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.
Who has betrayed the deceased?
Such an infamous freedom, such a militant peace.
How dare they distrust.
Do they know who we are?
Your progony's brave,
Their tract house waiting,
Pre-plucked and pre-paved,
To the ends of the earth, sweet salvation's scar.
But oh no I see them falling.
Let's all pray for rain.
And your children are reared by panic and fear.
But what when your fields are all rotten,
Your waves of grain, amber waves of grain?
Your work is yet done: inbreed us all
'till we're all the same.
Your collection of tongues you keep framed
In parlor with your bibles and guns,
The fetus of Christ with a fistful of scars.
And your vision is clear while you blind
Your own kind behind a curtain of fear,
Your words twisted skywards distracted by mars.
But oh no the sky is falling.
Let's all pray for rain.
You pour out your prayers and weep 'cause you care.
But what when all your fields are rotten,
Your waves of grain, amber waves of grain?
And you hide the dead while my friends head to die in your name.
"This playground is yours"
Spoke god when you met behind closed doors,
"Gesture your hands and the pawns shall subside."
And though you play alone,
You never get lonely,
You never get bored.
Who needs a friend when God's on your side?
But oh no I see them falling.
Let's all pray for rain.
And ever I can't pretend we're not near the end.
But what when all your fields are rotten,
Your waves of grain, amber waves of grain?
When your days are done, I hope you've had fun with your game.
And it was written as fact,
Behold a white horse with you on it's back, a long dozen.
Arrows locked in your stare.
And the oceans shall rise up
And slap of the shores of mountain sides.
Great waves of progress shall wet the air.
But oh no the sky is falling.
Let's all pray for rain.
And you fools in the back with your heads in your hat,
What when all your fields are rotten,
Your waves of grain, amber waves of grain?
And my words won't be done,
They'll never be done 'till the end.
Such an infamous freedom, such a militant peace.
How dare they distrust.
Do they know who we are?
Your progony's brave,
Their tract house waiting,
Pre-plucked and pre-paved,
To the ends of the earth, sweet salvation's scar.
But oh no I see them falling.
Let's all pray for rain.
And your children are reared by panic and fear.
But what when your fields are all rotten,
Your waves of grain, amber waves of grain?
Your work is yet done: inbreed us all
'till we're all the same.
Your collection of tongues you keep framed
In parlor with your bibles and guns,
The fetus of Christ with a fistful of scars.
And your vision is clear while you blind
Your own kind behind a curtain of fear,
Your words twisted skywards distracted by mars.
But oh no the sky is falling.
Let's all pray for rain.
You pour out your prayers and weep 'cause you care.
But what when all your fields are rotten,
Your waves of grain, amber waves of grain?
And you hide the dead while my friends head to die in your name.
"This playground is yours"
Spoke god when you met behind closed doors,
"Gesture your hands and the pawns shall subside."
And though you play alone,
You never get lonely,
You never get bored.
Who needs a friend when God's on your side?
But oh no I see them falling.
Let's all pray for rain.
And ever I can't pretend we're not near the end.
But what when all your fields are rotten,
Your waves of grain, amber waves of grain?
When your days are done, I hope you've had fun with your game.
And it was written as fact,
Behold a white horse with you on it's back, a long dozen.
Arrows locked in your stare.
And the oceans shall rise up
And slap of the shores of mountain sides.
Great waves of progress shall wet the air.
But oh no the sky is falling.
Let's all pray for rain.
And you fools in the back with your heads in your hat,
What when all your fields are rotten,
Your waves of grain, amber waves of grain?
And my words won't be done,
They'll never be done 'till the end.
Lyrics submitted by CaptainCancer, edited by Franztastic
Waves of Grain Lyrics as written by Tyson Hyde Dillingham Vogel Adam Stephens
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
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An indictment of George Bush's idea of the American Dream.
This isn't exactly just an Anti-Bush song. This shows how america is compared to how it used to be in "America The Beautiful" by Katharine Lee Bates. It basically satires it. imho.
i dunno.. ive never heard this song. is it nice?
yeah. if u get it in your mind that its anti-bush, then all of it makes perfect sense. loadsa metaphors and stuff. it could mean something else. i dont know. thats all i get from it though. care to enlighten me?
It's like a folk epic, like Tom Waits decided to make a rock opera. Is it nice? I wouldn't call it nice. Dramatic, moving, yes.
It's just too simplistic to label Two Gallant's "Waves of Grain" an Anti-Bush song. It does the emotional, lyrical and musical depth of the song a disservice by simply passing the blame off upon one man, albeit the President. The song is an indictment upon Middle America. I don't necessarily mean Middle Class America. Or Americans in the Middle of the country. I am referring to those Americans who found the Conservative (restricted) Religious (preferably Christian, or at least one whose members dress in ties) Right (NOT left! Not Massachusetts! Not California! US NOT THEM!!!!) an idea so neutral, so self-comforting, so acceptable, that they honestly thought, and still think, that the idea was still unconditionally applicable. Only when the roots of the ideas were implanted into these non-urban, non-immigrant, non-poor, non-Different voters was it even possible to elect a George Bush. Bush happened because of why America is a broken machine who repeatedly finds a way to keep it's very ideals and aspirations alive, despite repeated failed efforts. And without occasionally finding blood on one's hands.
"Waves of Grain", despite the chorus' claim, is more about the roots and less about the harvest.
"And though you play alone, you never get lonely, you never get bored. Who needs a friend when God's on your side? " really touches me. this song really gets me in the soul.
This song is about imprinting one's ideals, assimilation, upon others. Eventually we are all the same; we are all one brick in the wall. What happens if those ideals are wrong?
yes, this song makes repeated references to bush (iraq, abortion, god, climate change, etc), but it is less about him, but simply the impending death of the united states. maybe not literally, but at least the admission that the american dream is a fallacy, and that the government does not truly serve the people, but those with money (which includes themselves).
i guess you could look at it as a warning, we can pray for rain, but if the fields are already dead, what use will it be?
compelling
the harmonica is so powerful in this song