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.
His eyes they close and his last breath spoke
He had seen all to be seen
A life once full
Now an empty vase
Wilt the blossoms on his early grave
Walk away me boy walk away me boy
And my morning we'll be free
Wipe that golden tear from your mother dear
And raise what's left of the flag for me
Then the rosary beads count to one, two, three
Fell apart as they hit the floor
In a garb of black we must pay respect
To the color we were born to mourn
Walk away me boys walk away me boys
And my morning we'll be free
Wipe that golden tear from your mother dear
And raise what's left of the flag for me
In a spiked ruin an angry festered wound
Full of hatred and remorse
Where I pick and scratch at the blooded mess
Silent rage that now fills my lungs
For there are many ways to kill a man they say
With bayonet, axe or sword
But son a bullet fired from a shapeless gun
Just put the shell of a thompson gun
Walk away me boys walk away me boys
And by morning we'll be free
Wipe that golden tear from your mother dear
And raise what's left of the flag for me
From the east out to the western shore
Where many men and many more will fall
But no angel flies with me tonight
Though freedom reigns on all
And curse the name for which we slaved our days
So every men chose kingdom come
But sure as night turns day it's the fashion play
Oh my god what have they done
With madmen rage well the dogged craze
But the dead rise again you fools
Walk away me boys walk away me boys
And my morning we'll be free
Wipe that golden tear from your mother dear
And raise what's left of the flag for me
Walk away me boys walk away me boys
And my morning we'll be free
Wipe that golden tear from your mother dear
And raise what's left of the flag for me
He had seen all to be seen
A life once full
Now an empty vase
Wilt the blossoms on his early grave
Walk away me boy walk away me boy
And my morning we'll be free
Wipe that golden tear from your mother dear
And raise what's left of the flag for me
Then the rosary beads count to one, two, three
Fell apart as they hit the floor
In a garb of black we must pay respect
To the color we were born to mourn
Walk away me boys walk away me boys
And my morning we'll be free
Wipe that golden tear from your mother dear
And raise what's left of the flag for me
In a spiked ruin an angry festered wound
Full of hatred and remorse
Where I pick and scratch at the blooded mess
Silent rage that now fills my lungs
For there are many ways to kill a man they say
With bayonet, axe or sword
But son a bullet fired from a shapeless gun
Just put the shell of a thompson gun
Walk away me boys walk away me boys
And by morning we'll be free
Wipe that golden tear from your mother dear
And raise what's left of the flag for me
From the east out to the western shore
Where many men and many more will fall
But no angel flies with me tonight
Though freedom reigns on all
And curse the name for which we slaved our days
So every men chose kingdom come
But sure as night turns day it's the fashion play
Oh my god what have they done
With madmen rage well the dogged craze
But the dead rise again you fools
Walk away me boys walk away me boys
And my morning we'll be free
Wipe that golden tear from your mother dear
And raise what's left of the flag for me
Walk away me boys walk away me boys
And my morning we'll be free
Wipe that golden tear from your mother dear
And raise what's left of the flag for me
Lyrics submitted by myownprison333, edited by NightfallGemini
What's Left of the Flag Lyrics as written by David R King Bridget A Regan
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
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
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
People, dont comment etc on Irish history, culture, society, religion etc if you have little knowledge of it, please!
eu2004.ie/templates/subhome1.asp gov.ie/Default.asp
For official info on Éire Sláinte agus beannacht libh
I'm probably biased, by it always seemed like this song was written just for me. My dad was in the PIRA, and he was killed accidentally in a bombing. When I listen to this song, I just get filled with all kinds of emotions, mainly anger towards the fucking black and tans. I'll always remember he used to tell me that he was proud to be fighting, and he would gladly give his life for Ireland, and that I should keep the fight. Well...he did. Just what it means to me.
Sìochàin Trìd Anord
up the 'RA
this song makes me pause, and remember one night.. it was right after warped tour, and my friend levi and i were sitting in the parked car, waiting for our two friends mandi and julie, and we had seen flogging molly, and he was playing this song over and over..it just makes me think of what a wonderful day that was, it makes me think of good friends and awesome memories..oh, so very corny, i know..
i heard this song on the w.t. 02 comp disc and thought this band was way rad...never would have thought that mixing irish and punk could be so friggin awesome! anyways, yeah flogging molly is a really rad band ~
dave king wrote this song in memory of a lesson his father taught him before he did, he sed the only flag u should stand for is a flag for peace, and i toltally agree
Look, I don't want to get into the whole argument of whether we should slap a genre on everything; If you like having labels for music then more power to you. However, it is worth noting that Flogging Molly consider themselves (and probably most other good music) unclassifiable. If anyone has watched "Whiskey on a Sunday" then they've heard all of Flogging Molly clearly express that, to them, being squeezed into any genre diminishes their music; it imparts a bias. People think about the genre instead of actually just listening to the music. Funnily enough Nathan Maxwell, the bass player, (I think it was him) said that if he had to label them as anything he would have to say Soul, from the feeling he gets out of it.
So yes, Flogging Molly has Punk influences, and definite Irish influences, and classic rock influences, and even some more eastern musical influences, but those are not what they are. They are not one part of the equation and they are greater than the sum of their parts.
This song rules!! Great lyrics here!
this song is so awesome! i got to see it performed live at the warped tour in kansas city. just a little background, he (the lead singer of flogging molly) wrote it about his father, in case you couldn't figure it out. YEAH!
I thought this song was about the struggle of the IRA and the struggle for full Irish independence from England.<br /> ps:I think the likes of you again is about his father
He wrote it about his father who never saw peace in Ireland. At least that's what he said at the show I went to. <br /> By the way, this is my favorite FM song.
this song rocks! i love their irish...ness and how they can mix it with a some punk rock and make a bad ass band called flogging molly.
Irish punk is good punk! It's so fucking good when its irish. It is impossible not to feel something when listening to a flogging molly song! I swear, if somoene chained me to the floor so I couldn't move, I would porbably break the chains or die trying!