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.
Burn it down 'til the embers smoke on the ground
And start new when your heart is an empty room
With walls of the deepest blue
Home's face
How it ages when you're away
And spring blooms and you find a love that's true
But you don't know what now to do
'Cause the chase is all you know and she stopped running months ago
And all you see is where else you could be when you're at home
And out on the street are so many possibilities to not be alone
The flames and smoke climbed out of every window
And disappeared with everything that you held dear
But you shed not a single tear
For the things that you didn't need
'Cause you knew you were finally free
'Cause all you see is where else you could be when you're at home
And there on the street are so many possibilities to not be alone
And start new when your heart is an empty room
With walls of the deepest blue
Home's face
How it ages when you're away
And spring blooms and you find a love that's true
But you don't know what now to do
'Cause the chase is all you know and she stopped running months ago
And all you see is where else you could be when you're at home
And out on the street are so many possibilities to not be alone
The flames and smoke climbed out of every window
And disappeared with everything that you held dear
But you shed not a single tear
For the things that you didn't need
'Cause you knew you were finally free
'Cause all you see is where else you could be when you're at home
And there on the street are so many possibilities to not be alone
Lyrics submitted by josephRaymond
Your Heart Is an Empty Room [DVD] Lyrics as written by Benjamin Gibbard
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I think it's about a person (let's just say it's a girl for example) who can't really find her place in this world or in this time. It's about a person who is running all her life long because she's afraid to stay as long as someone can hurt her. She's like travelling around the world, or she desperately wants to. She might experienced really bad things somewhere along the way. The singer has a kind of deeper relationship with her, which is fatal, because she's afraid of letting someone really know her and she always wants freedom.
"BURN IT DOWN UNTIL THE EMBERS SMOKE ON THE GROUND AND START NEW WHEN YOUR HEART IS AN EMPTY ROOM WITH WALLS OF THE DEEPEST BLUE" -> She "burns" every bridge she crosses and destroys all relationships created because she feels like she has to escape again. She does that everytime "her heart is an empty room" because new places/situations make her feel a little more alive again.
"HOME'S FACE, HOW IT AGES WHEN YOU'RE AWAY THE SPRING BLOOMS THEN YOU FIND THE LOVE THAT'S TRUE BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT NOW TO DO BECAUSE THE CHASE IS ALL YOU KNOW" -> From time to time she comes back, and she realizes how things have changed again. She finds another person which inspires her, and secretely she's hoping this new person will make her want to rest. (PERSON = THE SINGER??) But she unlearned how to trust other people or how to be in a serious relation ship and all she knows is the chase for things that make her feel alive. She doesn't know what to do again.
"AND ALL YOU SEE IS WHERE ELSE YOU COULD BE WHEN YOU'RE AT HOME AND OUT ON THE STREET ARE SO MANY POSSIBILITIES TO NOT BE ALONE" -> Again, all the time her eyes are seeking for the most authentic, most inspiring things in life so one day she will feel normal. She's always getting nervous when she's at home for to long. She thinks there are a hundred of things to see and experience. And she's running around in vibrant cities because it makes her feel less alone. She's really really lonely but thinks that's better than getting hurt somehow.
"FLAMES AND SMOKE CLIMBED OUT OF EVERY WINDOW AND DISAPPEARED WITH EVERYTHING THAT YOU HELD DEAR BUT YOU SHED NOT A SINGLE TEAR FOR THE THING'S THAT YOU DIDN'T NEED BECAUSE YOU FINALLY KNOW YOU'RE FREE" -> And along her endless journey, the girl got... cold. She can't feel anything anymore and isn't able to shed a tear for the missed chance to love the Person (singer?). She's free in her way, but on the other hand she's trapped.
I think you hit the hammer on the nail parallaxes, at least for me!
Gee, I wonder why he agrees with you :D I agree too....burn it to the ground, although there's not much left now is there.
I think you're right about the person who can't find his/her place in the big world right now.