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.
I met him down by the bay,
he said life is a stranger
that wont go away.
He took me by surprise,
and I felt for the first time,
what its like to be alive
I’m a soldier,
but I don’t know how to fight.
I’m your best friend
but I’m scared to see you tonight.
I’m the darkness,
but I want to be the light,
oh how I want to be,
oh how I want to be.
I met him down by the sea,
said I look like someone he knew.
I said I don’t know anyone,
so how could I possibly know you.
He touched my hand ,
finally I understand
what it means to be here with you.
I’m a soldier,
but I don’t know how to fight.
I’m your best friend
but I’m scared to see you tonight.
I’m the darkness,
but I want to be the light,
oh how I want to be,
oh how I want to be.
(x2)
he said life is a stranger
that wont go away.
He took me by surprise,
and I felt for the first time,
what its like to be alive
I’m a soldier,
but I don’t know how to fight.
I’m your best friend
but I’m scared to see you tonight.
I’m the darkness,
but I want to be the light,
oh how I want to be,
oh how I want to be.
I met him down by the sea,
said I look like someone he knew.
I said I don’t know anyone,
so how could I possibly know you.
He touched my hand ,
finally I understand
what it means to be here with you.
I’m a soldier,
but I don’t know how to fight.
I’m your best friend
but I’m scared to see you tonight.
I’m the darkness,
but I want to be the light,
oh how I want to be,
oh how I want to be.
(x2)
Lyrics submitted by viginti_tres
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
This is just a hunch / idea/ opinion, but it seems to me that the singer / protagonist (of course not the artist) in this song has Rogue Complex (Rogue from Xmen, the one who drains people's life by touching them ).
First verse first part, she mets a male character that says life is stranger that won't go away. (As in the character's life is a stranger to him and won't leave him alone).
First verse second part, the character takes her by surprise, inherently touching her, which causes his life to flow through her, and hence her feeling alive for the first time, but inherently she breaks away before she drains too much of his life.
Second verse first part, he says she looks familiar to him, (as in he is comfortable with her) and she responds to not know anyone, least of all know him, which refers to the isolationism of a character with such a complex.
Second verse second part, he touches her again, and not only does she feel his life flow through her, she feels repeated contact and love for the first time. Now it isn't stated explicitly whether she breaks away again (and he lives) or whether he dies.
Chorus,
I'm a soldier, but I don't know how to fight.
The meaning of this line is rather simple, it is a statement of circumstance, soldiers are in the business of killing, but she doesn't know how to fight / kill, and with her complex whether imagined or real she doesn't need to, she only needs to touch someone for look enough and they die.
I'm your best friend but I'm scared to see you tonight.
After finding someone who would touch her and love, it is no doubt she is now their best friend. There are two reasons she could be scared, either she killed him in the second touch and she fears that lose, or he is still alive but of course wants to touch her and hold her, and she is scared of the consequence of those actions.
I'm the darkness, but I want to be the light, oh how I want to be, oh how I want to be.
This line is referring to the girl's complex whether real or imagined, she is the darkness, she snuffs out people's lives by touch or love, but having found someone, she wants to be different she wants to give life to them rather than taking it away, and how desperate that desire is .