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.
Searching for years, finding nothing
Forgot what we were looking for
Drew a map out in my head of
The roads leading to the door
That when opened, will reveal that
Everything that we’ve believed
Can be seen from different angles
Should I be worried or feel relieved?
Where are we? How can we get home?
Maybe we should follow the stars
That map I drew in my head
Has changed and won’t get us that far
Stay awake all through the night
Screaming for our wrongs to right
We’ll walk, but we’ll fancy flight
Guided by that distant light
All I have to remember those times
Are the pictures I carry
They’re bent and creased and folded up
But I can still see clearly the images from
All those places that we went
As we traveled around the world
They were such picture-perfect times
With my picture-perfect girl
Leave a trail of pain and heartache
To guide us on our way home
If we’re lost, then I won’t mind
Because I won’t be lost alone
The sun sets on the horizon
But our journey is not quite done
Yearning for the return home
When we can settle like the sun
Arguments of where we are
Location and relationship
My eyes are now off the road
Your words are arrows, and the tips
Have struck me deep into my side
But I’ll recover soon enough
Your words can heal my wounds just as quickly
The bandages of eternal love
Sadly, pictures fade over time
Memories do the same
But the first is hurt by fire and nature
While the second can only wish to be forgotten
But just the same, it can be kept
Forever to tell to the whole world
Of all those picture-perfect times
I spent with my picture-perfect girl
Scrapbooks of ideas and thoughts
That are hand-made and not store-bought
The scent of love and remembrance
Can be detected on every page
The sights of wonder, and of her
Are shown on all the snapshots, curled
By time, and they will age
Along with the entire world
But even aged, they will show picture-perfect times
I spent with my picture-perfect girl
Forgot what we were looking for
Drew a map out in my head of
The roads leading to the door
That when opened, will reveal that
Everything that we’ve believed
Can be seen from different angles
Should I be worried or feel relieved?
Where are we? How can we get home?
Maybe we should follow the stars
That map I drew in my head
Has changed and won’t get us that far
Stay awake all through the night
Screaming for our wrongs to right
We’ll walk, but we’ll fancy flight
Guided by that distant light
All I have to remember those times
Are the pictures I carry
They’re bent and creased and folded up
But I can still see clearly the images from
All those places that we went
As we traveled around the world
They were such picture-perfect times
With my picture-perfect girl
Leave a trail of pain and heartache
To guide us on our way home
If we’re lost, then I won’t mind
Because I won’t be lost alone
The sun sets on the horizon
But our journey is not quite done
Yearning for the return home
When we can settle like the sun
Arguments of where we are
Location and relationship
My eyes are now off the road
Your words are arrows, and the tips
Have struck me deep into my side
But I’ll recover soon enough
Your words can heal my wounds just as quickly
The bandages of eternal love
Sadly, pictures fade over time
Memories do the same
But the first is hurt by fire and nature
While the second can only wish to be forgotten
But just the same, it can be kept
Forever to tell to the whole world
Of all those picture-perfect times
I spent with my picture-perfect girl
Scrapbooks of ideas and thoughts
That are hand-made and not store-bought
The scent of love and remembrance
Can be detected on every page
The sights of wonder, and of her
Are shown on all the snapshots, curled
By time, and they will age
Along with the entire world
But even aged, they will show picture-perfect times
I spent with my picture-perfect girl
Lyrics submitted by BecauseTylerKnows
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Radiohead
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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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
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.
good stuff...although i dont like the picture-perfect girl part, sounds a little cheesy.