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.
Paint the target
We don't need no evidence
Flood the market
We do it all in self defense
You're a smart kid
Never work without your gloves
If you're a smart kid
You'll stay the hell away from love
And if it comes to murder
Don't tell and we won't ask you how
You sleep at night when the lights go out
And you're all alone
With all the ghosts of lesser humans
Whose lives you've spilt to suit your own
Sit and think of
All the dollars and the cents
And your blue blood
You'll see it all makes perfect sense
Drink from this cup
A better life awaits us all
You're one of us
Remember conscience comes before the fall
Your actions all are justified
Your actions all are justified
And if it comes to murder
Don't tell and we won't ask you how
You sleep at night when the lights go out
And you're all alone
With all the ghosts of lesser humans
Whose lives you've spilt to suit your own
But don't we all bleed red blood?
Don't we all bleed red blood?
We don't need no evidence
Flood the market
We do it all in self defense
You're a smart kid
Never work without your gloves
If you're a smart kid
You'll stay the hell away from love
And if it comes to murder
Don't tell and we won't ask you how
You sleep at night when the lights go out
And you're all alone
With all the ghosts of lesser humans
Whose lives you've spilt to suit your own
Sit and think of
All the dollars and the cents
And your blue blood
You'll see it all makes perfect sense
Drink from this cup
A better life awaits us all
You're one of us
Remember conscience comes before the fall
Your actions all are justified
Your actions all are justified
And if it comes to murder
Don't tell and we won't ask you how
You sleep at night when the lights go out
And you're all alone
With all the ghosts of lesser humans
Whose lives you've spilt to suit your own
But don't we all bleed red blood?
Don't we all bleed red blood?
Lyrics submitted by ruben, edited by bino_espino, darkeyelewj
Don't Tell and We Won't Ask Lyrics as written by Edward Carrington Breckenridge Dustin Michael Kensrue
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I have always tooken this song to have two meanings, like most of these songs do to me, a straight out obvious meaning, and the more hidden mediphorcial meaning.
Obvious meaning i call it "murder for cash": A hitman, or a mob/mafia killer, or something similar. You see, they're highered to kill someone for money, and supposedly they do it for justice, but they don't need any evidence that the person they kill should die "paint the target, we dont need no evidence". And "never work without your gloves" is obviously to hide your fingerprints. And "think of all the dollars and the cents, and your blue blood say it makes perfect sense"
sounds alot like the fact they they would kill people at the expense of others, and make money for doing so, "blue blood" refers to the sense of supperiarity. "your actions all were justified" must be sarcasm, or could be what the killer tells himself to make himself feel better about his crimes. This song sounds like its coming from the mouth of someone who is in such a buisness, nows its wrong but continues it anyway, and is talking to someone new to the buisness, a rookie. It reminds me almost of the way the "buisness" in the godfather was run.You know, the way they'd murder for someone in return for something, and heartlessly say "its only buisness".
2nd meaning, the mediphorical one: This is pretty broad. it could apply to many things, including drug dealers, shady buisness men, factories that create exessive polution, or the tobacco/alchohol industries. All of these things seem easily symbolized by the "murder for cash" example.