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Memphis Lyrics

You breathing into my mouth
I'll take it
I'll take it for you

You want to sing
Then sing it for me
You got something
Left to say

Untie me
We're taking away
Unlikely
Out of time

When you still got
So much to say
I'll write it
A song for you

But oh
What a way to go
So peaceful
You're smiling

Oh what a way to go
I'm with you
I'm singing

You said
There's a special place
And it's scaring
The shit out of me

In Memphis
On Valentine's day
You wrote it
In a letter to me

Well I wish I had given you more time
To say thank you
My beautiful friend

But sometimes you gotta send it away
To bring it
To bring it back again

But oh what a way to go
So peaceful
He's smiling

Oh what a way to go
I'm with you
I'm singing

You'll always
Have open eyes
You'll always
Have a special place

In Memphis
On Valentine's day
Die suddenly
At a wonderful age
Were yer ready
Were yer ready to go
When you still got so much to say

Somehow I know
You drank and stole
Receiving just everything

But oh
What a way to go
So peaceful
You're smiling

Oh what a way to go
I know that you're smiling

Oh
What a way to go
So peaceful
I'm singing

Oh
What a way to go
I know that
You're smiling
You're peaceful
You're smiling
You're peaceful
You're smiling

I know that
You're smiling
You're peaceful
You're smiling
Song Info
Submitted by
maraja On May 01, 2005
5 Meanings

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Cover art for Memphis lyrics by PJ Harvey

Written for and about Jeff Buckley.

Cover art for Memphis lyrics by PJ Harvey

A few corrections:

should be Untimely you were taken away

and I always thought that

was "Somehow I know you drank it slow", a reference to Jeff's drowning the "receiving just everything" might imply that death was something he wanted all along, as he did refer to it in a lot of his songs.

Also, "send it away to bring it back again" is a line shared with the Jeff Buckley song, "morning theft".

Cover art for Memphis lyrics by PJ Harvey

dammit, some things got cut out.

A few corrections:

"Untie me, we're taking away" should be Untimely you were taken away

and I always thought that

"Somehow I know you're driving slow" was "Somehow I know you drank it slow", a reference to Jeff's drowning -- the "receiving just everything" might imply that death was something Jeff wanted all along, as he did refer to it in a lot of his songs.

Also, "send it away to bring it back again" is a line shared with the Jeff Buckley song, "morning theft".

Cover art for Memphis lyrics by PJ Harvey

The first time I heard this song it gave me chills because it sounds like Jeff Buckley is in this song, singing...

My impression of "receiving just everything" is that even in that moment of dying he was absorbing the experience entirely...that sounds strange, but I'm not sure how else to say it.

Cover art for Memphis lyrics by PJ Harvey

chogg, thanks for the untie me/ untimely correction. Makes much mor sence. i don't get the on valentines day, is it just poetry or something more? I believe Polly knew Jeff personally. Beautiful tribute imo, i really like " You'll always Have open eyes You'll always Have a special place" it reflects so good how sad it is he has died and how much he's missed .

 
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