I Must Belong Somewhere Lyrics
Leave the death ledger under city hall
Leave the joyful air in that rubber ball today
Leave the birds you killed at your father's feet
Let the sideways rain and the crooked street remain
Leave the dead star lit on her pedestal
Leave the acid kids in their green fishbowls today
Leave the worried look on your lover's face
Let the orange embers in the fireplace remain
A train off in the distance, bicycle chained to the stairs
Everything, it must belong somewhere
I know that now, that's why I'm staying here
Leave the widower in his private hell
Leave the liberty in that broken bell today
Leave the gray macaw in his covered cage
Let the traveling band on the interstate remain
Soundstage in California, televisions in Times Square
Everything, it must belong somewhere
I know that now, that's why I'm staying here
Leave the garden tools in the rusted shed
Leave those bad ideas in your troubled head today
Leave the homeless man in his cardboard cell
Let the painted horse on the carousel remain
Just like the gold around her finger or the silver in his hair
Everything, it must belong somewhere
I know that now, that's why I'm staying here
Each blade of grass as it lies down
The world requires no audience
No witnesses, no witnesses
Leave the autumn leaves in the swimming pool
Leave the poor black child in his crumbling school today
Leave the scientist in his Rubik's Cube
Let the true genius in the padded room remain
Leave the slot machines on the river boat
Leave the cauliflower in the casserole today
Leave the hawks of war in their capitol
Let the organ's moan in the cathedral remain
They locked the devil in the basement, threw God up into the air
Everything, it must belong somewhere
And you know it's true, I wish you'd leave me here
You know it's true, why don't you leave me here?
Are you guys kidding me? You have completely misinterpreted the meaning of this song.
It's completely and totally ironic. Leaving the poor black child in his crumbling school or leaving a true genius in his padded room... these are both persons that don't belong where they supposedly belong today. Conor is saying how he doesn't belong anywhere. This is especially appropriate, given that this song was written and performed while on tour. Conor places images in this song of people and things that actually do belong where they are currently located today, such as the televisions in Times Square or the sound stages in California. This causes contradiction in his song, which makes the irony and sarcasm even more apparent.
i love songs like this. repetitive, but at the same time, each individual line is in its own way compelling.
"Leave those bad ideas in your troubled head today" i love that one... feels like a reason to ignore suicidal thoughts. just hang on for a little longer.
I disagree with most comments here, I think it is a deeply personal song.
He lists up obviously displaced things and people ("killed bird at your fathers feet", "widower in private hell", "black child in crumbling school", "epic poem on yellow page"). These are things we can all relate to, so they seem to be in the right place, but are actually there because of bad circumstances.
The real message comes through only a few lines "the gold around your finger, the silver in his hair". In line of view of all the other displaced things he obviously thinks that the marriage is also displaced, maybe she is a lost lover or something.
"I'm staying here", "why don't you leave me here?" And she does not need him any more, although he wants to stay.
About "the world requires no audience, no witnesses" I beliebe he is saying that there is no reason to be anywhere just because of the world. The only reason to be somewhere is because of other people.
It seems like a deeply depressing song to me, listing up things that go wrong in this world, feeling unwanted and having to leave, but with no place to go to, because no place matters, only people, loved ones. And the only reason for him to stay is getting married and wants him to leave.
I saw this at Town Hall NYC on the 26th... It was really good. Then I heard it on the NPR thing last night too, but did anyone else think they sounded a bit off? Conor's voice, the instruments... (It seemed that way with Tilly too) Maybe it's just me.
This song is new. I heard a live recording of this, I forget where and when it was.
In the version I heard, I don't know about the rest of them, but the lyrics were "The world requires no AUDIENCE" instead of "The world requires no nobody else."
oh you're probably right brokenspoons...i knew it didn't sound like he said "nobody else" but obviously i was a little absent-minded at the time.
fixed. thanx
meanings kinda obvious, everything belongs somwhere, things that often get overlooked, Heard it last night in Portland, wow.
the real title is definitely "I must belong somewhere"
i agree with "giveup" and also am glad that conor doesn't like cauliflower either.
i really love the tune of this song.