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.
This is the throne where hatred keeps.
What is sown is never reaped.
This is the blindness that you need.
This is the vein on which you feed.
Surrender - It's just one twist!
I will surrender - My aching wrist!
I can't remember - It's never enough!
I will surrender - It's never enough!
Oh my darling - One for all and all for one!
Give me reason - The quest for truth!
Give me something - Disobedient yet responsive!
To believe in - Out of darkness there will be light!
Close your eyes,
Close your eyes.
This is the dignity that you felt.
This is the gutter where you have knelt.
Oh my darling - It's a war with no winners!
Give me reason - When violence hits home!
Give me something - Ignorance is your religion!
To believe in - Take this spear and heal thyself!
Disobedience! - One too many lies!
Disobedience! - It's the greatest swindle!
Disobedience! - Everything falls into place!
Disobedience! - Take these words and feel thyself!
This is your wretched, heavin' high.
These are the shamed, the damned, the blamed.
I can smell the slowly spreadin' stain.
Oh, the burden of shame.
Oh my darling,
Give me reason,
Give me something,
To believe in.
This is your wretched, heavin' high.
What is sown is never reaped.
This is the blindness that you need.
This is the vein on which you feed.
Surrender - It's just one twist!
I will surrender - My aching wrist!
I can't remember - It's never enough!
I will surrender - It's never enough!
Oh my darling - One for all and all for one!
Give me reason - The quest for truth!
Give me something - Disobedient yet responsive!
To believe in - Out of darkness there will be light!
Close your eyes,
Close your eyes.
This is the dignity that you felt.
This is the gutter where you have knelt.
Oh my darling - It's a war with no winners!
Give me reason - When violence hits home!
Give me something - Ignorance is your religion!
To believe in - Take this spear and heal thyself!
Disobedience! - One too many lies!
Disobedience! - It's the greatest swindle!
Disobedience! - Everything falls into place!
Disobedience! - Take these words and feel thyself!
This is your wretched, heavin' high.
These are the shamed, the damned, the blamed.
I can smell the slowly spreadin' stain.
Oh, the burden of shame.
Oh my darling,
Give me reason,
Give me something,
To believe in.
This is your wretched, heavin' high.
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
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
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.
This song is likely a reference to civil disobedience like that preached by Gandhi. Much of Nihil follow a similar non-violence theme. Much of the song describes a culture created by an out-of-control capitalist government and suggests disobedience as an appropriate action to bring about positive change.