Absentee

As a child I was brought up a catholic, and there's a hymn 'kyrie ilasion' that's from a psalm or something. And I think that's what the lyrics are, not 'giving liason'. To nitpick further, I could have sworn the song starts with 'One goodbye for everyone'.

I always thought this was about the family gathering because the elderly parents have died - 'Our parents sleep and sleep, They don’t remember the ones they have left', and children 'sad in the ear'.

The hymn references add to this I think.

Besides that, it is a really great song & I love it.

I agree with stowawaygirl, but instead of "One goodbye for everyone" meaning a funeral, I think it refers more to a suicide note. At a funeral, everyone can say goodbye to the person, and if it weren't an unexpected death, the victim can say farewell. If the brother committed suicide, the note would be his only goodbye, a goodbye to everyone. Also, the line "and trip on the sidewalk all covered in blood", could refer to both the blood from the fall, and possibly the blood from where he fell if it jumped out a window. That's just my opinion on the song, though.

This song reminds me of christmas as a child.

It makes me think of a family, more over just the one member, as they grow up, and how the view of their family changes.

Its a beautiful song written by a beautiful artist.

agree with tomastronaut on what the lyrics actually are. a few other things as well e.g. the 'fallow' has grown out again, as in a fallow field - one which has been left to recuperate for a time, maybe with animals rather than crops - not 'the fellow'. I tried to change them but nothing happened. Anyway, love the song and all emmy's songs that I know of.

tomastronaut is right, it's Kyrie eleison which is Greek for Lord, have mercy. :]

i used to love that hymn and i adore this song too it's just wonderful =)

I think this song is not about losing your parents, but losing a brother. Her parents don't remember "the ones they have left" - not the ones they've left behind them, but the children they have left after one has died. And they find the magazines under her brothers bed, with strange pictures - well, we all know what kind of magazine boys traditionally have under their beds! And it would seem strange to a little girl.

i think the first line is

one goodbye for everyone

and i think the songs about a father walking out on a family

and i think its church, not childs music playing, in the kind of chorus/bridge bit.

Here are the correct lyrics:

One goodbye for everyone Old pair of shoes the last place they were left Out by the door where they always were kept Brown laces We stand in line to hear the news We’ve not been together since Christmas last year Room full of children all sad in the ear Small faces

And church music playing, playing Our parents sleep and sleep They don’t remember the ones they have left We find the magazines under your bed Strange pictures I play out in the street And trip on the sidewalk all covered in blood Tears not allowed, I pick myself up No stitches

Absentee kyrie ilasion Your memory like disease holds on The fallow has grown out again And all, all the fields are yellow Your CDs, car keys, diaries My family kept these secretly Your memory like disease Absentee kyrie ilasion, ilasion, kyrie ilasion

I think this song is about her brother dying in the army when she was young.

“One goodbye for everyone” — funeral “Old pair of shoes the last place they were left” — things are still as they were before he was gone “We stand in line to hear the news” — waiting to hear whether he is one of the ones who has been killed “We’ve not been together since Christmas last year” — being on leave only for Christmas “They don’t remember the ones they have left” — as a child, she is kind of ignored because her parents miss the brother so much — “Tears not allowed, I pick myself up” “We find the magazines under your bed / Strange pictures” — finding porn under the brother’s bed when they go through his stuff after his death “Your memory like disease holds on” — the parents are totally stuck on the memory of their lost son “The fallow has grown out again” — time keeps passing, the feelings about the brother don’t change “Your CDs, car keys, diaries / My family kept these secretly” — they kept the things that belonged to him still