When there is light from up above
Then there will come a sacred dove
To the basement, to the basement

When there is fear you won't have to cry
Napkins are here, they'll dry your eyes
And blind them, and blind them

They will come to your home
When they are here
Faces down

When there is greed taking control
Moving the bricks and starving the older people
Oh, people

If you seek shelter from your past
They'll come to point their fingers where you cast your shadow
Cast your shadow

They will come to your home
When they are here
Faces down

But you
Have been fooled
You knew the rules
By heart
There is
No guarantee
Against infamy
Out there

When there is trouble on the road
Dead passengers will guide you home
They will lead you
If they can just feed you

They will come to your home
When they are here
Faces down


Lyrics submitted by ruben

Dead Passengers Lyrics as written by Sondre Lerche Vaular

Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Dead Passengers song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

4 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment

    one of the greatest songs on faces down can't say i know what it means though..

    happygonutson January 04, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i saw him talk about it, and he said that it was from a newspaper in norway he was reading. the story was about these carjacking murderers who townspeople were trying to defend, saying that they were mere "cold blooded murderers" and no one should bother about them, disregarding that they themselves could be killed by them.

    pikachu1559on January 06, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Wow. This used to be my favorite song because I felt like it had a positve, uplifting sound, but upon listening to it again VERRRRRRRRRRRRY closely and muting out Sondre to hear the background music only, I've come to realize the cryptic nature of this song! It's about death; that is undeniable...i'm just not 100% certain how. I feel like it's about the interaction between a person and the "other worldly" (ie: ghosts)...listen to the "shrieks" in the background if you don't believe me!!!!

    Very strange, nonetheless, but still one of my favorites.

    rrgreentreeon May 14, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Wow. This used to be my favorite song because I felt like it had a positve, uplifting sound, but upon listening to it again VERRRRRRRRRRRRY closely and muting out Sondre to hear the background music only, I've come to realize the cryptic nature of this song! It's about death; that is undeniable...i'm just not 100% certain how. I feel like it's about the interaction between a person and the "other worldly" (ie: ghosts)...listen to the "shrieks" in the background if you don't believe me!!!!

    Very strange, nonetheless, but still one of my favorites.

    rrgreentreeon May 14, 2006   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Album art
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere. In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Album art
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Album art
No Surprises
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Album art
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.