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.
The day's last one-way ticket train pulls in
We smile for the casual closure capturing
There goes the downpour
There goes my fare thee well
There's really no way to reach me
There's really no way to reach me
There's really no way to reach me
'Cause I'm already gone
There's so many words that we can say
Spoken upon long-distance melody
This is my hello
This is my goodness
There's really no way to reach me
There's really no way to reach me
There's really no way to reach me
'Cause I'm already gone
Maybe in five or ten
Yours and mine will meet again
Straighten this whole thing out
Maybe then honesty need not be feared as a friend or an enemy
But this is the distance
And this is my game face
There's really no way to reach me
There's really no way to reach me
Is there really no way to reach me?
Am I already gone?
So this is your maverick
And this is Vienna
We smile for the casual closure capturing
There goes the downpour
There goes my fare thee well
There's really no way to reach me
There's really no way to reach me
There's really no way to reach me
'Cause I'm already gone
There's so many words that we can say
Spoken upon long-distance melody
This is my hello
This is my goodness
There's really no way to reach me
There's really no way to reach me
There's really no way to reach me
'Cause I'm already gone
Maybe in five or ten
Yours and mine will meet again
Straighten this whole thing out
Maybe then honesty need not be feared as a friend or an enemy
But this is the distance
And this is my game face
There's really no way to reach me
There's really no way to reach me
Is there really no way to reach me?
Am I already gone?
So this is your maverick
And this is Vienna
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Great version of a great song,
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Has anyone ever related this to WW2 and/or the Holocaust?
"Vienna, Austria" is an area where a portion of the Holocaust happened.
"The day's last one-way ticket train pulls in..." When the prisoners were being brought to camps, it was for many, a one-way ticket train.
"There goes the downpour... There goes my fare thee well" Men from women, familys from familys, people from themselves. It's goodbye, and knowingly, for good.
"There's really no way to reach me" There was absolutely no way to contact anyone inside the camps, and no contact going out either.
"'Cause I'm already gone" By the time the liberators got there, a lot of people had already died.
The entire second verse makes me think of the prisoner's screaming from help from foreign countries to come in and save them from the situation.
The bridge "Maybe in five or ten..." seems like a plee to end the war. Maybe in five or ten years this will be straightened out and honesty need not be feared as a friend or an enemy -- truth hurts, but it builds strong lasting solid relationships.
And lastly, "so this is your maverick. this is vienna".
Maverick means indepence, doing what you will when you will.
Saying, the rest of the world may have it's fancies and riches and freedoms, but this is just Vienna. The hell they live is not a maverick, it's simply, Vienna.
If you read this meaning and then look up "Vienna" you wont find much of a definition more than that of it being a City in Austria. I think this song creates one.
What do you think...?
Finally! I have always thought this song was about the Holocaust. Especially when I listen to the bridge!
Well, nice thought, but as I am from Austria, I can tell you, that there was no concentration camp in Vienna - of course some things happened here as well, but the concentration camps were on the country side.
@selfmadewinter it might not be about a concentration camp, but two lovers. One Austrian and one German?
@selfmadewinter <br /> <br /> Goodnight, Vienna is a 1932 British musical film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Jack Buchanan, Anna Neagle and Gina Malo. Two lovers in Vienna are separated by the First World War, but are later reunited. Based on a radio operetta written by Eric Maschwitz, it features the song "Good-night, Vienna".
He's breaking up with her, but he doesn't want to. "There's really no way to reach me, 'cuz I'm already gone". I think he means emotionally, because he can't handle it. He's emotionally shut off. Whether this occurred in Vienna or not, distance is an issue-- physical distance or emotional distance.
Maybe in 5-10 years they might be able sort things out... Honesty and fear are playing a role in this relationship. "But this is the distance"-- again, either emotional or physical.
"This is my game face"-- he's trying to hide his real feelings for some reason which he doesn't get into at all. IMO, I think he's been hurt and he has built emotional walls around him. But did this person do it to hi, or someone else? He doesn't say, but for some reason needs to leave.
And I don't think he's telling her that he's ending it. They take a last picture, and smile. Breakups don't work like that. She has no idea, and this one way train means he's not coming back for quite awhile. "Maybe" in 5 years or a decade. When he gets on the train, there goes the down pour"-- he cries after he gets on the train.
He repeatedly questions to himself: "Am I really gone?" And "Is there really NO way to reach me?". I think he's questioning himself and his barriers. He's not talking about reaching him via phone-- he means emotionally.
A "maverick" is someone who doesn't use traditional methods; they're rebellious, they're independent and unconventional.
People in Vienna Austria have a stereotype for being cold, aloof, and impolite. Obviously, stereotypes are generally wrong and cannot possibly be true for all people, of course.
She has some kind of maverick, and since "this" is Vienna, he's leaving, while trying to keep a straight face.
@Banana101 <br /> <br /> the song has a double meaning built into it..<br /> <br /> it can either be someone about to commit (or possibly already have committed) suicide<br /> <br /> lay one day ticket = suicide<br /> everyone is at his funeral crying get to a picture of him smiling<br /> <br /> this is why he says in five to ten yours and mine will meet and straighten this whole thing out... yours and mine, not you and me, because I am already gone<br /> <br /> Goodbye Vienna is a phrase meaning something is too far gone to fix.
to me this song seems to be about a girl and guy who had some kind of falling out, and they still love each other, but for whatever reason hes leaving. she wants to work it out, but he doesnt, and hes telling her theres really no way to reach him now, hes GONE and theres nothing she can do. theyve done all the talking that can be done, there isnt anything left, and he needs space. he says maybe someday in five or ten years he'll be ready to work it out with her, but right now he just needs to leave, clear his head, because honesty is too hard. hes running away he cant handle it right now. hes gone, its over, theres no way to reach him now it just too late to make the relationship work. sad song :(
I understand this whole song perfectly. And if you really pay attention to it, it is a break up song. The parts that reach out the most to me are "Maybe in five or ten yours and mine will meet again" and "Maybe then honesty need not be feared as a friend or an enemy" When you can put simple average words together and make them sound beautiful, and poetic, then you are a special music artist. Only few can capture the essence of life and the Fray is one of those few.
This song reminds me so, so much of "Before Sunrise", and consequently "Before Sunset"...two of my favorite movies.
A great song. An amazing movie.
to me its about two people that know they are meant to be with each other but the time is not right.they know a long time will pass for a moment like this to happen again.Its also like he knows that its probably better that wayand still its hard for him to look the truth in the eyes.
I am going through a situation identical to what you wrote above and i totally see the song that way
Ugh, this song is totally how things ended with my ex and I. It's like The Fray were THERE...our last conversation was exactly like "How to Save A Life" (yes, I know it was about a junkie, but it was totally applicable). And this is song is exactly how it ended. We were long distance, and he just had no reason to end thigs the way he did and he knew it. He simply dug in his heels and refused to move forward, even though he had only a few weeks prior given me a ring and asked me to be his wife. It was the most painful event of my life.
im so sorry that would have hurt so much
I think I interpret this song different than most. When he says 'there's really no way to reach me', I don't interpret it distance-wise, and I really relate to this song because of that.
When he sings that there's no way to reach him, I imagine it's because he's too consumed in his own problems/life, and he's "too far gone" down the bad road, to ever come up for it. It's hard to explain, but I see it as no one being able to save him now, because he's too far GONE. As in emotionally.
Yes it's more got to do with losing the ability to be honest about his true feelings, in doing so he has created a fake outward identity and he knows it (and is hurt by it). He means "there's really no way to reach the real me", and even through the distance, all she gets is the hello, the goodness and the gameface. there's no way he can confront reality for some reason, for all the trouble it may bring.
I feel like this song was written about my current situation. there is this man I love and I know that he loves me too. we only just met and had this wonderful summer. but now he has to go to war for quite some time. it was clear from the beginning. but only now it shows what this means. he cannot have this relationship any more. he has to focus on one and only thing.and there is no place for this love as it began even if he wanted. there is love but there is no way. and we will se what the future may bring. the strangest thing: I am from Vienna...
I agree with most everyone on the meaning of this song. But one thing they all failed to mention was the last couple of lines. "Is there really no way to reach me?" "Am I already gone?" He seems to be questioning himself on if there really is no way to reach him.