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.
Knock knock
Come in
You want to fight
I'm gonna win
I'll take you out
In a minute
Step in my flat
See what's in it
I live in the land of welfare state
My flat used to be section eight
Now it's a rat infested cocaine run
My whole worlds plays like a broken drum
Drunken bum
Yeah yeah yeah
Rats in the hallway again
Get up get out go ahead and ride away
Sit up our bed up your bed to lay
Kick up our rip up this place apart
Even when I'm finished I'm back at the start I'm out of line
At Adeline St. heat don't keep the crooked beat four am
No waves breaking what's left of the pm the am has taken
Drunken bum
Yeah yeah yeah
Rats in the hallway again
Outside my gate my crew is drinking a forty
Oz the asked my if there's still rats in the hallway
I said somethings ain't like the weather
They never change for the better
This girl came up to me she said she would do me no harm
Rolled up her sleeve and shoved me the tracks on her arm
I said what's your name she said Mya
She said Tim, want to take you higher
Junkie drunken
Yeah yeah yeah
Rats in the hallway again
Zombie walking kid out on his own with no morals
Mr. High leaves the body in comes mr withdrawal
Pain is the only thing the body will alow
The kid wants to dance the gangsters knows how
Johnny bought some shit down on market
Street shoot up boot up the human target
He hit the dirty spike when he hit the scene
It's easy to stay dirty when nothing is clean johnny´s a writer
Who tags up jackel jackel just clamped on unclampable shackels
Rout up shoot up some dope to go
Like legal currency it's money it's like that
Rat tat tat kid got shot point blank in the back my land lord said
Not to be bumming he was on cocaine stoop and he had it coming he had it coming?
He was only twelve years old he was in the blizzard he got shot for being cold
It don't seem right tonight hit the lights alright
Watch the roaches run into the darkest room
[Repeat x2]
Drunken bum
Yeah yeah yeah
Rats in the hallway again
Come in
You want to fight
I'm gonna win
I'll take you out
In a minute
Step in my flat
See what's in it
I live in the land of welfare state
My flat used to be section eight
Now it's a rat infested cocaine run
My whole worlds plays like a broken drum
Drunken bum
Yeah yeah yeah
Rats in the hallway again
Get up get out go ahead and ride away
Sit up our bed up your bed to lay
Kick up our rip up this place apart
Even when I'm finished I'm back at the start I'm out of line
At Adeline St. heat don't keep the crooked beat four am
No waves breaking what's left of the pm the am has taken
Drunken bum
Yeah yeah yeah
Rats in the hallway again
Outside my gate my crew is drinking a forty
Oz the asked my if there's still rats in the hallway
I said somethings ain't like the weather
They never change for the better
This girl came up to me she said she would do me no harm
Rolled up her sleeve and shoved me the tracks on her arm
I said what's your name she said Mya
She said Tim, want to take you higher
Junkie drunken
Yeah yeah yeah
Rats in the hallway again
Zombie walking kid out on his own with no morals
Mr. High leaves the body in comes mr withdrawal
Pain is the only thing the body will alow
The kid wants to dance the gangsters knows how
Johnny bought some shit down on market
Street shoot up boot up the human target
He hit the dirty spike when he hit the scene
It's easy to stay dirty when nothing is clean johnny´s a writer
Who tags up jackel jackel just clamped on unclampable shackels
Rout up shoot up some dope to go
Like legal currency it's money it's like that
Rat tat tat kid got shot point blank in the back my land lord said
Not to be bumming he was on cocaine stoop and he had it coming he had it coming?
He was only twelve years old he was in the blizzard he got shot for being cold
It don't seem right tonight hit the lights alright
Watch the roaches run into the darkest room
[Repeat x2]
Drunken bum
Yeah yeah yeah
Rats in the hallway again
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