11 Meanings
Add Yours
Follow
Share
Q&A
Roosevelt Room Lyrics
Hey there, Son of Adam
Hey there, Daughter of Eve
Help me sing this tear gas riot song
To some fresh faced police
They won't even know what hit them
When they lift their Roman shades
And the people's song comes pouring in
On a brand new day
You who damn the river
You who changed our mountain's name
First we want denali back
Then we're taking on Washington's states
You give death as a consolation
You know only hate and rage
You paid a dowry for your child's rights
Now she's living like a slave
A prayer came down the wire
It was all in the enemy's code
You couldn't figure out what mercy meant
So you did like you were told
When they finally sent the doctors
Once the fireball went out
There was nothing left but the cockroaches
In a movie with no sound
What good, what good are you?
With your cynical flag and your Roosevelt room
What good, what good are you?
With your Cherokee trail and your unattended tomb
Go ask Hunter Thompson
Go ask Hemingway's ghost
It all catches up with you
Once you get just a little too old
Take a hard look in the mirror
It's a thing that you cannot see
Your shadows alone but the day is young
It just wasn't meant to be
There's no blankets for the winter
There's no oil in the lamp
And I'd like to write my congressman
But I can't afford the stamp
You want me to pay my taxes
So you can propagate your lie
While there's barefoot dudes down in New Orleans
Looking like they're gonna die
Yeah, you who quote the legends
You who poisoned all of my dreams
You pinned all of the medals on
All the boys from Omaha Beach
Hope you haven't got too lazy
I know you like your apple pie
Cause the working poor you've been pissing on
Are doing double shifts tonight
What good, what good are you?
With your cynical flag and your Roosevelt room
What good, what good are you?
With your Cherokee trail and your unattended tomb
Hey there, Daughter of Eve
Help me sing this tear gas riot song
To some fresh faced police
They won't even know what hit them
When they lift their Roman shades
And the people's song comes pouring in
On a brand new day
You who changed our mountain's name
First we want denali back
Then we're taking on Washington's states
You give death as a consolation
You know only hate and rage
You paid a dowry for your child's rights
Now she's living like a slave
It was all in the enemy's code
You couldn't figure out what mercy meant
So you did like you were told
When they finally sent the doctors
Once the fireball went out
There was nothing left but the cockroaches
In a movie with no sound
With your cynical flag and your Roosevelt room
What good, what good are you?
With your Cherokee trail and your unattended tomb
Go ask Hemingway's ghost
It all catches up with you
Once you get just a little too old
Take a hard look in the mirror
It's a thing that you cannot see
Your shadows alone but the day is young
It just wasn't meant to be
There's no oil in the lamp
And I'd like to write my congressman
But I can't afford the stamp
You want me to pay my taxes
So you can propagate your lie
While there's barefoot dudes down in New Orleans
Looking like they're gonna die
You who poisoned all of my dreams
You pinned all of the medals on
All the boys from Omaha Beach
Hope you haven't got too lazy
I know you like your apple pie
Cause the working poor you've been pissing on
Are doing double shifts tonight
With your cynical flag and your Roosevelt room
What good, what good are you?
With your Cherokee trail and your unattended tomb
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
i saw him 2 nights ago and before the song played he said "this is more of a marching song than a protest song"
these lyrics are wrong.
these lyrics are wrong.
I saw him last night and he mentioned that this song is like when he's reached a breaking point with the government and the leaders etc. Right before this he played Tom Petty's 'Walls' and he mentioned how he still sees so much good in the world. I like how he juxtaposed the two.
I really like the new sound if this is any hint to the next bright eyes cd then you can count me in for being really pumped
This song is so amazing. " the working man you have been pissing on..." holy shit. this song gives me the chills the instrumental is so different than what bright eyes are nknown for, but its beautiful. I think bright eyes wanted this song to have a 70's influence. Since it is a war protest song/ govornment protest. But it rocks. and that is all that matters. I hope bright eyes puts this one on the next album. Because its beautiful.
I saw them play this live. It was so heated and angry. I loved it.
I heard him play this at Radio City MH and it was like nothing I'd ever heard b4, such intense energy! Before he sang it, he said something like "I don't even like talking about this... but the way things are going, it's enough to drive peaceful people to violence" - I know that wasn't verbatim, if somebody remembers this please correct me. Thx.
http : // www.youtube.com / watch?v=EEnUooiVMbY
I saw them perform this in Washington DC a few months ago. I was completely blown away by the power of this song. "Yeah, go ask Hunter Thompson, Yeah, go ask Hemmingway's ghost, It all catches up with you Once you get just a little too old."
That stuck out to me a lot.
Yeouch. I love how sort of helplessly pissed this song sounds...In a lot of ways it feels like a hearkening back to Fevers and Mirrors days, rather than anything on Cassadaga. But yeah, pretty much a diatribe against weak, tightfisted governments that step on the people who hold them up: "And I'd like to write my congressman But I can't afford the stamp" ...how incredibly telling is that.
This was released on Conor Obert's "Outer South" =]
According to what I've heard on Outer South "unattended tomb" needs to be changed to "Arlington tomb", and "cyncial flag" to "cynical plague" But then again, he is pretty infamous for changing his lyrics in live performances. It seems this song isn't referencing to any particular political power, or presidency
According to what I've heard on Outer South "unattended tomb" needs to be changed to "Arlington tomb", and "cyncial flag" to "cynical plague" But then again, he is pretty infamous for changing his lyrics in live performances. It seems this song isn't referencing to any particular political power, or presidency
(reference to cherokee trail (Jefferson or any other president that dealt with the Indian Removal Act--although it is beleieved that Teddy Roosevelt was the 1st president to recognise Native americans as actual citizens, not aliens) although this song IS entitled "Roosevelt Room"...
(reference to cherokee trail (Jefferson or any other president that dealt with the Indian Removal Act--although it is beleieved that Teddy Roosevelt was the 1st president to recognise Native americans as actual citizens, not aliens) although this song IS entitled "Roosevelt Room" i don't think it gives direct reference to Teddy, nor Franklin Roosevelt; just american presidency and politics in general.