Basilica

Just some fun background information. I guess Blake posted a list of descriptions of the songs on Dear You upon its re-release:

"Basilica - It felt like the end, the end-all. It's kind of an extension of Lurker, a rum conclusion. I was spending a lot of time at Mission Dolores, either attending services or just sitting quietly in the pews. I would put on a black suit and walk down there, like an undertaker. I had a lot of heavy shit going on, a lot of worry. The verses come from that church meditation – especially the small graveyard in the back of the Mission. It's such a lovely, sunlit place. Birds, brilliant San Francisco sky, figures at rest. Basilica was fun to record because we used these different amps. We tracked the guitars on this really surreal night. We turned out all the lights; it was ghostly. The instrumental portion adds a lot to the song. When we do it live, it's great to open it up, make it loose and smear things around. When it works live it feels like purging; it becomes really physical in the end. I just used my upper arm and beat the shit out of my guitar. It's pretty satisfying – definitely the rock instinct. A total power trip."

this is one of the greatest Jawbreaker songs... just listening to it makes me feel like crying. Especially the "I'm asking you on a date for the rest of your life" it's deep

daaamn good. the perfect way to end the perfect album.

so sad, happy and angry. i love how the last part (after the final chorus, no words) portrays emotions of confusion/sadness, happiness/understanding, and then, ultimately unresolved anger over losing a friend (whoever).

This song clearly is about a guy who knows this girl who he loves but has serious troubles and she cant take this troubles allthough they arent her fault. She is innocent (hence the angel part) by saying you cant have a flower of stone he means she may not be buried with a sepulchral pillar. He loves her so much he is willing to spend his live with her no matter what problems come along, he will still be there to support her.

I think my opinion is pretty accurate because im in this situation and this song is just taking my owrds right out of my mouth and its how i feel.... Think about it

i really don't see how this could NOT be about a death. it's not just the obvious references... everything in the song points to that.

your opinion isn't accurate because of your situation; if anything, your situation makes you biased on what you think the song is about.

wel yes its about death, the girl has so much problems, she just wants to die.. And i still believe im not far of the the meaning

It doesn't necessarily have to be about a girl. Sure, he says he wants to ask the person out on a date for the rest of their life, but still. My interpretation is that it's either about the narrator's friend who is having some troubles and is thinking of suicide or about a friend who has some sort of illness that is threatening death.

Basilica: An early Christian church designed like a Roman basilica; or a Roman Catholic church or cathedral accorded certain privileges

goes along with the death/funeral/church things in the song.

this song is about blake (the lead singer) accepting himself (his love and his hate) as inspiration in life. everything has value to him ("you can't have a flower of stone - never let this soil come between us") and when he says "i'm asking you on a date..." he's saying that he accepts that everything can't always be about happiness, sometimes things have meaning even if their not uplifting