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 had a dream
Crispy crispy Benjamin Franklin came over
Baby-sat all four of my kids
Then in my dream
I told the doctor off
He said if you don't want to do it
Then you don't have to do it
He said the truth is
You'll be okay, anyway
Then in my dream
Crispy crispy Benjamin Franklin and the doctor
Went and had a talk with my boss
Something about insurance policies
They kept the door closed at all times
I couldn't hear or see
When they came out they said
You'll be okay, anyway
And I smiled cause I'd known it all along.
No thank you no thank you no thank you no thank you
I don't have to pay for this shit
I couldn't afford chemo like I couldn't afford a limo
And on any given day I'd rather ride a limousine
No thank you no thank you no thank you no thank you
I ain't about to to die like this
I couldn't afford chemo like I couldn't afford a limo
And besides this shit is making me tired
It's making me tired
It's making me tired
You know I plan to retire some day,
And I'm gonna go out in style
Go out in style
This shit it's making me tired
It's making me tired
It's making me tired
I'm-a gonna go out in style go out in style
When I woke up
My kids were being quiet
I knew it was a dream right away
I called the limousine company
Then I got dressed
I dressed the kids as well
The limousine pulled in
And we piled in
The doctor he asked which way we were headed
I said, Sir, let's just go west and he listened obediently,
Sophie only wants to listen to radio BBC
Michael sat on my knees and whispered to me
All about the meanies
Jacqueline was being such a big girl
With her cup of tea looking out of the window
And Barbara
She looks just like my mom
Oh my, Barbara
She looks so much like my mom
No thank you no thank you no thank you no thank you
I don't have to pay for this shit
I couldn't afford chemo like I couldn't afford a limo
And on any given day I'd rather ride a limousine
No thank you no thank you no thank you no thank you
I ain't about to die like this
I couldn't afford chemo like I couldn't afford a limo
And besides this shit is making me tired
It's making me tired
It'smaking me die
You know I plan to retire some day,
And I'm-a gonna go out in style
Go out in style
This shit it's making me tired
It's making me tired
It's making me tired
I'm-a gonna go out in style go out in style
Style
Style
Style
Style.
Style
Style
Style
Style.
I had a dream
Crispy crispy Benjamin Franklin came over and
Baby-sat all four of my kids
I had a dream
Crispy crispy Benjamin Franklin came over and
Baby-sat all four of my kids
Sophie only want to tune us into radio BBC
Michael sat on my knees and whispered to me
All about the meanie
Jacqueline was being such a big girl
With her cup of tea looking out of the window
And Barbara
She looks just like my mom
Oh my god, Barbara
She looks so much like my mom
Oh my god, Barbara
She looks so much just like my mom
Crispy crispy Benjamin Franklin came over
Baby-sat all four of my kids
Then in my dream
I told the doctor off
He said if you don't want to do it
Then you don't have to do it
He said the truth is
You'll be okay, anyway
Then in my dream
Crispy crispy Benjamin Franklin and the doctor
Went and had a talk with my boss
Something about insurance policies
They kept the door closed at all times
I couldn't hear or see
When they came out they said
You'll be okay, anyway
And I smiled cause I'd known it all along.
No thank you no thank you no thank you no thank you
I don't have to pay for this shit
I couldn't afford chemo like I couldn't afford a limo
And on any given day I'd rather ride a limousine
No thank you no thank you no thank you no thank you
I ain't about to to die like this
I couldn't afford chemo like I couldn't afford a limo
And besides this shit is making me tired
It's making me tired
It's making me tired
You know I plan to retire some day,
And I'm gonna go out in style
Go out in style
This shit it's making me tired
It's making me tired
It's making me tired
I'm-a gonna go out in style go out in style
When I woke up
My kids were being quiet
I knew it was a dream right away
I called the limousine company
Then I got dressed
I dressed the kids as well
The limousine pulled in
And we piled in
The doctor he asked which way we were headed
I said, Sir, let's just go west and he listened obediently,
Sophie only wants to listen to radio BBC
Michael sat on my knees and whispered to me
All about the meanies
Jacqueline was being such a big girl
With her cup of tea looking out of the window
And Barbara
She looks just like my mom
Oh my, Barbara
She looks so much like my mom
No thank you no thank you no thank you no thank you
I don't have to pay for this shit
I couldn't afford chemo like I couldn't afford a limo
And on any given day I'd rather ride a limousine
No thank you no thank you no thank you no thank you
I ain't about to die like this
I couldn't afford chemo like I couldn't afford a limo
And besides this shit is making me tired
It's making me tired
It'smaking me die
You know I plan to retire some day,
And I'm-a gonna go out in style
Go out in style
This shit it's making me tired
It's making me tired
It's making me tired
I'm-a gonna go out in style go out in style
Style
Style
Style
Style.
Style
Style
Style
Style.
I had a dream
Crispy crispy Benjamin Franklin came over and
Baby-sat all four of my kids
I had a dream
Crispy crispy Benjamin Franklin came over and
Baby-sat all four of my kids
Sophie only want to tune us into radio BBC
Michael sat on my knees and whispered to me
All about the meanie
Jacqueline was being such a big girl
With her cup of tea looking out of the window
And Barbara
She looks just like my mom
Oh my god, Barbara
She looks so much like my mom
Oh my god, Barbara
She looks so much just like my mom
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i couldnt be bothered to read al 4 pages of comments (sorry!) but did anyone else think that when regina sings about barbara being so much like her mum, was the whole thing something that happened to regina's mum? coz she repeats that line about barbara, i dno if her mum is called barbara, or maybe it's not the same name but could have parallels to her mum's life? i was just singing it over and over to myself and the idea sprrrung to mind.