11 Meanings
Add Yours
Follow
Share
Q&A
Bridges, Squares Lyrics
As I walked to Kendall Square
And crossed the river basin there
The Charles was black, the sky was blue
The view was old, the bridge was new
And past the flow's constricted mouth
Commercial lines flowed mostly south
Or east across a boundless sea
Where rising soon, the star would be
The tides are moved by sun and moon
The spring will last from March to June
The red line train will pass behind
As long as bridge joins stream and sky
And from that point where i did stand
I wondered at the works of man
I wondered how this walk began
Til red line train came round again
But it's not the time to ossify
It's not the end of wondering why
It's not in your faith or your apostasy
It's not the end of history
As I can take, so i could give
If I could shop where I could live
As I can read, so I'd write books
If I could eat where I could cook
Where talkers have a place to meet
Where walkers walk along the street
And subways travel paths well hid
But ferries take you off the grid
And it's not the time to ossify
It's not the end of wondering why
It's not in your faith or your apostasy
It's not the end of... predicatble waves of historicity
Nostalgia for gas-lit time I'll never see
Futurians manifest, internationalists
Connected are the promenades and waterways
The living waves of harbor nights and city days
And where is the builder?
Was there something missed?
Hidden in the plans to the bridge that started this?
But it's not the time to ossify
It's not the end of wondering why
It's not in your faith or your apostasy
It's not the end of history
As I walked on to Founders' Square
And crossed the river basin there,
The Passaic was grey, the sky was blue
The bridge was old, the view was new
And from that point where I did stand
I wondered at the builder's plan
I wondered how this walk will end
Til path train came around again
But it's not the time to ossify
It's not the end of wondering why
It's not in your faith or your apostasy
It's not the end of history
And crossed the river basin there
The Charles was black, the sky was blue
The view was old, the bridge was new
And past the flow's constricted mouth
Commercial lines flowed mostly south
Or east across a boundless sea
Where rising soon, the star would be
The tides are moved by sun and moon
The spring will last from March to June
The red line train will pass behind
As long as bridge joins stream and sky
And from that point where i did stand
I wondered at the works of man
I wondered how this walk began
Til red line train came round again
But it's not the time to ossify
It's not the end of wondering why
It's not in your faith or your apostasy
It's not the end of history
As I can take, so i could give
If I could shop where I could live
As I can read, so I'd write books
If I could eat where I could cook
Where talkers have a place to meet
Where walkers walk along the street
And subways travel paths well hid
But ferries take you off the grid
And it's not the time to ossify
It's not the end of wondering why
It's not in your faith or your apostasy
It's not the end of... predicatble waves of historicity
Nostalgia for gas-lit time I'll never see
Futurians manifest, internationalists
Connected are the promenades and waterways
The living waves of harbor nights and city days
And where is the builder?
Was there something missed?
Hidden in the plans to the bridge that started this?
But it's not the time to ossify
It's not the end of wondering why
It's not in your faith or your apostasy
It's not the end of history
As I walked on to Founders' Square
And crossed the river basin there,
The Passaic was grey, the sky was blue
The bridge was old, the view was new
And from that point where I did stand
I wondered at the builder's plan
I wondered how this walk will end
Til path train came around again
But it's not the time to ossify
It's not the end of wondering why
It's not in your faith or your apostasy
It's not the end of history
Song Info
Submitted by
knifefight On Apr 10, 2004
More Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Me and Mia
Little Dawn
Counting Down The Hours
Timorous Me
The Ballad Of The Sin Eater
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
I actually read an interesting take on the album Hearts of Oak on Amazon.com, and that was that the entire album was a reaction to September 11th. With that in mind, I listened to the album, and that seemed to make some sense. This song fits in that as well. Its clearly about Boston, Cambridge specificially. I know that Ted lived in Cambridge for a while, and that's perhaps where he lived the day of the attacks. It seems like he is reflecting on the progress of humanity and how they bought such grand destruction in New York, but in the end, everything goes on. He goes on to stay "Its not the time to ossify, its not the end of wondering why, its not in your fath or your apostasy." These really seem like the words of a man reflecting on something huge. Ted is saying that the September 11th attacks may have appeared to be catestrophic beyond belief at the time, but this is not the end of the world. Life goes on. I don't know, the September 11th take on the whole album made sense to me. I mean, you've got "Building Skyscrapers in the Basement" which seems to be about a nervous father contemplating whether the world is safe for his daughter to grow up in, then you've got "I'm a Ghost," which seems to be about feeling helpless politically, then "High Party" which has the lyric "Or I'm looking for another way to process what happened on that birthday." and Ted's birthday is apparently 9-11. Then comes "Ballad of the Sin Eater," which is about a realization of the dangers of the world. The list goes on.
@george_gordon you still haven't been given your due for your insight! smart thinking, and astute observation! it opens up the whole damn album
@george_gordon you still haven't been given your due for your insight! smart thinking, and astute observation! it opens up the whole damn album
I believe in this song he is talking about the transition from the Carter to Reagan presidency. I could be mistaken.
How do you figure?
How do you figure?
I knew the last part were Jersey references, but it fits with the whole "life goes on" whether he's in boston or jersey...
boston...
It's about 9/11.
It's about 9/11.
The first verse is about Boston - Kendall Square, crossing the Charles River on a new bridge, looking at the same Boston skyline - the "view was old, the bridge was new".
The first verse is about Boston - Kendall Square, crossing the Charles River on a new bridge, looking at the same Boston skyline - the "view was old, the bridge was new".
The last verse is about NYC/NJ on 9/11 - now he mentions the Passaic, and while the bridge is old, the view of Manhattan is sadly new.
The last verse is about NYC/NJ on 9/11 - now he mentions the Passaic, and while the bridge is old, the view of Manhattan is sadly new.
The remainder of the lyrics are Ted's reflection on 9/11 - (from that point where I did stand / I wondered at the Builder's plan / I wondered how this walk will end) -- what caused the...
The remainder of the lyrics are Ted's reflection on 9/11 - (from that point where I did stand / I wondered at the Builder's plan / I wondered how this walk will end) -- what caused the hate, how to react, how to process it. Ted concludes that it's not time to "ossify" and harden your beliefs - it's not about Christians vs. Muslims, not about your faith, or your lack of faith. It's not the end of history.
The "Don't Overreact!" message seems obvious now, but it was kind of shocking to hear anyone say these sorts of things in the wake of 9/11. The entire album is pretty much spot-on for how things were going to play out - we were headed for "a war for Babylon - the perfect storm in a teacup", and no matter what we thought or did about it, we were going to have to "drink it down."
such an awesome song. i was just in kendall square not too long ago.
in case anyone was wondering: ossify - to make rigid and set into a conventional pattern. apostasy - Abandonment of one's religious faith, a political party, one's principles, or a cause.
hey, i didn't know.
i live in cambridge near kendall square. <3 everyone see ted leo this december! he's playing 2 dates at the middle east. it'll be my 5th and 6th time seeing him. he is absoluitely amazing live. plus, matt pond PA is playing with him, and they are fabulous.
"Ballad of the Sin Eater" is actually about "American guilt." Like, when you travel abroad, Americans are treated differently. Wherever he goes, he's mistreated--beaten and bloodied, for example--for being a "stupid American."
The lyrics alone are gorgeous.
Speaking of the lyrics, they seem to have something to do with human potential.
The end of the song references places in New Jersey... The Passiac River and the PATH trains, for example.