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.
Laying low in Eli, Nevada
on the loneliest highway just west of Utah
it has started to snow, I got a room for the night
I put a fiver in the slot, I took a shot
and then on came the lights
bars of four came up twice
and a double super bonus, yeah
twice was nice, you know
I couldn’t believe it
I didn’t even know how much it was
But it must’ve been the light, I hit the jackpot
I mean that whole place was abuzz
I’ve always been just a scratch off ticket
till I win another ticket
to play then come up empty
and I throw that thing away
you know I tossed it on the floor like I was bored
but it was worth a shot to play
I’ve seen no luck in old Beloxi
you know I lost hundreds and hundreds worth of twenties
but at the hotel Nevada everything changed
I bought drinks for the house
A King’s sweet with a couch
I mean the whole scene was a little weird and strange
The night went on and I got loaded, you know
when you’re loaded it’s too easy to get loaded
don’t you know what I mean
I’m talking loot cakes of cash
my casino cup was full, I had control
but it was a drastic contrast
I met this girl, blue eye shadow
bleach blonde hair, silver sparkly stiletto
she’s a drag strip dream
a real card playing queen
but I could tell she’d come to scam
with all her phony glitz and glam
but she damned my conscious stream
This girl she was much like a slot machine
lowest odds you can’t win off some card playing queen
but I let it roll
I wanted a golden egg from this sparrow
and then the pot bellied waitress said “here’s a free shot, you should take this”
and my sights got a little narrow
I got sleepy she’d say “come on honey let’s go upstairs before you lose the rest of your money”
besides, you might get a little lucky with this card playing queen
my head was spinning like a roulette wheel with weighted dice, the loaded feel
but I was cooking up my own scheme
so off to bed I go with a girl I don’t even know
Yeah I roll, roll, roll through the sheets we did roll
I woke up to an empty casino cup
red lipstick on the mirror
read “a sucker was sucked”
so I made some coffee
tried to reevaluate my luck
card playing queen departed, so I’m back to where I started
but she was kind enough, she was woman enough, she’s good enough
to leave my five bucks
on the loneliest highway just west of Utah
it has started to snow, I got a room for the night
I put a fiver in the slot, I took a shot
and then on came the lights
bars of four came up twice
and a double super bonus, yeah
twice was nice, you know
I couldn’t believe it
I didn’t even know how much it was
But it must’ve been the light, I hit the jackpot
I mean that whole place was abuzz
I’ve always been just a scratch off ticket
till I win another ticket
to play then come up empty
and I throw that thing away
you know I tossed it on the floor like I was bored
but it was worth a shot to play
I’ve seen no luck in old Beloxi
you know I lost hundreds and hundreds worth of twenties
but at the hotel Nevada everything changed
I bought drinks for the house
A King’s sweet with a couch
I mean the whole scene was a little weird and strange
The night went on and I got loaded, you know
when you’re loaded it’s too easy to get loaded
don’t you know what I mean
I’m talking loot cakes of cash
my casino cup was full, I had control
but it was a drastic contrast
I met this girl, blue eye shadow
bleach blonde hair, silver sparkly stiletto
she’s a drag strip dream
a real card playing queen
but I could tell she’d come to scam
with all her phony glitz and glam
but she damned my conscious stream
This girl she was much like a slot machine
lowest odds you can’t win off some card playing queen
but I let it roll
I wanted a golden egg from this sparrow
and then the pot bellied waitress said “here’s a free shot, you should take this”
and my sights got a little narrow
I got sleepy she’d say “come on honey let’s go upstairs before you lose the rest of your money”
besides, you might get a little lucky with this card playing queen
my head was spinning like a roulette wheel with weighted dice, the loaded feel
but I was cooking up my own scheme
so off to bed I go with a girl I don’t even know
Yeah I roll, roll, roll through the sheets we did roll
I woke up to an empty casino cup
red lipstick on the mirror
read “a sucker was sucked”
so I made some coffee
tried to reevaluate my luck
card playing queen departed, so I’m back to where I started
but she was kind enough, she was woman enough, she’s good enough
to leave my five bucks
Lyrics submitted by Aliendude
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