It's my father's voice trailing off
Sailors sailing off in the morning
For the air-conditioned rooms
At the top of the stairs

His jaw's been broken
His bandage is wrapped too tight
His fangs have been pulled
And I really wanna see you tonight

There's bourbon on the breath
Of the singer you love so much
He takes all his words from the books
That you don't read anyway

His jaw's been broken
His bandage is wrapped too tight
His fangs have been pulled
And I really wanna see you tonight

Someone ties a bow
In my backyard to show me love
My voice is climbing walls
Smoking and I wanted love

My jaw's been broken
My heart is wrapped in ice
My fangs have been pulled
And I really wanna see you tonight

And it makes no difference to me
How they cried all over overseas
When it's hot in the poor places tonight
I'm not going outside

They cried all over overseas
It makes no difference to me
When it's hot in the poor places tonight
I'm not going outside
(Yankee, Hotel, Foxtrot)
It's hot in the poor places tonight
(Yankee, Hotel, Foxtrot)
I'm not going outside
(Yankee, Foxtrot)
I'm not going outside
(Yankee, Foxtrot)
I'm not going outside

(Yankee, Hotel, Foxtrot)
(Yankee, Hotel, Foxtrot)
(Yankee, Hotel, Foxtrot)
(Yankee, Hotel, Foxtrot)
(Yankee, Hotel, Foxtrot)
(Yankee, Hotel, Foxtrot)
(Yankee, Hotel, Foxtrot)
(Yankee, Hotel, Foxtrot)
(Yankee, Hotel, Foxtrot)
(Yankee, Hotel)


Lyrics submitted by Yoshiidino, edited by cordoba

Poor Places Lyrics as written by Jay Bennett Jeff Tweedy

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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Poor Places song meanings
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19 Comments

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  • +3
    General Comment

    at the end of "poor places," the looped woman's voice that repeats "yankee hotel foxtrot" is a recording from a "numbers station," which is a short wave radio frequency of unknown origin that usually plays mysterious recordings. many speculate that they are used to send messages to spies.

    illiterature7on June 02, 2006   Link

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