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.
Your passin' broke the silence
On that dark October day
The sun was headin' for the west
As it did I heard you say
I set my sail for a gentle breeze
Now I leave this world as it was meant to be
And you, did you listen to anything I said?
Did you ever listen to me?
Though now it seems you'll never know
But every lad to a man must grow
Till winter comes to celebrate
Then proudly chills the bone
When at last they bury me
Into this ground you'll someday see
And you, did you listen to anything I said?
Did you ever listen to me?
Though the face we wear
Sometimes seldom speaks
From the babe that cries
To this grown man's feet
May the hand still write
And its' heart shape keep
Till our fathers, sons and daughters agree
So I will pave this road till glory
Sets our broken spirit free
From every cross-soaked nail pours endless rain
With tears no eye should see
But they could fill our highest ocean
And the rivers in between
With every blade that flowers must grow
then drown
With love our cruellest sea
On that dark October day
The sun was headin' for the west
As it did I heard you say
I set my sail for a gentle breeze
Now I leave this world as it was meant to be
And you, did you listen to anything I said?
Did you ever listen to me?
Though now it seems you'll never know
But every lad to a man must grow
Till winter comes to celebrate
Then proudly chills the bone
When at last they bury me
Into this ground you'll someday see
And you, did you listen to anything I said?
Did you ever listen to me?
Though the face we wear
Sometimes seldom speaks
From the babe that cries
To this grown man's feet
May the hand still write
And its' heart shape keep
Till our fathers, sons and daughters agree
So I will pave this road till glory
Sets our broken spirit free
From every cross-soaked nail pours endless rain
With tears no eye should see
But they could fill our highest ocean
And the rivers in between
With every blade that flowers must grow
then drown
With love our cruellest sea
Lyrics submitted by unsweetener
The Spoken Wheel Lyrics as written by David R King Bridget A Regan
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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.
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
thought it was Dave who sang the last verse... I could be wrong