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.
A crooked chimney standing in the middle of a field
Once surrounded by the walls of work
By laughter and by love
The sound of children playing
I love you, yeah you
A crooked tree stands naked near the center of the field
Barely rooted in the browns and grays
Of earth that once was green
A place long since forgotten
In a world of yesterday
Except by me, yeah me
And Oh, whose plan was this anyway
And I never thought "He" would want it to be that way
It once was beautiful, right here
It still is beautiful, in here
You once were beautiful, I hear
I hear it can be beautiful
Just remember
A twisted little image in your perfect little world
Of the chapter where it'd all begun
About a song already sung
Burnt around the edges
Nearly faded, nearly gone
Even you, yeah you
A shiny building standing in the center of today
Where indifferent people go to work
Go about their pay
Knowing they've forgotten
In a most convenient way
Yesterday, away
And Oh, whose plan was this anyway
And I never thought "He" would want it to be that way
It once was beautiful, right here
It still is beautiful, in here
You once were beautiful, I hear
I hear it can be beautiful
Just remember
And Oh, whose plan was this anyway
And I never thought "He" would want it to be that way
It once was beautiful, right here
It still is beautiful, in here
You once were beautiful, I hear
I hear it can be beautiful
Just remember
It once was beautiful, right here
It still is beautiful, in here
You once were beautiful, I hear
I hear it can be beautiful
Just remember
Once surrounded by the walls of work
By laughter and by love
The sound of children playing
I love you, yeah you
A crooked tree stands naked near the center of the field
Barely rooted in the browns and grays
Of earth that once was green
A place long since forgotten
In a world of yesterday
Except by me, yeah me
And Oh, whose plan was this anyway
And I never thought "He" would want it to be that way
It once was beautiful, right here
It still is beautiful, in here
You once were beautiful, I hear
I hear it can be beautiful
Just remember
A twisted little image in your perfect little world
Of the chapter where it'd all begun
About a song already sung
Burnt around the edges
Nearly faded, nearly gone
Even you, yeah you
A shiny building standing in the center of today
Where indifferent people go to work
Go about their pay
Knowing they've forgotten
In a most convenient way
Yesterday, away
And Oh, whose plan was this anyway
And I never thought "He" would want it to be that way
It once was beautiful, right here
It still is beautiful, in here
You once were beautiful, I hear
I hear it can be beautiful
Just remember
And Oh, whose plan was this anyway
And I never thought "He" would want it to be that way
It once was beautiful, right here
It still is beautiful, in here
You once were beautiful, I hear
I hear it can be beautiful
Just remember
It once was beautiful, right here
It still is beautiful, in here
You once were beautiful, I hear
I hear it can be beautiful
Just remember
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On the new Sister Hazel Before the Amplifiers" Acoustic CD, Ken states that he was driving down the road, and he literally saw a crooked chimney standing in the middle of a field .
"A crooked chimney standing in the middle of a field Once surrounded by the walls of work By laughter and by love The sound of children playing And the sound of people saying I love you--yeah you"
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I grew up in the country where I always saw chimneys sticking up out in fields, and I thought it was odd that the house was gone. Hearing Ken's description of why he wrote this song really touched my heart.
"And Oh--whose plan was this anyway And I never thought He would want it to be that way"
It is a great song . . . Just remember!