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They Perched on Their Stilts, Pointing and Daring Me to Break Custom Lyrics
On my face I scratched out something like a silhouette
around the golden ten like lambs
on my face I've hidden away any embarrassment,
away from my acquaintances
I'm not sold on anything but half a dream
I'm not sensing a thing
I see a blank notebook page
and it's my life and there is
nothing I can think to write
I'm honestly not sensing a thing
I hope you don't see a thing
smile through everyone you ever see
(so what you gave him the time of day)
twist back and end this suffering
I'll dance around, I honestly give up and de robe
I see a blank notebook page
and it's my life and there is
nothing I can think to write
I'm honestly not sensing a thing
Right side falls
heavenly grace to you, I owe you too
Right side because
heavenly love should be so easy
[to fade]
around the golden ten like lambs
on my face I've hidden away any embarrassment,
away from my acquaintances
I'm not sold on anything but half a dream
I'm not sensing a thing
and it's my life and there is
nothing I can think to write
I'm honestly not sensing a thing
smile through everyone you ever see
(so what you gave him the time of day)
twist back and end this suffering
I'll dance around, I honestly give up and de robe
and it's my life and there is
nothing I can think to write
I'm honestly not sensing a thing
heavenly grace to you, I owe you too
Right side because
heavenly love should be so easy
[to fade]
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I believe this song to be somewhat about peer pressure and the striving to fit in and make yourself into something else. I mean its pretty obvious its about trying to fit in the name of the song is "They Perched on Their Stilts, Pointing and Daring Me to Break Custom". So let me start by decifering the title of the song, which is to me is about drugs, particulary cocaine. It is public knowledge that Anthony Green has dealt with a drug problem and was using cociane when he was in saosin. If you don't believe me go do a search on the internet.(i even have a video of him saying "i mean im a big fan of coke and all but i dont need a whole bundle of it to go on stage thats for sure" - it was at arlenes grocery in canada). So when he says "they perch on their stilts", hes talking about "they" - the people he did drugs with. The stilts i believe to be a metaphor for him being scared-smaller than everybody else for voicing his opinion about not doing coke that particular time. The daring me to break custom is all these drug buddies or so called "acquantances" doubting that hes actually gonna be able to do it and pointing(poking fun at him). Im gonna decifer the rest of the song in the next post so read on if you would like to know what he is talking about in this aweosome song.
@Autresno The title is a cryptic visual cue for a group of friends hovered over lines of cocaine, noses perched on a rolled up bill or coke straw. Pointing down at the drug and passively peer pressuring his customary participation. A testament to how hard addiction is to break when you’re surrounded by friends who are also habitual users.
@Autresno The title is a cryptic visual cue for a group of friends hovered over lines of cocaine, noses perched on a rolled up bill or coke straw. Pointing down at the drug and passively peer pressuring his customary participation. A testament to how hard addiction is to break when you’re surrounded by friends who are also habitual users.
@Autresno I know most pple think it’s solely about Green’s drug problem. If anyone hasn’t been through addiction recovery, they might not know how we find out it’s NOTHING to do about the drug. We know the body n mental issues from addiction, the solution becomes spiritual, it’s really the only way to overcome it. Dependency is simply a result of us chasing safety and avoiding what we know we must deal with: Life. Its pain. Many addicts simply do not conform to social standards, we dont understand arbitrary rules and refuse to take part in it. I...
@Autresno I know most pple think it’s solely about Green’s drug problem. If anyone hasn’t been through addiction recovery, they might not know how we find out it’s NOTHING to do about the drug. We know the body n mental issues from addiction, the solution becomes spiritual, it’s really the only way to overcome it. Dependency is simply a result of us chasing safety and avoiding what we know we must deal with: Life. Its pain. Many addicts simply do not conform to social standards, we dont understand arbitrary rules and refuse to take part in it. I agree w/ the above. Peer pressure but it’s on a huge level based on societal norms, drugs are just a symptom It’s why I think Green’s songs relate to so many. It’s honest, vulnerable, speaks volumes to the human condition in general on his personal hurdles in stylistic metaphor alluding to biblical metaphors. ‘SAY-A-SIN’ , the use of 7: 7 years, 7plates, 7 seas,etc Staple his eyes/tell him his eyes see too clear’ in 7 years is straight outta the Bible. It’s the all seeing eye that does not judge but observes. That one is about a conflict w/ him wrestling w/ god (the definition of Hebrew , different from the word Jewish).
I FRIGGING LOVE THIS SONG!
this is one of the best live songs the do. It's just awesome. The intro he says before it is so funny and the end of the song is just crazy!
the song is probably my favorite off the EP
I see a blank notebook page And it's my life and there is Nothing I can think to write I'm not sensing a thing
best part of the song
This is a very powerful song. who ever doesn't like it is a stupid hillbilly. sounds more like he says "heavenly grace to you, i owe you too" "happier life should be so easy"
Thats a long title.
I believe the song is about getting cheated on or has something to do with someone being unfaithful to him in some sort of way. I feel this way because of the lyric
"So what you gave him the time of day"
i also love this song...it has a lot of pure anger, especially in the chorus. and yes it is a very long title...
any news on the full-length?
i think this song is about being ignored by someone or being embarassed or being very unaware of life. "On my face I scratched out something like a silhoutte" and "On my face I've hidden away any embarrassment" and "I hope you don't see a thing Smile through everyone you ever see " and "So what you gave him the time of day"- but thats more sarcastic.
Although the title is about breaking custom, breaking his habit of doing drugs. Most of the song is about what he went through while he was on them and why hes stopping. But don't get me wrong either its not just about drugs its also about a relationship. Anthony Green has said in interviews about many of his songs have multiple meanings and he does so purposefully so peopl can relate.
On my face I scratched out something like a silhoutte, Around the golden ten like lambs.
-hes saying he scratched out/made himself something else. I think this to be a metaphor for transforming himself to fit in, hes not physically scratching his face and carving a silhoutte but change characteristics about himself. around the golden ten(i think this is in reference to a card game) possilby do coke while playing cards or maybe they werent really playing golden ten but all them were around a table similiar to that of a golden ten game while sniffing coke, like lambs because lambs stay in heards/groups.