try to etch it --> (Engravement) Or permanently sketch it --> (Also engravement) Or your gonna catch a bad bad cold --> (Ailment)
Maybe I'm looking into that too closely but it's still interesting that they could have incorporated layered wordplay