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.
Your illegal name in watercolor
On a piss stained Frisco truck
Hoping some camera'd catch your face
And the rain came down
And the fat worms show up like seared shut
Half clotted blood vein sections
Fast fossil drying up
You've got no God hand in the when of a raindrop
And the paint that you use was waterbased
The sound of light rain and burning leaves is the same
The hound in night's brain learning dreams is untamed
There'll be a time for drying up and dying on sidewalks
Years for beards in the bushes in someone's backyard
Dead dog in the shade
Like an empty old seed pod
Did you stay up all night
Sprawled out over a xerox enlargement of my placecard
Weeping backstage
With the pretty plus ones ignoring you
(Ooh) these are selfish times
(Ooh) these are selfish times
(Ooh) these are selfish times
I got shellfish dimes
And sand dollars
I'll no longer be the whit. or gaylords heavy
The glasses, beard and big wig must go
I did not play bigger bank in the backseat
Of the cheese that seemed risky
But my jeans were called huskys
I wrote this one on chipped dead elephant ivory
When they come I close the closet door
I wanted to breathe on beat
And go a fifth higher
Than my physical voice was coined for
I wanted to serve with hunger
But my gut split
And the hunger man poured into war
(Ooh) these are selfish times
(Ooh) these are selfish times
(Ooh) these are selfish times
I got shellfish dimes
And sand dollars
Did you stay up all night
Sprawled out over a xerox enlargement of my placecard
Weeping backstage with the plus one babes
(No!)
On a piss stained Frisco truck
Hoping some camera'd catch your face
And the rain came down
And the fat worms show up like seared shut
Half clotted blood vein sections
Fast fossil drying up
You've got no God hand in the when of a raindrop
And the paint that you use was waterbased
The sound of light rain and burning leaves is the same
The hound in night's brain learning dreams is untamed
There'll be a time for drying up and dying on sidewalks
Years for beards in the bushes in someone's backyard
Dead dog in the shade
Like an empty old seed pod
Did you stay up all night
Sprawled out over a xerox enlargement of my placecard
Weeping backstage
With the pretty plus ones ignoring you
(Ooh) these are selfish times
(Ooh) these are selfish times
(Ooh) these are selfish times
I got shellfish dimes
And sand dollars
I'll no longer be the whit. or gaylords heavy
The glasses, beard and big wig must go
I did not play bigger bank in the backseat
Of the cheese that seemed risky
But my jeans were called huskys
I wrote this one on chipped dead elephant ivory
When they come I close the closet door
I wanted to breathe on beat
And go a fifth higher
Than my physical voice was coined for
I wanted to serve with hunger
But my gut split
And the hunger man poured into war
(Ooh) these are selfish times
(Ooh) these are selfish times
(Ooh) these are selfish times
I got shellfish dimes
And sand dollars
Did you stay up all night
Sprawled out over a xerox enlargement of my placecard
Weeping backstage with the plus one babes
(No!)
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The theories here suggesting that this song is about coke are pretty lame. I mean, just cos of the line 'did you stay up all night'? And suggesting that 'elephant ivory' is cocaine is pretty fanciful. TTOCCS suggestion that it is a piano is far more believable.
I have a question. Yoni sings in the first and the second person, that is he seems to be singing about somebody else. What do people think?
While I don't think this song is about coke, but I wouldn't be surprised if Yoni stuck in a line that alluded to it. Crushed Bones is on the same album is definitely about coke and most of Why?'s albums have recurring themes between tracks (death, sex, drugs, etc). <br /> <br /> But enough hair splitting! Why? rules and this is an awesome album!