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.
Tonight will be
The night that we
Begin to ease
The plugs out of the dam.
And we will stand
Knee deep in the flow,
The undertow
Will grab our heels and won't let go.
And while we hold,
Our legs quivering,
The water rises now
To our teeth
When we just let go
And sail belly up to the clouds,
The rocks scraping our backs.
To breath in the air will be
The only thing that we have
And all the wasted nights
And empty moments
In our lives flushed away
As we sway with the rhythm
Of the waves bobbing us up.
Crests fall to troughs we feel our gills open up.
And sail belly up to the clouds,
The rocks scraping our backs.
To breath in the air will be
The only thing that we have
And if the hook sets in
The bottom of our lungs,
We'll rip it out and lick the blood off with our tongues.
The despair can ravage you
If you turn your head around to look down the path
That's led you here,
Because what can you change?
You're a vessel now
Floating down the waterways.
You can take your rudder
And aim your ship,
Just don't bother with the things left in your wake.
Just sail belly up to the clouds,
The rocks scraping your back.
To breathe in the air will be
The only thing that you have
And your love will be warm nights
With pockets of moonlight
Spotlighting you as you drift,
The actor in this play.
And you walk across the stage,
Take a bow, hear the applause,
And as the curtain falls,
Just know you did it all
The best that you knew how
And you can hear them cheering now.
So let a smile out and show your teeth
Because you know you lived it well.
The night that we
Begin to ease
The plugs out of the dam.
And we will stand
Knee deep in the flow,
The undertow
Will grab our heels and won't let go.
And while we hold,
Our legs quivering,
The water rises now
To our teeth
When we just let go
And sail belly up to the clouds,
The rocks scraping our backs.
To breath in the air will be
The only thing that we have
And all the wasted nights
And empty moments
In our lives flushed away
As we sway with the rhythm
Of the waves bobbing us up.
Crests fall to troughs we feel our gills open up.
And sail belly up to the clouds,
The rocks scraping our backs.
To breath in the air will be
The only thing that we have
And if the hook sets in
The bottom of our lungs,
We'll rip it out and lick the blood off with our tongues.
The despair can ravage you
If you turn your head around to look down the path
That's led you here,
Because what can you change?
You're a vessel now
Floating down the waterways.
You can take your rudder
And aim your ship,
Just don't bother with the things left in your wake.
Just sail belly up to the clouds,
The rocks scraping your back.
To breathe in the air will be
The only thing that you have
And your love will be warm nights
With pockets of moonlight
Spotlighting you as you drift,
The actor in this play.
And you walk across the stage,
Take a bow, hear the applause,
And as the curtain falls,
Just know you did it all
The best that you knew how
And you can hear them cheering now.
So let a smile out and show your teeth
Because you know you lived it well.
Lyrics submitted by wimplucy, edited by Mellow_Harsher
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