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.
Ooh
This is for that little child with no father
For that man that doesn't have a place to stay
For that little boy living with AIDS
Can I tell you a story, tell you a story
You can lean on me
There's a man (oh yes)
Standing on the corner
He has no home
He has no food
And his blue skies are gone (yes it is)
Can't you hear him cryin' out
And there's a girl
Searching for a father and a friend
Praying that the storm someday will end
But instead of walking away
Open up your heart and say
I am here
You don't have to worry
I can see
I can see your tears
Your tears
I'll be there in a hurry when you call
Yes I will
Friends are there to catch you when you fall
Here's my shoulder
Here's my shoulder, you can lean on me
Halleluia
Ooh
Listen
Oh, there's a child
Who is sick and begging to be free
But there is no cure for his disease
He looks up to his mother and
As she hold (holds), his hand (hand)
Prayin' that someday
The sun will shine again
And the pain?
And the pain will end
Pain will end, come on
I am here
I am here
You don't have to worry
You don't have to worry
I can see
I see
Your tears
Your tears, yeah
I'll be there in a hurry when you call
I'll be there in a hurry when you call
Friends are there to catch you when you fall
I'm your friend and I'll catch you when, when, when you fall
Here's my shoulder, you can lean on me
Here's my shoulder, you can lean on me
Tell me, how can I, how can I love Jesus
When I've never seen His face
Yeah, I see you dying
And I turn and walk away
So hold my hand, ooh
Let me take you to a friend of mine
He's waiting just to ease your troubled mind
Yeah, yeah, He loves you more than you'll ever know
'Stead of walking away
Open up
Open up your heart and say
"Come on"
I am here
I am here
You don't have to worry
I can see your tears
I'll be there in a hurry when you call
Alleluia
Ah
When you call, friends will be there to catch you when, catch you when you fall
Here's my shoulder, you can lean on me
Thank you Jesus, yeah
Oh yeah, oh yeah
Here's my shoulder, you can lean on me
Here's my shoulder, you can lean on me
You can lean on me
Lean on me, yeah, yeah
Oooooohhh
This is for that little child with no father
For that man that doesn't have a place to stay
For that little boy living with AIDS
Can I tell you a story, tell you a story
You can lean on me
This is for that little child with no father
For that man that doesn't have a place to stay
For that little boy living with AIDS
Can I tell you a story, tell you a story
You can lean on me
There's a man (oh yes)
Standing on the corner
He has no home
He has no food
And his blue skies are gone (yes it is)
Can't you hear him cryin' out
And there's a girl
Searching for a father and a friend
Praying that the storm someday will end
But instead of walking away
Open up your heart and say
I am here
You don't have to worry
I can see
I can see your tears
Your tears
I'll be there in a hurry when you call
Yes I will
Friends are there to catch you when you fall
Here's my shoulder
Here's my shoulder, you can lean on me
Halleluia
Ooh
Listen
Oh, there's a child
Who is sick and begging to be free
But there is no cure for his disease
He looks up to his mother and
As she hold (holds), his hand (hand)
Prayin' that someday
The sun will shine again
And the pain?
And the pain will end
Pain will end, come on
I am here
I am here
You don't have to worry
You don't have to worry
I can see
I see
Your tears
Your tears, yeah
I'll be there in a hurry when you call
I'll be there in a hurry when you call
Friends are there to catch you when you fall
I'm your friend and I'll catch you when, when, when you fall
Here's my shoulder, you can lean on me
Here's my shoulder, you can lean on me
Tell me, how can I, how can I love Jesus
When I've never seen His face
Yeah, I see you dying
And I turn and walk away
So hold my hand, ooh
Let me take you to a friend of mine
He's waiting just to ease your troubled mind
Yeah, yeah, He loves you more than you'll ever know
'Stead of walking away
Open up
Open up your heart and say
"Come on"
I am here
I am here
You don't have to worry
I can see your tears
I'll be there in a hurry when you call
Alleluia
Ah
When you call, friends will be there to catch you when, catch you when you fall
Here's my shoulder, you can lean on me
Thank you Jesus, yeah
Oh yeah, oh yeah
Here's my shoulder, you can lean on me
Here's my shoulder, you can lean on me
You can lean on me
Lean on me, yeah, yeah
Oooooohhh
This is for that little child with no father
For that man that doesn't have a place to stay
For that little boy living with AIDS
Can I tell you a story, tell you a story
You can lean on me
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
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
American Town
Ed Sheeran
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.