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.
Louisiana
Come, go away with me
We'll take the highway
I'll see you in between
I listen to my head
And every word have come
It's been two days without it
The sleeping in the sun, hey
Crossing through Tennessee
Watching the sunrise
Thinking about a dream
Well, we'll listen all night
To the footsteps in the hall
There's thunder and there's lightening
A hundred miles off
I got my hands full
All summer long
I got my hands full
I got my hands full
Louisiana
Come, go away with me
Drinking our coffee
Under the canopy
Never saw a morning
I slept through half a day
There's thunder and there's lightening
A hundred miles away, hey
I got my hands full
Oh, summertime
I got my hands full
I got my hands full
Come, go away with me
We'll take the highway
I'll see you in between
I listen to my head
And every word have come
It's been two days without it
The sleeping in the sun, hey
Crossing through Tennessee
Watching the sunrise
Thinking about a dream
Well, we'll listen all night
To the footsteps in the hall
There's thunder and there's lightening
A hundred miles off
I got my hands full
All summer long
I got my hands full
I got my hands full
Louisiana
Come, go away with me
Drinking our coffee
Under the canopy
Never saw a morning
I slept through half a day
There's thunder and there's lightening
A hundred miles away, hey
I got my hands full
Oh, summertime
I got my hands full
I got my hands full
Lyrics submitted by ophelia219
Louisiana Lyrics as written by Matthew Frederick Barrick James Hamilton Leithauser
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I love this song! I think this is definitely one of the Walkmen's better songs...
also here are the lyrics I found on the Walkmen's website (sort of, they were from the message boards haha)
Louisiana Come, go away with me. We’ll take the highway. I’ll see you in between. If I listened to my head I never would have come. It’s been two days without it Just sleeping in the sun. Hey!
Crossing through Tennessee Watching the sunrise Thinking about a dream. Well, we listen all night To the footsteps in the hall. There's thunder and there’s lightning A hundred miles off.
I got my hands full All summer long. I got my hands full. I got my hands full.
Louisiana Come, go away with me. Drinking our coffee Under the canopy. We never saw the morning. I slept through half a day. There's thunder and there's lightning A hundred miles away. Hey!
I got my hands full Most of the time. I got my hands full. I got my hands full.
This is my favorite Walkmen song, definitely.
And yes, I think there is a dark meaning to it, like he cannot enjoy his vacation because of the stresses of his life. I think the line, "Drinking my coffee under a canopy," is pretty symbolic of what the song's meaning really is, saying he cannot enjoy himself because of the canopy of stress hanging over his life.
Woo hoo! the boys are back with a thunderous new album, and I got first post!
Love those mariachi trumpets! Great to hear an upbeat song from the Walkmen!
To be honest, I don't think this song is upbeat at all. I think, in classic Walkmen fashion, it sounds really powerful and uplifting, but the message is much darker, creating almost a painful iron that they're so beloved for.<br /> <br /> I think the song is about a man getting overwhelmed with pressure. He talks about having his hands full and going on this trip or vacation or something, but while he's on this trip, everything still feels stressful and ominous, and nothing really gets better. The lyrics suggest and interrupted sleep schedule ("slept through half a day", "sleeping in the sun"), and nervousness about the future ("footsteps in the hall", "there's thunder and there's lightning a hundred miles off"). The trumpets in the interlude and at the end further contribute to the irony when you look at the song this way, and you can almost hear the strain that the singer is under.<br /> <br /> That's my take on it, anyway. I love the Walkmen, and it's entirely possible that I attribute more to them than they intend. But I'll be damned if they aren't one of the strongest lyrical bands around.
Love this song. Love Louisianna.
Saw them play my school. so effin awesome
I wonder if it might be about going to rehab in Louisiana. Palmetto (palmettocenter.com), for instance, has clients travel in from all over to receive treatment there.