So it began this way, I can't recall how it got started
So it began this way, I don't recall a thing
And all in all I guess it's for the better
If you don't remember anything, sit and sing
There was a time when everything we did seemed second nature
There was a time when everything we did seemed free
And all in all I guess it's for the better
If you don't remember anything, sit and sing
And I wanted you to know
It was you that we were thinking of as we quietly died in the snow
A place we'd never leave
A place we'd never want to call home
A place we'd call a final resting place in pieces
So we began this way, I don't recall where we got started
And so we end this way no trace of us in spring
All in all, I guess it's for the better if you just can't feel a fucking thing
Fall asleep and die
And I wanted you to know
It was you that we were thinking of as we quietly died in the snow
A place we'd never leave
A place we'd never want to call home
A place we'd call a final resting place in pieces
And I wanted you to know
It was you that we were thinking of as we quietly died in the snow
A place we'd never leave
A place we'd never want to call home
A place we'd call a final resting place in pieces


Lyrics submitted by rjbucs28

Donner Party song meanings
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35 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    Yes, he wrote about the Donner Party as an allegory for a relationship. Very well written. The key part to me that tells off he's talkin'bout a relationship is: "And I wanted you to know It was you that we were thinking of as we quietly died in the snow" As in "It's all gone to hell, but know that I kept you in mind as we slowly fell apart". You can figure the rest.

    grizzlyon June 26, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    The Donner party, for those of you who don't know, is the group from Illionois in 1846 who was going out west to California. They suffered many hardships and shit but then it came to a pass now known as "donner pass" because half the group 81 people went and 47 died in the snow and were eaten by each other and stuff. But this is all a Metaphore for a doomed relationship. MATT SKIBA IS AMAZING

    h2onitroon June 28, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    "a final resting place in pieces"-- that's your cannabolism.

    dgibbz82on April 11, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i think this song is about an actual group of people ::the donner party:: that died in the wilderness.. pretty sick topic.

    crashintomeon June 18, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Yeah but didn't the Donner Party resort to canabilism? Theres no evidence of that in the song...

    Midtownon June 20, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I always thought the Donner Party was an allegory for a failed relationship in this song. First verse, everything is free exciting and good. Then in winter it falls apart hence the "died quietly in the snow" and "no trace of springe" parts. The relationship is dead.

    descendent528on June 21, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    no, this is obviously about the donner party (see the shining, it'll make more sense). Great song nonetheless, though.

    afifan4everon June 21, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    no. i definatly agree with descendent528... i dont believe that he would randomly write about the donner party.. instead i think he used the donner party to represent a relationship gone wrong or something to that degree

    queenofpain7on June 25, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I guess you could see this song as being a metaphor for a relationship, but i keep thinking of it as a message from Alk3 to their longtime fans about justifying 'selling out', a story continued from Mr. Chainsaw. The lyrics all make sense if you think of them in that context.

    iagoAdmireron April 15, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i always thought it was about the donner party, not every song has to have some hidden metaphore or meaning...

    loveforfire23on May 15, 2004   Link

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