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.
Your grand dad left home for the circus
He was young just like me,
with hope to explore
He married a girl in Virginia
She could swing the trapeze,
they could sleep on the floor
Your mother was born in December,
on the one sunny day that winter gave up
With warm summer eyes that flickered like fireflies,
and she stared at the world
So why do you leave these stories unfinished,
my Cheshire cat doorstop with tears in your eyes?
And why do you look when you've already found it?
And what did you find that would leave you walking by?
She was raised in a New England village
Then she moved to LA with her firefly stare,
and you loved sunset strip when it sparkled
You grew up and you sparkled, but why don't you care?
And why do you leave these stories unfinished,
my Cheshire cat doorstop with tears in your eyes?
And why do you look when you've already found me?
And what did you find that would leave you walking by?
And these nights I get high just from breathing
When I lie here with you I'm sure that I'm real
like that firework over the freeway
I could stay here all day but that's not how you feel
So why do you leave these questions unanswered?
The circus awaits and you're already gone
My Cheshire cat doorstop with fear in your smile,
what makes it so easy for you to be walking by?
And what did I do that you can't seem to want me?
And why do we lie here and whisper goodbyes?
Where can I go that your pictures won't haunt me?
What makes it so easy for you to be walking by?
Walking by
He was young just like me,
with hope to explore
He married a girl in Virginia
She could swing the trapeze,
they could sleep on the floor
Your mother was born in December,
on the one sunny day that winter gave up
With warm summer eyes that flickered like fireflies,
and she stared at the world
So why do you leave these stories unfinished,
my Cheshire cat doorstop with tears in your eyes?
And why do you look when you've already found it?
And what did you find that would leave you walking by?
She was raised in a New England village
Then she moved to LA with her firefly stare,
and you loved sunset strip when it sparkled
You grew up and you sparkled, but why don't you care?
And why do you leave these stories unfinished,
my Cheshire cat doorstop with tears in your eyes?
And why do you look when you've already found me?
And what did you find that would leave you walking by?
And these nights I get high just from breathing
When I lie here with you I'm sure that I'm real
like that firework over the freeway
I could stay here all day but that's not how you feel
So why do you leave these questions unanswered?
The circus awaits and you're already gone
My Cheshire cat doorstop with fear in your smile,
what makes it so easy for you to be walking by?
And what did I do that you can't seem to want me?
And why do we lie here and whisper goodbyes?
Where can I go that your pictures won't haunt me?
What makes it so easy for you to be walking by?
Walking by
Lyrics submitted by LittleNemo
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for some reason this song makes me cry, especially when he hits those high notes- it just breaks my heart
me too :(<br /> amazing song, though
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Every song this band plays makes me stop and listen. They completely get my attention. I love it. I'm all emo today because of it. I love being emo...emo-ness gives me inspiration.
this is such a beautiful song. it's about an old girlfriend and he obviously still misses when he'sl ike "and what did I do that you can’t seem to want me" it's so sad but i love it. andrew is so wonderful ah i want him!!!
Well, I already said what I thought the 'Cheshire Cat Doorstop' was referring to...the girl who's leaving him. I can just picture her, standing at the door (she's about to leave, holding the door open, as a doorstop would), smiling because she wants him to not be sad, to smile back, too, because it hurts her, too, to be leaving him ((the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland was known for smiling, as shown best in the Disney adaptation, when he disappears completely except for his smile))...like when you know that things aren't ok, but you smile sadly anyway because you want everyone else to be okay...the girl is always smiling, though she is crying because it hurts her to go.
This is beautiful, sad song about longing...the girl he loves used to tell him stories, but left them unfinished when she leaves him...
"Chesire cat doorstop"-the chesire cat from "Alice in Wonderland" disappears and reappears, with a big grin on its face...doorstops keep doors open. The girl must have left him without explaining, looking for somebody else. The singer can't let go of the past because she is the "doorstop" keeping the door of the past opened...
maybe he's confused that she's smiling all the time, so he explores her background (her grand-dad, parents, etc) and realises she is lost and uncertain but smiles all the time to hide it.
Andrew McMahon (lead singer of Something Corporate) played this song in a parking lot for me and 4 other kids. They are very dedicated to their fans and ought to be commmended.
i feel the same as kid sleepy...this song always makes me cry or want to cry... sigh i'm so over-emotional
this song is awesome and its kewl cuz it tells a story AND shows emotion.. SC is very talented!!
This song really does make me cry, or want to. I don't know what it is about this song, but it just has so much emotion. And the story in it is amazing. Such an Amazing band with so much talent.