A Sunday Smile

i like this song. i feel thankful when i hear it. i don't really know what this song means for sure, but to me it sounds like two people who may (or may not) love each other, but he knows being with her isn't what either of them need.. even though he cant bare to be without her some days. the sunday smile is like... the innocent, pure happiness that they "wore for a while" before burning down... just to something they could look back on and admire. the love that froze everything around them, (pausing and singing) but they had to give up to better both of their lives.

i dunnooooo thats probably totally off, im not sure what the white church means.

In a book called History of the War in the Peninsula and in the South of France by William Francis Patrick Napier, I read about an assault on a place simply called the White Church. I believe this song assessed this event, or a soldiers thoughts during his attack on the White Church.

“What’s to say for the days I cannot bare.”

I believe here he is preparing to introduce what in his head he imagines when he is having a hard time in the war.

“A Sunday smile, you wore it for a while. / A cemetery mile, we paused and sang.”

He thinks of her smile on a specific day, this day being spent in (or by) a cemetery. Even surrounded by death, the two of them were frightfully happy. I believe he thinks of this because now as he is surrounded by death, he is unhappy.

“We burnt to the ground, left for you to admire / with buildings inside church of white.”

I think here he is proclaiming that his acts in the war will be something they can look back on. From the aforementioned book: “Heated shot were however thrown at the White Church with a view to burn the magazines; …”

“We burnt to the ground, left a grave to admire. / And as we reach for the sky, reach the church of white.”

He is trying to find good in his acts, thinking that maybe lovers will somebody walk by the cemetery he created and be able to dance. Also, he describes reaching for the white church. They never actually succeeded in destroying it. I think this represents the hope. He reaches for the sky, the same way he fully believes in his relationship with his girl back home. It’s what keeps him going. And yet they didn’t burn the White Church down. So what does this say about everything?

thanks pricillacox, twas very helpful! I love lyric analysis, but again, this seems a chance to sit back and just enjoy the beautiful rolling beauty of his singing. Not sure what it says about it all.... nonetheless Beirut is a wonderful band and this is a lovely song

I don't have a big idea on what it means but I love the song. It makes me think of being in some place like Rome. Sitting outside on a beach. Your frineds all around you talking and just relaxing. Many people are enjoying the warm water of the Medetterian. Splasing and laughing. Sun beating on your warm body. You close your eyes and this song fills your mind and body. You shiver as a chill rides up your spine. You dream. Or sitting in France. Looking out over the stone hand carved balcony at the cobbled streets where children run. Candle in the middle of the table you sit at. Faintly lighing up the features of your face. The stars reflection glisten in your glass of water. Your warm meal relaxes you and you become unaware of the slight cool breeze that curls around your face like water. You gaze across the city into the moon's face. Your body sways but you do not notice this song in the distance.

i think it might be 'a cemetary mile'

It definitely is "a cemetery mile", if you listen to any live version it's clearly cemetery mile.

instead of "and we felt true" the correct lyric is "and we felt clean"

Also "And as we reach for the sky" is "The hills reach for the sky"

IMO:

"All I want is the best for our lives my dear, and you know my wishes are sincere..."

He's saying, he thinks they should break up because he wants her to go after her dreams and he wants to go after his. They probably have different goals or dreams in life that will take them to different places and by being together they wont accomplish them. He's saying you know it's true and you know I'm right.

"A Sunday smile, you wore it for a while A cemetery mile, we paused and sang A Sunday smile, and we felt true"

I think this is just describing how they were acting after they both realized the break up happened. She would smile at him because she loved him but when the time to separate got closer she stopped smiling and was sad. I think the cemetary mile thing is just them mourning the end of their relationship? I'm not sure. After the mourning they smiled and knew it was for the best.

"We burned to the ground, left a view to admire With buildings inside, church of white We burned to the ground, left a grave to admire And as we reach for the sky, reach the church of white"

The relationship ended (burned to the ground), but they'll still remember eachother and all of the memories they had (left a view to admire). I think the church of white part is just the pureness and innocence of the relationship and all of the love they shared. Pretty much all of the good memories of eachother and the love they shared. The grave part is just a remembrance of the other person and their relationship again. The reach for the sky part is just him saying, go for your dreams and reach all of your goals, but still remember us and remember the church of white (their love and relationship).

Okay, this is just my opinion. =)

I think kidmeh is right with his lyric correction suggestions. It sounds like that's what he's saying when listening to Cheap Magic Inside. So instead of "we felt true" it's "we felt clean," and instead of "and as we reach for the sky" it's "Hills reach for the sky."

Also on Cheap Magic Inside I can't help but hear "What's to save, holidays I cannot bear," but I can't seem to make sense of that so I figure I'm mishearing. Either way I definitely think it's "save" not "say", and either "all the days," "are the days," or "holidays." I also don't think it's "buildings inside," to me it sounds more like "buildings in sight," or something similar. I definitely hear "sight."

I also think he's saying "A sunday smile, we wore it for a while" not "you wore it..." I also hear "that cemetery mile" not "a cemetery mile." Which isn't too important, but it can give a sense of specificity to what he's singing about, almost qualifying what a cemetery mile would be, or referring to a very specific period, like the final moments of the relationship. Almost like a funeral procession of the relationship.

And interestingly on Cheap Magic Inside he clearly says "about a sunday smile, and we felt clean" the first time, while the second time he says "about our sunday smiles, and we felt clean." Doesn't seem to be that way in the album version though.

Does anybody else hear what I do, or am I just crazy?