I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
I've seen a monkey evolve into a man
I've seen a man devolve into a monkey
I've seen a junkie redeem himself with help
I've seen a wealthy man melt into the snow and blow his credit on a decongestant
The dyslexics breathe easy
The people in the top tax bracket just keep looking for freebies
Thumbing their noses at those in need of handouts
I'm talkin' panhandlers with secondhand clothes, living hand to mouth
Camping out on Capitol Hill
The fat cats are still insisting reparations be a jagged little pill
Today there's free vaccinations at the walk-in clinic
If you're lucky, you won't just be a guinea pig
Call me a cynic
I find it interesting how certain epidemics spread
More specifically – where they don't and who isn't affected
Yeah, I'm infected with a curious nature
The welcome mat said, "God bless this home," not "God damn thy neighbor"
They can repeat history but can't recycle paper
They don't see the forest or the trees, just skyscrapers
Towels of Babel in a town full of cattle
When I question brand loyalty, the crowd is bedazzled
But I'll never be hoodwinked, I'm mindful of the footprints
The shape of the hoof, the way the path in the wood splits
The author of the book, the origin of the crucifix
The waitress looking for tips and the place where the cook spits
This is where I was when the bomb dropped
Hiding from the uninvited onslaught
I've seen people who don't believe in sleep count sheep
With calculators that double as alarm clocks
From Noah's Ark all the way to Rosa Parks
To black folk pushing white agendas inside of an office with flow charts
Technology ain't shit, we feed off the fruit
When I stuff leaves of absence in my briefcase, follow suit
Spill the liquid from your double fisted escapade
Kill kids with the drunken misfits in your Escalade
It's gruel for the food fight and foreign aid
Bream ‘em down and build ‘em back up with what you throw away
Administering band aids on amputated limbs
Kissing ‘em with air raids, and your lips gave ‘em infections
Too many closed doors led to back drafts
Now the spring edition of fashion catalogs feature gas masks
How becoming on these lanky models
They can't look truth in the mirror without a pair of safety goggles
Hold the bobble head, insert the feeding tube
Even if they stop breathing, make sure they keep eating food
Do the Schiavo
Mouth opened wide like a perverse psycho circus side show
Forgive me not, my patterns stay impartial to apologies
Despite a polite side of mine that says, "I'm so sorry"
Adding flame infinitum for your eternal fuel tank
My higher power doesn't need to be thanked
Thanks anyway, that's from him to me to you
I don't mind being the middle man, someday I might need one, too
I'm at the fire
Where are you?
I'm at the fire
Where the hell are you?
I've seen a man devolve into a monkey
I've seen a monkey evolve into a man
I've seen it all, upside down, in-between, inside out
It's neither here nor there, hoof prints in the sand
I've fallen head first into the pit of my stomach
Taught to trust my gut, got no trust in the gutless
Save some hope for the hopeless, but I won't show it
Shoot my load in an opus, now it's an open casket
Going to Hades in a hand basket
Holding onto a dream, but lately we can't grasp it
There's been too much murder and not enough martyr
Why is it no one else wants to impress Jodie Foster?
[x3:]
I'm at the fire
We're at the fire
Where are you? Where are you?
You can't have revolution without evolution, huh?
You can't have evolution without velution, huh?
You can't have velution without elution, huh?
You can't have elution without lution, huh?
You can't have lution without ution, huh?
You can't have ution without tion, huh?
You can't have tion without ion, huh?
You can't have ion without on, huh?
You can't have on without n, huh?
Seriously I know that you pray when the chips are down
But act different when there are atheists around
Have suspicions that make you think you'll drown
All alone in the middle of a crowd
I'd be a liar if I said I never had to beg
Doubled over with my knees bent touching my head
Stuck in a bed, dealing with all of these evil visions
Running from the dead in a fetal position
Needing assistance from a nurse
She said, "Tell me where it hurts"
These words are gonna make my belly burst
So I mentally revert to all the enemies I've cursed
Running through my memories in reverse
I said bring that beat back, man, bring that beat back
A flash ain't enough time for me to recap
I'm a bastard sometimes, don't think I don't see that
Laughing at the dumb, blind, the deaf to the knee slaps
Cracking punch lines for the sake of some green stacks
Passion for the rhyme can be cheapened by feedback
I shut my eyes and proceed to go dream catch
But a troubled mind can't seem to fall asleep fast
I cut my ties like the way that a fiend acts
Go into overdrive and get caught in a speed trap
I've seen a man devolve into a monkey
I've seen a junkie redeem himself with help
I've seen a wealthy man melt into the snow and blow his credit on a decongestant
The dyslexics breathe easy
The people in the top tax bracket just keep looking for freebies
Thumbing their noses at those in need of handouts
I'm talkin' panhandlers with secondhand clothes, living hand to mouth
Camping out on Capitol Hill
The fat cats are still insisting reparations be a jagged little pill
Today there's free vaccinations at the walk-in clinic
If you're lucky, you won't just be a guinea pig
Call me a cynic
I find it interesting how certain epidemics spread
More specifically – where they don't and who isn't affected
Yeah, I'm infected with a curious nature
The welcome mat said, "God bless this home," not "God damn thy neighbor"
They can repeat history but can't recycle paper
They don't see the forest or the trees, just skyscrapers
Towels of Babel in a town full of cattle
When I question brand loyalty, the crowd is bedazzled
But I'll never be hoodwinked, I'm mindful of the footprints
The shape of the hoof, the way the path in the wood splits
The author of the book, the origin of the crucifix
The waitress looking for tips and the place where the cook spits
This is where I was when the bomb dropped
Hiding from the uninvited onslaught
I've seen people who don't believe in sleep count sheep
With calculators that double as alarm clocks
From Noah's Ark all the way to Rosa Parks
To black folk pushing white agendas inside of an office with flow charts
Technology ain't shit, we feed off the fruit
When I stuff leaves of absence in my briefcase, follow suit
Spill the liquid from your double fisted escapade
Kill kids with the drunken misfits in your Escalade
It's gruel for the food fight and foreign aid
Bream ‘em down and build ‘em back up with what you throw away
Administering band aids on amputated limbs
Kissing ‘em with air raids, and your lips gave ‘em infections
Too many closed doors led to back drafts
Now the spring edition of fashion catalogs feature gas masks
How becoming on these lanky models
They can't look truth in the mirror without a pair of safety goggles
Hold the bobble head, insert the feeding tube
Even if they stop breathing, make sure they keep eating food
Do the Schiavo
Mouth opened wide like a perverse psycho circus side show
Forgive me not, my patterns stay impartial to apologies
Despite a polite side of mine that says, "I'm so sorry"
Adding flame infinitum for your eternal fuel tank
My higher power doesn't need to be thanked
Thanks anyway, that's from him to me to you
I don't mind being the middle man, someday I might need one, too
I'm at the fire
Where are you?
I'm at the fire
Where the hell are you?
I've seen a man devolve into a monkey
I've seen a monkey evolve into a man
I've seen it all, upside down, in-between, inside out
It's neither here nor there, hoof prints in the sand
I've fallen head first into the pit of my stomach
Taught to trust my gut, got no trust in the gutless
Save some hope for the hopeless, but I won't show it
Shoot my load in an opus, now it's an open casket
Going to Hades in a hand basket
Holding onto a dream, but lately we can't grasp it
There's been too much murder and not enough martyr
Why is it no one else wants to impress Jodie Foster?
[x3:]
I'm at the fire
We're at the fire
Where are you? Where are you?
You can't have revolution without evolution, huh?
You can't have evolution without velution, huh?
You can't have velution without elution, huh?
You can't have elution without lution, huh?
You can't have lution without ution, huh?
You can't have ution without tion, huh?
You can't have tion without ion, huh?
You can't have ion without on, huh?
You can't have on without n, huh?
Seriously I know that you pray when the chips are down
But act different when there are atheists around
Have suspicions that make you think you'll drown
All alone in the middle of a crowd
I'd be a liar if I said I never had to beg
Doubled over with my knees bent touching my head
Stuck in a bed, dealing with all of these evil visions
Running from the dead in a fetal position
Needing assistance from a nurse
She said, "Tell me where it hurts"
These words are gonna make my belly burst
So I mentally revert to all the enemies I've cursed
Running through my memories in reverse
I said bring that beat back, man, bring that beat back
A flash ain't enough time for me to recap
I'm a bastard sometimes, don't think I don't see that
Laughing at the dumb, blind, the deaf to the knee slaps
Cracking punch lines for the sake of some green stacks
Passion for the rhyme can be cheapened by feedback
I shut my eyes and proceed to go dream catch
But a troubled mind can't seem to fall asleep fast
I cut my ties like the way that a fiend acts
Go into overdrive and get caught in a speed trap
Lyrics submitted by acidmaniac
Hoofprints in the Sand Lyrics as written by Sage Francis Ryan Bowersock
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Dreamwalker
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Radiohead
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
'towers of babel', not 'towels', just for the record.
sage francis got his shit together, is all i'm saying.