This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Your daddy and my daddy had a drink at the bar
Talking about what was best for me
Without a name or a degree,
Stubbornly holding onto you
And you pulling away from me
The best that they could say,
For my restless teenage ways,
Was time in the service
Might serve me well,
Even if it's just service in
The latrines
Lucy my love,
Don't go sending me off to war
I put up with your family,
Full of bigots and fanatics,
Just to get a little closer to you,
Now you've turned on me too
You have turned on me too.
Go hide behind your flag and family
This town has nothing left for me
This town is nothing more
Than a fundamentalist penitentiary
When you're down on your knees
Are you praying for holy war?
When you're down on your knees
Are you praying for holy war?
Lucy my love,
Don't go sending me off to war
We must live,
We must true,
To our childhood dreams,
Or they're worthless
And our youth is insincere
So where do we find worth?
I put up with your family,
Full of bigots and fanatics,
Just to get a little closer to you,
Now you've turned on me too
You have turned on me too.
When you're down on your knees
Are you praying for holy war?
When you're down on your knees
Are you praying for holy war?
Lucy my love,
Don't go sending me off to war
We must live,
We must true,
To our childhood dreams,
Or they are worthless
And our youth is insincere
So where do we find worth?
Talking about what was best for me
Without a name or a degree,
Stubbornly holding onto you
And you pulling away from me
The best that they could say,
For my restless teenage ways,
Was time in the service
Might serve me well,
Even if it's just service in
The latrines
Lucy my love,
Don't go sending me off to war
I put up with your family,
Full of bigots and fanatics,
Just to get a little closer to you,
Now you've turned on me too
You have turned on me too.
Go hide behind your flag and family
This town has nothing left for me
This town is nothing more
Than a fundamentalist penitentiary
When you're down on your knees
Are you praying for holy war?
When you're down on your knees
Are you praying for holy war?
Lucy my love,
Don't go sending me off to war
We must live,
We must true,
To our childhood dreams,
Or they're worthless
And our youth is insincere
So where do we find worth?
I put up with your family,
Full of bigots and fanatics,
Just to get a little closer to you,
Now you've turned on me too
You have turned on me too.
When you're down on your knees
Are you praying for holy war?
When you're down on your knees
Are you praying for holy war?
Lucy my love,
Don't go sending me off to war
We must live,
We must true,
To our childhood dreams,
Or they are worthless
And our youth is insincere
So where do we find worth?
Lyrics submitted by overoverme
Flag and Family Lyrics as written by Matthew Ryan Maginn Clint Frederick Schnase
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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"damaged penitentary" should be "fundamentalist penitentary"
fifth hymn the brute kiss of Judas
Yeah, I can see the connection with Judas "I put up with your family, full of bigots and fanatics, just to get a little closer to you, now you've turned on me too, "
I believe Tim is talking about how two lovers are being torn apart due to conflicts in society. I think it may be racism, and the families of the two do not want to two seeing each other. "I put up with your family, full of bigots and fanatics."
Then Tim goes on to describe how the boys love has now turned on him. Instead of going with her feelings, she caves under the pressure of everyone else. "now you've turned on me too."
almost like romeo and juliet.
yes it is oily war. i have the album. so that would mean it takes place today.
this is ted stephens singing on this song singing quite irritatingly, too
ted wrote it too. i dont find him irritating at all
I could swear he's saying "This town IS nothing more than a fundamentalist penitentiary"
the guy sings this song perfectly. southern rock feel. is there no end to their talent??
ya whadddaaa heeckk battaryacid, ted rules. not only is tim a great lyricist, but ted too, jeeez