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.
We were shootin' at a mound of dirt.
Well nothing was broken, nothing was hurt.
But I probably really should have been at work.
But if my free time's gone, would you promise me this?
That you will please bury me with it?
Please bury me with it!
Well sure as planets come, I know that they end.
And if I'm here when that happens, will you promise me this my friend?
Please bury me with it!
I just don't need none of that Mad Max bullshit.
Well the suit got tight and it split at the seams.
But I kept it out of habit and I kept it really clean.
But if it's getting' faded, if it's runnin' outta thread,
Could you just do this for me my friend?
And please just please bury me with it?
Please bury me with it!
Well we moved to the left and moved to the right.
And sure as hell we stayed out almost every single night.
But if the party's over, if the fun has to end,
could you do this for me my friend?
Would you just please bury me with it?
Please bury me with it!
Good news for people who love bad news.
We've lost the plot and we just can't choose.
We are hummingbirds who are just not willing to move.
And there's good news for people who love bad news.
We are hummingbirds who've lost the plot and we will not move.
We have good news for anyone who loves bad news.
We were aiming for the moon. We were shooting at the stars.
But the kids were just shooting at the busses and the cars.
So don't drink the water, don't you breathe the air.
If it's gotten to that point then I have to declare:
That you please bury me with it!
Please bury me with it!
Well fads they come and fads they go.
And God I love that rock and roll!
Well the point was fast but it was too blunt to miss.
Life handed us a paycheck, we said, "We worked harder than this!"
Please bury me with it!
Please bury me with it!
We are hummingbirds who are just not going to move.
And there's good news for people who love bad news.
We are hummingbirds who've lost the plot and we well not move.
We have great news for anyone who loves bad news.
Well nothing was broken, nothing was hurt.
But I probably really should have been at work.
But if my free time's gone, would you promise me this?
That you will please bury me with it?
Please bury me with it!
Well sure as planets come, I know that they end.
And if I'm here when that happens, will you promise me this my friend?
Please bury me with it!
I just don't need none of that Mad Max bullshit.
Well the suit got tight and it split at the seams.
But I kept it out of habit and I kept it really clean.
But if it's getting' faded, if it's runnin' outta thread,
Could you just do this for me my friend?
And please just please bury me with it?
Please bury me with it!
Well we moved to the left and moved to the right.
And sure as hell we stayed out almost every single night.
But if the party's over, if the fun has to end,
could you do this for me my friend?
Would you just please bury me with it?
Please bury me with it!
Good news for people who love bad news.
We've lost the plot and we just can't choose.
We are hummingbirds who are just not willing to move.
And there's good news for people who love bad news.
We are hummingbirds who've lost the plot and we will not move.
We have good news for anyone who loves bad news.
We were aiming for the moon. We were shooting at the stars.
But the kids were just shooting at the busses and the cars.
So don't drink the water, don't you breathe the air.
If it's gotten to that point then I have to declare:
That you please bury me with it!
Please bury me with it!
Well fads they come and fads they go.
And God I love that rock and roll!
Well the point was fast but it was too blunt to miss.
Life handed us a paycheck, we said, "We worked harder than this!"
Please bury me with it!
Please bury me with it!
We are hummingbirds who are just not going to move.
And there's good news for people who love bad news.
We are hummingbirds who've lost the plot and we well not move.
We have great news for anyone who loves bad news.
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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how about we judge a band by their music and not their popularity. good news is just as good as lonesome crowded west and its people like mcscumbag who are ruining music by being "too cool" to listen to a band because of what other people think of them. judge a band by their music GOD DAMN
This song is about the last gasp of an aging rock musician (figuratively speaking, of course). As the narrator's career starts to putter out, he recognizes the frivolity of living the "lifestyle", as opposed to the more constructive, buttoned-down goals that he'd once rejected for being too "vanilla". After a lifetime of trying to paint himself as some guitar-wielding cultural messiah, the narrator realizes two things: 1) Despite his lock of rock music, he's legitimately worn-out 2) Although he still nurtures a love for music, he understands that stardom, ultimately, is as frivolous as petty vandalism.
Of course, the song has that dread touch of satire. "We were aiming for the moon. We were shooting at the stars. But the kids were just shooting at the busses and the cars". The singer has hoped his music would inspire some life-altering changes in his young fan-base. Unfortunately, he learns the opposite -- the songs are just temporary diversions from the hardscrabble process of growing up.
Does growing up mean getting your own label? Good question ehh?
beatjunkie08-"I don't think it's any of that. I think he's telling us(the real indie/MM fans) that just because they're big, mainstream, on the radio, and on MTV that they don't suck. If it comes to the point where they're just another crappy pop band then seriously, bury them with it."
wow are you fucking conceited enough to believe this song was written for you? do you think isaac sits their and contemplates the destruction of his band? just go and listen to your precious LCW some more and get the fuck outta here.
this song, i think, is really about the good things in life. it's not about a literal burial (he doesn't want to actually be buried in his suit) he's talking about the things he charishes in life, and he's saying that if they ever have to go that it would be a favor if you would take him with it.
First person on this page to get it!!
"suit got tight and it split at the seams"....
Seems like an incredilbe hulk reference to me...
Pretty sure the whole thing is just about the apocalypse and not wanting to have to walk around trying to make life seem useful after that (which is an extended metaphor just for death in general, but anyway) All the imagery comes from post-apocalypse stories and he even calls out Mad Max. The first verse he's just saying kids knew how to play and he thought he should be back at work (rebuilding or whatever), but when that day comes he wants someone to bury him with it (it not being a physical object, being the apocalypse itself. As in "Eh, just bury me with it.") Next verse, planets come and go, obvious. Third verse, he's still wearing a suit but its all ripped up and he wants to keep it nice but there's no way to do that anymore. Next he's remembering the parties and saying that was what we should have been doing this whole time. Shooting at the moon verse is pretty much a repeat of the first. 'Life handed us a paycheck and we said "We worked harder than this"'- that's the whole point of the song, the world ends and everything is crappy and he's thinking, why oh why did we work so hard when it was just gonna come to this anyway?
So anyway, 6 years later, glad to clear that up.
If I were a teacher grading this, you'd get an F for re-wording the original work without adding an iota of insight. And you definitely didn't clear anything up, these many years later. But kudos for still being interested in good music in this late century.<br /> <br /> And now, on to my own crappy synopsis/paraphrase, in two parts (just like the song)- first part is Verse/Chorus, second part is Coda ("hummingbirds").<br /> <br /> Part 1. All Verses/Chorus<br /> "If, as I get older, I get progressively less...<br /> <br /> -free time to spend as I wish<br /> -enjoyment from simple things<br /> -of an untainted, healthy planet Earth to enjoy<br /> -attractive, skinny, fashionable<br /> -energy/health/endurance to endure the wild, fun life of the young I so loved<br /> -optimistic/idealistic about myself, others, the earth, the universe, and existence itself<br /> <br /> ... then you might as well just fucking kill me now."<br /> <br /> Part 2. Coda<br /> <br /> "Humans have lost sight of any meaningful or compelling reason for their existence. Now they just reflexively seek out drama/tragedy/sorrow/hurt and wallow instinctually in it (through the thoroughly human traits of gossip/schadenfreude/morbid voyeurism/apathy)."<br /> <br /> Ok, so that last part was a little deconstructionism on my part. But it's what I hear.
I take it to be all about the Apocalypse too... if life shits that hard, just take me out. It's like The Walking Dead, things go from bad... to worse... to worse.. to worse.
This song is sooo awesome. This new cd is solid. Kudos to Modest Mouse
it sounds like he's holding onto everything i think this song is pretty sarcastic. like, even tho the suit is falling apart, he holds onto it so much that he wants to be burried with it. he thinks everything is worthy of that... cuz you know...you wanna be burried with something that means A LOT to you... so maybe we should stop clinging to stuff
*Ironic<br /> <br /> Not sarcastic. There's a difference.
This song is wonderful. Of special note is the line "Well fast they come and fast they go/ and god I love that rock and roll" (are the lyrics above correct?) because it's a great barb towards how fast rock stars expire these days (through drug use or the nature of pop culture).
the lyrics are "well fads they come and fads they go", i do believe