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.
When a new life turns towards you
And the night becomes a day
We shall remain forever
Everyone who meets this way
Oh, our love is like the flowers
The rain, the sea and the hours
Oh, our love is like the flowers
The rain, the sea and the hours
When the rain falls to the sea
They'll be waiting for you and for me
And the sky reflects our image
Trying to sleep right through our lives
Oh, our love is like the earth
The sun, the trees and the birth
Oh, our love is like the earth
The sun, the trees and the birth
I am still here two days later
Same place, same time
And I'm stuck here two years too long
Same place, the wrong time
Oh, our love is like the flowers
The rain, the sea and the hours
Oh, our love is like the flowers
The sun, the sea and the hours
Their love died three years ago
Spoken words I cannot show
And the night becomes a day
We shall remain forever
Everyone who meets this way
Oh, our love is like the flowers
The rain, the sea and the hours
Oh, our love is like the flowers
The rain, the sea and the hours
When the rain falls to the sea
They'll be waiting for you and for me
And the sky reflects our image
Trying to sleep right through our lives
Oh, our love is like the earth
The sun, the trees and the birth
Oh, our love is like the earth
The sun, the trees and the birth
I am still here two days later
Same place, same time
And I'm stuck here two years too long
Same place, the wrong time
Oh, our love is like the flowers
The rain, the sea and the hours
Oh, our love is like the flowers
The sun, the sea and the hours
Their love died three years ago
Spoken words I cannot show
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
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“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
This song is very mysterious to me and my latest interpretation is somewhat disturbing. This seems to be a song about Ian Curtis but perhaps it is about something else entirely. Clarification or input is welcome.
"When a new life turns towards you; And the night becomes a bay" Eludes to life after death. Night being death. Bay may refer to a safe place, a place for travelers, a transitional place, or all three.
"We shall remain forever; Everyone who meets his way" We will always be human or mortal.
"Oh, our love is like the flowers; The rain and the sea and the hours" New Order's love for Ian? Too many symbolic meanings are possible here: delicate, vibrant, nourishing, vast, timeless, etc.
"When the rain falls to the sea; They'll be waiting for you and for me" Perhaps when it rains in the sea it is time to find safe harbor. "They" may be those that have passed already.
"And the sky reflects our image; Trying to sleep right through our lives" We may or may not be being watched but it is plain to see in any case that we spend much of our time not trying to live our lives.
"Oh, our love is like the earth; The sun and the trees and the birth" Love described with nurturing elements.
"I am still here two days later; Same place, same time" In the village? With the living perhaps? A feeling of being stood up or alone.
"And I'm stuck here two years too long; Same place, the wrong time" Still mourning/not able to move on.
"Their love died three years ago; Spoken words I cannot show" Who's love? Ian and Deborah's? The song was released approximately three years after Ian's suicide. Ian had cheated on Deborah and their marriage was falling apart. The spoken words between lovers were too terrible to repeat?
The dark ending to the song makes me feel uneasy and I wonder in what spirit it was written. I hope that it was not resentment towards Deborah. It would be really terrible to lament about a lost love, describing how eternal and grand it was, and then to go and trash the relationship with his wife. I do not know about their relationship but the inability to sustain a marriage does not necessarily mean that their love was dead.
Perhaps the last lines are a form of condolence. Maybe it is an expression of sorrow that things did not end well before his death.
Or maybe this song is about something else entirely.
@ozizushi Yes, the song was written/released about 3 years after Ian's death. I remember at the time thinking that the band would reference Ian in some way. I think this is it. <br /> <br /> I went to see Peter Hook and the Light a couple of days ago. They did some songs from Power, Corruption and LIes but not this one. <br /> <br /> However, Peter did ask us all to think about Ian before they performed Atmosphere.