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.
Wake up in the morning go to work
Fire up the truck and drive to Sonoma
Hop on the forklift and load up the truck with 10,000 pounds of newspapers
10,000 pounds of racist, classist lies
Drive the truck back to Santa Rosa
Get the newspapers in the recycle
So the rich white man
Can print up the same batch of lies again and again
Like "it's too bad the cops had to that man, but he had a broomstick
And he was asian
And we all know they're all Kung Fu masters.
Samurai warriors, they're all just like Jackie Chan
It's too bad they had to restrain his wife,
Cuz she was a registered nurse and she tried to save his life
That goes against regulations, We'll just chalk it up to a bad night.
We're so proud our boys in blue
Cuz they always do what's right"
I saw Aylene today
I saw her children play, in the front yard
The thought occurred to me, how does a mother
Tell her children their daddy got killed by the police
Wake up in the morning go to work
Fire up the truck and drive to Sonoma
Hop on the forklift and load up the truck with 10,000 pounds of newspapers
10,000 pounds of racist, classist lies
Drive the truck back to Santa Rosa Get the newspapers in the recycle
So the rich white man
Can print up the same batch of lies again and again
Like, "It's too bad the cops had to kill that kid
But someone called in a stolen walkman
The cops had to chase him down
But he refused to lie face down on the ground
He just walked away, the cops said
His black skin walked away into the black night
So I had to shoot him in the back of the head from 50 feet away
I had to kill him it was self defense
I was afraid he would circle back around behind and kill me"
I saw Cornelius speak today, at Hayward Bart
About how his son's life was stolen away
Over a walkman that wasn't worth more than change
How does a father find justice for a son stolen away
I don't want to hear your newscast anymore, it's bullshit
I don't want to see your headlines anymore, cuz they're bullshit
I don't want to hear your press release anymore, cuz it's bullshit
I don't want to hear your police report anymore, cuz it's bull shit
Fire up the truck and drive to Sonoma
Hop on the forklift and load up the truck with 10,000 pounds of newspapers
10,000 pounds of racist, classist lies
Drive the truck back to Santa Rosa
Get the newspapers in the recycle
So the rich white man
Can print up the same batch of lies again and again
Like "it's too bad the cops had to that man, but he had a broomstick
And he was asian
And we all know they're all Kung Fu masters.
Samurai warriors, they're all just like Jackie Chan
It's too bad they had to restrain his wife,
Cuz she was a registered nurse and she tried to save his life
That goes against regulations, We'll just chalk it up to a bad night.
We're so proud our boys in blue
Cuz they always do what's right"
I saw Aylene today
I saw her children play, in the front yard
The thought occurred to me, how does a mother
Tell her children their daddy got killed by the police
Wake up in the morning go to work
Fire up the truck and drive to Sonoma
Hop on the forklift and load up the truck with 10,000 pounds of newspapers
10,000 pounds of racist, classist lies
Drive the truck back to Santa Rosa Get the newspapers in the recycle
So the rich white man
Can print up the same batch of lies again and again
Like, "It's too bad the cops had to kill that kid
But someone called in a stolen walkman
The cops had to chase him down
But he refused to lie face down on the ground
He just walked away, the cops said
His black skin walked away into the black night
So I had to shoot him in the back of the head from 50 feet away
I had to kill him it was self defense
I was afraid he would circle back around behind and kill me"
I saw Cornelius speak today, at Hayward Bart
About how his son's life was stolen away
Over a walkman that wasn't worth more than change
How does a father find justice for a son stolen away
I don't want to hear your newscast anymore, it's bullshit
I don't want to see your headlines anymore, cuz they're bullshit
I don't want to hear your press release anymore, cuz it's bullshit
I don't want to hear your police report anymore, cuz it's bull shit
Lyrics submitted by oofus
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
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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.
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.
Great song with a self-explanatory meaning. I'm surprised no one has commented.