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.
And honestly, I have been begging for answers
That you and only you can give to me
A voice crying loud
I've been crying for days now
And as I start to run, I stop to breathe
(And I was nearly scared to death)
And I was nearly scared to death
(Why you left in paragraphs)
Why you left in paragraphs
(The words were nearly over us)
The words were nearly over us
You stop and turn and grab your bags
And I'll be here by the ocean
Just waiting for proof that there's sunsets and silhouette dreams
All my sand castles fall like the ashes of cigarettes
And every waves drags me to sea
I could stand here for hours
Just to ask God the question, "Is everyone here make-believe?"
With a tear in His voice, He said, "Son, that's the question."
Does this deafening silence mean nothing to no one but me?
As hours move to minutes
And minutes take longer to break
I will be desperately awaiting
But my tongue won't fall apart
And we've been sitting here for hours
All alone and in the dark
So let me think of how to word it
Is it too soon to say 'perfect'?
If I could find another thirty minutes somewhere
I'm sure everything would find me
All that's left is just to sing
And I'll be here by the ocean
Just waiting for proof that there's sunsets and silhouette dreams
All my sand castles fall like the ashes of cigarettes
And every waves drags me to sea
I could stand here for hours
Just to ask God the question, "Is everyone here make-believe?"
With a tear in His voice, He said, "Son, that's the question."
Does this deafening silence mean nothing to no one but me?
And if you sing to me sweet until then
I may never sail Virginia again
And as this current moves slow for me
This much you must know of me again
And I'll have you know I'm scared to death
Tell me once again
That you'll love me to the death
And should I die, you swear that you will come for me
As I fade away, you reach out your hand
(And please don't let me go)
And please don't let me go
(And please don't let me go)
And please don't let me go
And I'll be here by the ocean
Just waiting for proof that there's sunsets and silhouette dreams
All my sand castles fall like the ashes of cigarettes
And every waves drags me to sea
I could stand here for hours
Just to ask God the question, "Is everyone here make-believe?"
With a tear in His voice, He said, "Son, that's the question."
Does this deafening silence mean nothing to no one but me?
That you and only you can give to me
A voice crying loud
I've been crying for days now
And as I start to run, I stop to breathe
(And I was nearly scared to death)
And I was nearly scared to death
(Why you left in paragraphs)
Why you left in paragraphs
(The words were nearly over us)
The words were nearly over us
You stop and turn and grab your bags
And I'll be here by the ocean
Just waiting for proof that there's sunsets and silhouette dreams
All my sand castles fall like the ashes of cigarettes
And every waves drags me to sea
I could stand here for hours
Just to ask God the question, "Is everyone here make-believe?"
With a tear in His voice, He said, "Son, that's the question."
Does this deafening silence mean nothing to no one but me?
As hours move to minutes
And minutes take longer to break
I will be desperately awaiting
But my tongue won't fall apart
And we've been sitting here for hours
All alone and in the dark
So let me think of how to word it
Is it too soon to say 'perfect'?
If I could find another thirty minutes somewhere
I'm sure everything would find me
All that's left is just to sing
And I'll be here by the ocean
Just waiting for proof that there's sunsets and silhouette dreams
All my sand castles fall like the ashes of cigarettes
And every waves drags me to sea
I could stand here for hours
Just to ask God the question, "Is everyone here make-believe?"
With a tear in His voice, He said, "Son, that's the question."
Does this deafening silence mean nothing to no one but me?
And if you sing to me sweet until then
I may never sail Virginia again
And as this current moves slow for me
This much you must know of me again
And I'll have you know I'm scared to death
Tell me once again
That you'll love me to the death
And should I die, you swear that you will come for me
As I fade away, you reach out your hand
(And please don't let me go)
And please don't let me go
(And please don't let me go)
And please don't let me go
And I'll be here by the ocean
Just waiting for proof that there's sunsets and silhouette dreams
All my sand castles fall like the ashes of cigarettes
And every waves drags me to sea
I could stand here for hours
Just to ask God the question, "Is everyone here make-believe?"
With a tear in His voice, He said, "Son, that's the question."
Does this deafening silence mean nothing to no one but me?
Lyrics submitted by thoseguiltyeyes
You Be the Anchor That Keeps My Feet On the Ground, I'll Be the Wings That Keep Your Heart In the Clouds Lyrics as written by Brooks Patrick Betts Alexander Antonio Garcia
Lyrics © THE TALLAHASSEE SKYLINE PUBLISHING
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
You Be the Anchor That Keeps My Feet on the Ground, I'll Be the Wings That Keep Your Heart in the Clouds song meanings
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The verses are definitely about him thinking about the relationship. I interpret the first verse as him reading a goodbye letter that the girl gave to him as she was leaving because she couldn't actually tell him face to face. Probably because she was cheating on him with another guy behind his back. In the second verse, he tells of how he thought that their relationship was perfect, and I guess he's just wondering how she could leave.. what was it that he did wrong?
Eventually, he drifts off into that sleep that you get when you're super exhausted, totally worn out from being so depressed. That's when the chorus hits. He dreams that he's walking beside an ocean, reminiscing about all the past events in the relationship (those are the silhouette dreams), and he asks God if everyone there was make believe. In other words, was everything he saw in the relationship real, or were there things that he wasn't really aware of, and maybe that's why the girl left. Was the relationship really that perfect?
The ending part is him wanting to meet with the girl again. He wants to hear that she'll love him 'til the death. He wants to know that she'll never let him go. And because she actually did leave him, he's scared to death. He's torn .. heartbroken.
This song was definitely the easiest to relate to for me. I think anyone who's been in a deep relationship that ended by the other person leaving them can relate. This is undoubtedly my favorite song off the album, if only because I can put myself exactly in the guy's shoes.
'You be the anchor that keeps my feet on the ground... I'll be the wings that keep your heart in the clouds'
I'm getting pretty disappointed no one has pointed out the fact that the chorus is a direct reference to the poem "A Dream Within a Dream" by Edgar Allan Poe.
I mean:
And I'll be here by the ocean Just waiting for proof that there's Sunsets and silhouette dreams All my sand castles fall Like the ashes of cigarettes And every waves drags me to sea I could stand here for hours Just to ask God the question Is everyone here make-believe?
I stand amid the roar Of a surf-tormented shore, And I hold within my hand Grains of the golden sand- How few! yet how they creep Through my fingers to the deep, While I weep- while I weep! O God! can I not grasp Them with a tighter clasp? O God! can I not save One from the pitiless wave? Is all that we see or seem But a dream within a dream?
i think that the beginning is about a girl leaving him. and the rest of the song is about him getting over it seeking Gods help.
i thought maybe the ending was to a girl, but El translates to God in english. so that changed my views on that part.
@imthelead <br /> Couldn't the whole song be about being scared of not knowing God then? Because none of the first verse definitely implies there is a girl involved except maybe you stop and turned to pack your bags.
As previously stated, the first verse is obviously about a relationship failed. He just wants answers, answers only his partner can give, but it seems she’s denying him. Then, in the chorus he’s sitting on the beach, and that’s when he has this epiphany, this realization where he really steps back and is like ‘Wow. This is for real.’ For a lot of people, there are just these moments where you come to understand the reality and the intricacy of life, and it flabbergasts you that something so beautiful in all its tragic glory could actually exist. I’ve experienced this feeling, and it really is like an out-of-body occurrence. So I think this is when he looks to God for the answers, just searching for the reassurance that we’re all pawns on his giant chess board. And when he’s not answered to his satisfaction immediately, he wonders if he’s the only one who isn’t content not knowing. In the next verse, it seems to be a continuation of the chorus, in which he’s still planted in that spot, trying to figure it all out, but nothing’s coming. And he’s sure that if he just waits there a little longer, everything will come to him. The chorus comes once again, and we’re reacquainted with that feeling of confusion, followed by the bridge, in which he seems to be almost bargaining with God, saying that if he only grants him this one piece of knowledge, this meaning to life, then he promises he’ll stay faithful. ‘El’, in Hebrew, means ‘God’, and when I found that out, it completely changed the meaning of this part, and really the song in general. I could be wrong, but I think he’s really showing God his vulnerability. He’s terrified, but he wants God to give him the reassurance that if he does this; if he dives into faith, that God’s going to take care of him. I think this song is really about finding his true identity in God, and trying to grasp this crazy concept of life, and realizing that he’s never truly going to understand, but he has to trust in God’s plan.
Kudos to you! I think your interpretation is probably the best. <br /> ~Adios.<br /> TLMH.
What I get out of this song, is that El is greatly missed. And that El killed herself.
"And honestly, I have been begging for answers That you and only you can give to me"
As in, he's begging for answers to the questions he has about why she killed herself... but no one can give him those answers except for her, and that can't happen.
Basically, he's scared to death over death, and he hopes that she will be there for him when he dies.
That's what I get out of this.
What the fuck girl do you think is named El? Just ignorant.
He's confused. He doesn't understand why she left without saying goodbye or what she did that made her disappear. All she left was a note. He was shocked that she would just leave like that. She grabbed her bags and took off without a word. He stands and looks out to sea....standing there for hours having this little hope that maybe she will come back. Everything starts to be so un-real to him that he asks God "Is everyone here make-believe?"....because this has happened to him before.....and it's starting to seem like everything is too good to be true. He feels so alone that he tunes the whole world away. He never got to say "I love you." He had a flashback of the time they sat "alone and in the dark", he thought the moment was perfect....and he would have done anything to go back and have a 30 more minutes with her. Then she tries again, she remembers the nights he would sing her to sleep and stay close. And if he keeps her promise that he will love her to death (he swore to her that if she died he will come back to her) she may never leave him and sail virginia again....she tries to go back but the current moves slow...and as he fades away and forgets her, she begs to not let go.
When i listen to this song i get no feeling what so ever that hes talking about a relationship or a bad breakup. I Think He's Talking about being alone, Watching everyone pass him by. "And I'll be here by the ocean Just waiting for proof that there's Sunsets and silhouette dreams" When he says that i think he means i'll be here if you care, waiting, By myself For Proof of what you told me to expect. I Think in a way he's asking for gods help. To lead him in the right direction.He's Not Talking to anyone in particular.
when i first heard this song [well the whole album actually!] i was sitting next to Derek and Brooks and across from Alex and Cabbage, it was such an amazing moment that i will remember forever... this song is just so awesome, the boys sound so grown up! it's just great! everytime i hear this album i'll remember that the first time i got to hear it was over a month before it came out sitting in a hotel room next to Mayday Parade =)
I love this song. I didn't read many comments, so if what I'm saying is similar to what others have already said, I apologize. <br /> Okay, to me this song is about a death to someone close to the writer of this song. I always had this opinion since I first hear the song, when it first came out, but since the recent death of my grandmother, it makes even more sense. <br /> In the beginning, he is asking God questions such as is there a heaven, what does this life mean, what am I here for, and so on. He has been crying for days because of how sad he is of the death of his loved on. When he sings 'what you left in paragraphs', that, to me, either means that his loved one committed suicide, and he is talking about his suicide note, or maybe he is reading over old cards or letters from his loved one(I do that with old cards from my grandmother, that's why I figured that). <br /> He's on the beach, by the ocean, probably because he just wants to deal with the pain he is feeling and be alone. Maybe so he could cry. In a situation like this, where a loved one passes away, you don't feel like having people around you. You want to be alone so you can just sit there and cry. When he says 'my sand castles fall like the ashes of cigarettes' that could be taken literal, since he is by the ocean, or he could be referring to basically he feels his life is falling apart. You almost feel like everything you thought mattered, doesn't. You just want your loved one back, and since they're gone, it feels like everything you built in your life, falls apart. It just crumbles. <br /> The second verse kind of gets me. I don't really catch on to what he is talking about. I'm guessing he is reminising(sp?). He wishes that he could turn back time and just have 30 more minutes with this person and settle the things he wishes he would have said or done. Like telling this person how much you love them, or telling them how much they mean to you. Maybe that's something that is bothering him since this person passed. <br /> When he talks about 'and every wave drags me to sea' I think he is just talking about being overwhelmed. Maybe by the depression he is feeling about this death. Every small thing he thinks about drags him into being so upset and just back to the start. You think your doing better and one small thing, or wave, just pulls all of this emotion out that you thought you were over, when he is dragged to the sea. <br /> When he says 'and as this current moves slow for me, this much you must know, we'll meet again' I think the current he is referring to is his life. He is still living and he knows he will be living for a while without his love one. He wants to tell his loved one they will meet again in heaven, when his time comes. He then says 'and El, I'll have you know I'm scared to death'. That, to me, means he is talking to El, which is probably the nickname of the loved one that passed away. He is telling her he is scared to death, probably of dying. He isn't scared of seeing her again, because that's all he wants, but he's scared to die. He brought up earlier all of these questions for God, and since those questions go unanswered, that's why he scared of dying. <br /> 'Tell me once again, that you will love me to the death and should I die you swear that you will come for me'. That says to me that even though he and his loved one are in different places, heaven and earth, he still loves her and hopes that she still loves him. (I can relate). Then he says 'and should I die you swear that you will come for me', which is he wants her to be the first he see when he dies. That she will be there waiting and guide him into heaven and they will live there forever with eachother and their loved ones.<br /> 'As I fade away, you reach out your arms. And please don't let me go'. That say when he is fading away, dying, she reaches out and holds him to bring him to heaven. He scared, so he says please don't let me go. So now, his doubts that he had before, have vanished. He hasd died, and she was there and brought him with her, to the place he was so scared didn't exist. <br /> As for the heaven thing I mention above, I get that from him asking God if everyone is make believe, and if everything he thinks is real is really real. God won't tell him the answer because that is sort of the point in believing in God. You don't know for sure that you will live forever in heaven, you don't even know for sure that God exists. It is the faith you need to keep so you can experience these great things. God needs to make sure that even though doubts are everywhere, you still believe. You have always believed in God and in heaven but when a death happens, your mind kind of goes haywire and you start questioning everything. Like you thought there was a heaven and now you hope there is a heaven for the well being of your loved one. You just hope for the best for them, but you start doubting and bringing up all of these what-ifs. You end up remembering why you have always had faith and it brings you to a better place. <br /> This song is just so great and it describes everything I feel. I love that it is such a sad song and sort of depressing, but the end, it's a great ending. his doubts have washed away and they are now together forever. I love it. <br /> Sorry if i am repeating myself, just trying to get my point across. <br /> <br />
Wow, your response gave me chills. That's all I have to say.<br /> Such a beautiful song. My favorite along with One Man Drinking Games.
when i read what you said about someone passing away and how the second verse doesnt really fit in, i start to wander if its maybe a death at liek sea, and he is reminicising what happened, that would also fit in with the beach theme.
thats awesome man, do you know wat the ? are saying?
this is what i get from it:
And honestly, I have been begging for answers That you and only you can give to me A voice crying loud, I've been crying for days now And as I start to run, I stop to breathe (And I was nearly scared to death) And I was nearly scared to death (Why you left in paragraphs) Why you left in paragraphs (The words were nearly over us) The words were nearly over us You stop and turn to grab your bags
And I'll be here by the ocean Just waiting for proof that there's sunsets and silhouette dreams All my sand castles fall like the ashes of cigarettes And every waves drags me to sea I could stand here for hours Just to ask God the question, "Is everyone here make-believe?" With a tear in His voice, He says, "Son, that's the question, Does this deafening silence mean nothing to no one but me?"
As I was moved to malice And minutes take longer to break I will be desperately awaiting But my tongue won't fall apart And we've been sitting here for hours All alone and in the dark
So let me think of how to word it Is it too soon to say 'perfect'? If I could find another thirty minutes somewhere I'm sure everything would find me **All that's left is just to sing--
And I'll be here by the ocean Just waiting for proof that there's sunsets and silhouette dreams All my sand castles fall like the ashes of cigarettes And every waves drags me to sea I could stand here for hours Just to ask God the question, "Is everyone here make-believe?" With a tear in His voice, He says, "Son, that's the question, Does this deafening silence mean nothing to no one but me?"
? I may never sail Virginia again And as this current moves slow for me This much you must know, we'll meet again And I'll have you know I'm scared to death
Tell me once again That you'll love me to the death And should I die, you swear that you will come for me **As I fade away, you reach out your hand (And please don't let me go) And please don't let me go (And please don't let me go) And please don't let me go
And I'll be here by the ocean Just waiting for proof that there's sunsets and silhouette dreams All my sand castles fall like the ashes of cigarettes And every waves drags me to sea I could stand here for hours Just to ask God the question, "Is everyone here make-believe?" With a tear in His voice, He says, "Son, that's the question, Does this deafening silence mean nothing to no one but me?"