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Desperation Song Lyrics

Here I'm debating time, I'm waiting
Chime the wake
Free fall the cannonball volcanic
shatters on the lake

You settle down, where are you runnin' to?
What else can you prove?
How many, many more until you lose?
You thought a better plan could
shake this shadow land
This frozen tundra hand...

I'm turning it from shade to light
Hold it up to candlelight, roaring into firelight,
Scorching up the charlatans until it's city wide
All the people mobilize, nothing left to polarize
And nothing left to fake

Ring around the lake. Ring around the lake.

Right on time. will you stay
through the pouring rain?
Right on time...through the night,
your laughter is my light
Right on time, desperation song

Dear I have missed your sigh
since crystal skies moved on
Peer out through Shadow's doubt
I had no passion all along

You settle down. where you running to?
What else can you prove?
Is this all a game? Was this all a ruse?
I've waited by the phone. Cold as river stone
Anxiety. Alone...

Ring around the lake. Ring around the lake.

Right on time. will you stay
through the pouring rain?
Right on time...through the night,
your laughter is my light
Right on time, desperation song
Right on time, desperation song

Right on time. will you stay
through the pouring rain?
Right on time...through the night,
your laughter is my light
Right on time, desperation song
Right on time, desperation song
8 Meanings

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Cover art for Desperation Song lyrics by Carbon Leaf

Carbon leaf rocks.

Cover art for Desperation Song lyrics by Carbon Leaf

Hell yeah xinfinite

Cover art for Desperation Song lyrics by Carbon Leaf

The rhythm and the harmonies on this track are amazing... So cool live, too.... God they must be like the best band EVER in Richmond. It really makes me sad that even though they've won awards and they've gotten publicity that a band this talented hasn't taken off more. At least they stay in town more this way ;-)

Cover art for Desperation Song lyrics by Carbon Leaf

I'm assuming this song is about some girl who the writer needed, 'desperatly', and then she left and 'settled down'. he's asking if her new plan is working... if everything she's doing, everything she's done was fake, just a game. he's exposing all her hypocrisy.

Cover art for Desperation Song lyrics by Carbon Leaf

I don't think it's about a woman who has settled down, but a woman who keeps going from man-to-man (How many, many more until you lose?) I think the man in this song desperately loves the woman. He's wondering if she faked everything.

Cover art for Desperation Song lyrics by Carbon Leaf

he wants a girl so bad its driving him crazy

Here I'm debating time, I'm waiting ~ impatient Chime the wake ~ cant sleep Free fall the cannonball volcanic shatters on the lake ~ feels nauseous

You settle down, where are you runnin' to? What else can you prove? How many, many more until you lose? You thought a better plan could shake this shadow land This frozen tundra hand... ~ total tsundere

I'm turning it from shade to light Hold it up to candlelight, roaring into firelight, Scorching up the charlatans until it's city wide All the people mobilize, nothing left to polarize And nothing left to fake ~ hes horny wanting her

Song Meaning
Cover art for Desperation Song lyrics by Carbon Leaf

Lost and confused until you turn on the light, have an epiphany and realize what is right. Now pleading for your friends to stay with you through the good and the bad times. -- your laughter is my light --

I think everyone here has goo ideas as to what Barry is getting at, but with prose like that, it's hard to tell!

Hey "Meteor", did you know this is the anniversary night of when it was written? I have a live recording where Barry says "this song was written on New Year's Eve...". Kinda cool, eh - or intentional?

So being intro- and retrospective here as my wife snores away beside me, I believe I unintentionally have always had a penchant for lyricists who like to baffle or at least keep their audiences guessing. ...

I think everyone here has goo ideas as to what Barry is getting at, but with prose like that, it's hard to tell!

Hey "Meteor", did you know this is the anniversary night of when it was written? I have a live recording where Barry says "this song was written on New Year's Eve...". Kinda cool, eh - or intentional?

So being intro- and retrospective here as my wife snores away beside me, I believe I unintentionally have always had a penchant for lyricists who like to baffle or at least keep their audiences guessing. ...

PS - Sorry for the double-post! First-timer's jittery fingers.

PPS - Desperation Song is absolutely magnificent to experience live (not taking anything away from the superb studio recording, to be clear).

Cover art for Desperation Song lyrics by Carbon Leaf

I see the relationship meaning, but to me, this song has a lot of spiritual meaning too. I don't think Carbon Leaf is considered a Christian rock band, but they did do an original Christmas song album. To me, some examples of the religious meaning are - "You thought a better plan could shake this shadow land." (God saying you thought you could replace me in your life), the mention of shadows and shade and going from these to the light, "scorching up the charlatans" (getting rid of false prophets & idols), "Will you stay through the pouring rain?" (Will you stay with God through the hard times), "Ring around the lake" to me is a reference to ring around the rosie. Many think this rhyme is about the plague, which is one of the most difficult times ("pouring rain") in human history when God was needed. The end of the rhyme is and we all fall down, which means to die in the rhyme but could also mean to get on our knees and pray. Great song.

@TClothUNC Instead of most difficult times I should have said most desperate times, hence the name of the song.

 
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