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.
Moods don't command you if you don't know what you're going through
There's love for you up where the population grows
There's friendly people in cities too, just ask them where they are going to
There's life and work up where the clouds meet the snow
And I don't mind waiting
I'm always one step ahead of you if you don't know what you're going through
There's laughs and fun up where the conversation flows
And I don't mind waiting if it takes a long, long time
I don't mind braving the coldest winter of our time
I don't mind racing through our goodbyes
This is your last line of defense
You could sell your baseball cards just to pay your rent, yeah
I don't mind waiting if it takes a long, long time
And I don't mind wasting the best years of our lives
And I don't mind racing through our goodbyes
There's love for you up where the population grows
There's friendly people in cities too, just ask them where they are going to
There's life and work up where the clouds meet the snow
And I don't mind waiting
I'm always one step ahead of you if you don't know what you're going through
There's laughs and fun up where the conversation flows
And I don't mind waiting if it takes a long, long time
I don't mind braving the coldest winter of our time
I don't mind racing through our goodbyes
This is your last line of defense
You could sell your baseball cards just to pay your rent, yeah
I don't mind waiting if it takes a long, long time
And I don't mind wasting the best years of our lives
And I don't mind racing through our goodbyes
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"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Blue
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“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Amazing
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Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
this song has always been such a reassuring love song.
i adore it.
well, this song is very reassuring, but more than that, it puts the most optimistic view on real life situations. I don't know. She makes it sound silly that a person would ever even have such serious worries. That get's me. I love it.
Excellent tune!
I love this song
i love this song, this is the first song i had ever heard by rilo kiley, and i still think its one of the best
i always get happier when i listen to this song. its like, dont take things too seriously, put your problems in perspective, youre all right.
i think when she says 'you could sell your baseball cards just to pay your rent', she means that the person is inventing problems and rents they must pay, when really theyre so trivial they could be paid off with baseball cards.
one of my favorite rilo kiley songs.
well, i don't really agree. i mean, you can get a legitimate amount of money out of selling baseball cards, right? i don't really know alot about collecting baseball cards, but i know some you can sell for alot. or whatever.
but anyways, i think this song is talking about waiting it out until the better times. i really love it. "i don't mind wasting the best years of our lives"--like maybe she's waiting for the time when she can be with the person she loves the most, and she doesn't mind wishing away those years until they get to be together. and "i don't mind racing through our goodbyes"--like maybe the quicker you say goodbye, the quicker you can say hello again.
I thought that this song was sung um... tongue in cheek. Because if she genuinely likes this person... why wouldn't she mind racing through their goodbyes? And who wants to WASTE the best years of their life? Not many people offering that up. Winter is usually a time of death as well... so I saw this song as her being upset and saying "oh sure, go ahead and waste my life, I don't mind." ... when of course, she does. The person that this song is about is an asshole and wants to "keep her down" but when the relationship ends, she'll race through their goodbyes (he's been racing through their lives trying to find some sort of meaning) and I highly doubt she'll look back.
@not_blonde I think everyone of your points are off about 180 degrees. I a person really loves somebody then they can accept anything for them including short goodbyes. I know a few grown men, business men that had the usual baseball card collection as a kid. They grew out of it into high school and that was that. One day they find themselves married or whatever and while visiting the folks they are asked about a box full of their crap. Go through it, see what can be thrown away or go to the goodwill. They come across a shoe box full of baseball cards worth several thousand dollars. It peaks their interests. Now they have a safety deposit box with cards valued at thousands apiece. Do I need to explain anymore?
I've always felt this song was about being in a relationship where the other person is always making excuses or just overly cautious, and not wanting to take a chance or grow up to the point it'd take to be able to "go anywhere" with her as a couple. I agree that the baseball card part is saying the guy doesn't have a job, but wants to live on his own. if he'd give up his ties to being a "child" then he could achieve the adult life he seems to want but is too afraid to reach for.
She's saying she's willing to wait...but feels as if she's going to have to wait a very long time, hence the "wasting the best years of our lives" bit, meaning that while she's giving him time, the time they could be sharing is just flying right out the window.
A song about frustrated patience.
The beginning of this song seems to suggest that ignorance is bliss, that he doesn't know what he's going through...he seems immature and unaware of the weight of his decisions.
It seems that he has moved to the city for opportunities and she urges the fact that he had all the love and opportunity where he was (in the mountains-- where the population grows/ where the clouds meet the snow). This also reveals the difference in maturity between them.
"You could sell your baseball cards just to pay your rent, yeah" is (to me) her describing how much simpler living is in the mountains, the country. To my boyfriend, this means that he would have to sell his baseball cards just to stay in the city as long as possible.
Still, she loves him and is willing to wait for him to realize these things and return to her.