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.
I don't want to kiss you, I don't want to touch
I don't want to see you 'cause I don't miss you that much
I'm not a telephone junkie
I told you that we were just good friends
But when I hold you like I hold that Bakelite in my hands
There's no action
There's no action, there's no action
Every time I phone you, I just want to put you down
He's got the keys to the car, they are the keys to the kingdom
He's got ev'rything you need, it's a shame that he didn't bring them
I'm not a telephone junkie
If I'm inserting my coin, I'm doing just fine
And the things in my head start hurtin' my mind
And I think about the way things used to be
Knowing you're with him is driving me crazy
Sometimes I phone you when I know you're not lonely
But I always disconnect it in time
There's no action
There's no action, there's no action
Every time I phone you, I just want to put you
Every time I phone you, I just want to put you
Every time I phone you, I just want to put you down
There's no action
There's no action
There's no action
Every time I phone you, I just want to put you down
I don't want to see you 'cause I don't miss you that much
I'm not a telephone junkie
I told you that we were just good friends
But when I hold you like I hold that Bakelite in my hands
There's no action
There's no action, there's no action
Every time I phone you, I just want to put you down
He's got the keys to the car, they are the keys to the kingdom
He's got ev'rything you need, it's a shame that he didn't bring them
I'm not a telephone junkie
If I'm inserting my coin, I'm doing just fine
And the things in my head start hurtin' my mind
And I think about the way things used to be
Knowing you're with him is driving me crazy
Sometimes I phone you when I know you're not lonely
But I always disconnect it in time
There's no action
There's no action, there's no action
Every time I phone you, I just want to put you
Every time I phone you, I just want to put you
Every time I phone you, I just want to put you down
There's no action
There's no action
There's no action
Every time I phone you, I just want to put you down
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Head > Heels
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Ed Sheeran
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Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
Ahhhh, a bakelite is an old fashioned phone--now I get it!
antiquephones.blogspot.com/
Bakelite was a phone, so there's that, but it was called that because the body of the phone was made from Bakelite, one of the first commercial plastics. So he's also saying that when he holds her, she's as dull and lifeless as plastic.
2nd Best album opener ever!! (the best being from 'welcome to the working week' from EC's My aim is true!!)
he's okay with it in the end
Oh, I so don't think he's over it in the end. I mean, ending with "Sometimes I phone you when I know you're not lonely, But I always disconnect it in time" seems like he's ending it still wanting her.
I just think it's about being in agony because of really wanting to be with someone and hating a) that she's with someone, b) the guy she is dating both because he thinks he's wrong for her and because he's with her, and c) the girl herself because, well, don't you just hit a certain point where you hate the person making you like this?
I also think that because of the "no action" bit, I think he hates not being able to do something and instead has a sick relationship with his phone.
the best part of this is the 'I just wanna put you down' line. Works on three levels: 1) to, literally, put the phone down 2) to put her down, as in put her in her place, or even insult/degrade her 3) like how you'd put down an animal to death
Such an amazing album opener! Dripping with bile..
i always thought the first verse was about being with a girl and not feeling anything between the two of you even though perhaps she really likes you. and she's excited to see him/have him call her on the phone, but he doesn't want to do either. whenever he calls her he just wants to put the phone down/put her down.
then the second verse is about how that now that someone else has her he wants her. he thinks the other guy is wrong for her and he may sort of resent the fact that she doesn't want him anymore, so he wants to call her and tell her off and/or beg for her back or something but he always punks out and puts the phone down before he gets a chance to talk to her (while she may or may not be with her current boyfriend). yeah.
i always thought the first verse was about being with a girl and not feeling anything between the two of you even though perhaps she really likes you. and she's excited to see him/have him call her on the phone, but he doesn't want to do either. whenever he calls her he just wants to put the phone down/put her down.
then the second verse is about how that now that someone else has her he wants her. he thinks the other guy is wrong for her and he may sort of resent the fact that she doesn't want him anymore, so he wants to call her and tell her off and/or beg for her back or something but he always punks out and puts the phone down before he gets a chance to talk to her (while she may or may not be with her current boyfriend). yeah.
I think maybe it's "She's got everything you need, it's a shame he didn't want it then"