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.
And then the past recedes
And I won't be involved
The effort to be free
Seems pointless from above
You're looking down at me
I'd rather stay below
Than have you staring up at me
There's nowhere I want to go
Ay, this business of how long we try to stay alive
Why to be here you first got to die
So I gave it a try
And what do you know
Time was so long ago
And things come back you see
To where they don't belong
And every drop of sea is the whole ocean
I lied to the greatest thieves
About anything and everything
I'm a figure of forgotten speech
I'm out of reach
I can't play it safe
But I might just in case
I'm disguised as a reaching hand
I'm a working man
I don't understand why clockout
Comes so slow every time
That's one line I stay right behind
Yeah
And I won't be involved
The effort to be free
Seems pointless from above
You're looking down at me
I'd rather stay below
Than have you staring up at me
There's nowhere I want to go
Ay, this business of how long we try to stay alive
Why to be here you first got to die
So I gave it a try
And what do you know
Time was so long ago
And things come back you see
To where they don't belong
And every drop of sea is the whole ocean
I lied to the greatest thieves
About anything and everything
I'm a figure of forgotten speech
I'm out of reach
I can't play it safe
But I might just in case
I'm disguised as a reaching hand
I'm a working man
I don't understand why clockout
Comes so slow every time
That's one line I stay right behind
Yeah
Lyrics submitted by owenparry26
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In my opinion, this song is about John leaving the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and his history with the band.
"And then the past recedes And I won't be involved The effort to be free Seems pointless from above"
The past recedes, his past with the band has receded. When he was really addicted to heroin and cocaine, he often got in fights with Anthony and the band. He would mess up purposely on shows, as he didn't like how famous they were becoming. And I won't be involved: He literally won't be involved with the band anymore. The last two lines are kinda hard. Maybe he's thinking about how he wanted to be free from the band at that drugged out time in his life, and now looking back, or looking above, he sees it as pointless.
You're looking down at me I'd rather stay below Than have you staring up at me There's nowhere I want to go
I think these lines can be attributed to John's desire not to be famous. He left the band for the second time, on good terms, but because he wanted to pursue different paths and wasn't really comfortable around all the fame they were getting. So he says "You're looking down on me, I'd rather stay below". Than have you looking up at me" He'd rather stay below, as an audience member (not literally). He doesn't want them looking up at him, he doesn't like the fame. "There's nowhere I want to go", I guess he doesn't want to go anywhere with the band now?
"Ay, this business of how long we try to stay alive Why to be here you first got to die So I gave it a try And what do you know Time was so long ago And things come back you see To where they don't belong"
To me, these lines chronicle John's drug use. You have to "die" to go on later in live, and come to peace with yourself, according to these lyrics. John "died" when he started getting addicted to heroin and other drugs. I guess, looking back, he knows it was pretty much death. He says that time was so long ago, and how things come back. In my opinion, it's about how his drug addiction can come back to haunt him. Things come back to where they shouldn't be. I dunno if he went into relapse after he got clean, but if so this could possibly be talking about this. Or maybe he still feels the shame of his addiction years later.
@fcbman15 yes yes yes yes. The logic in this was beautiful. None of those conceited "ah, everyone here is so shallllllll-ooooooooooooooooooooooo".