William holds his palm out proud
Upon the Bible, lays it down
And solemnly swears against it
That every word is true

Searching through the faceless crowd
In the hallowed auditorium
He sees that everyone is turned against him
And his endless pursuit

The saga that he spells out
Has mothers grabbing children
Grown men twisting mustaches
As priests smooth out their suits

But William hammers right along
And ignores the banging gavel of
The judges plea for order
In the chaos of the room

Outside my cell
There is an oak that grows
Through the fence line
And towards the sun

They built a barrier of barbs
Flush but against it's bark
And still it's burls unfurl
And the branch's strong

The silver thorns that hem in my hole
Snare me here through sun and snow
While barbs may scar
They cannot stop the mighty Oak

Burgeoning upward and out
This figure made out
The persistence that'd been made
Stopped by it's daggered escape route

Once it finally stands tall
The limbs will make the fence fall
The slowest getaway called
And the guard ever saw

The warden scratches his bald patches
Raise his arms in the air
And wonders how this happened
Despite his decades to prepare

In this I found the fate-
You'd see my sentence a mistake
Discharge me from this place
And reinstate me in your grace

The truth will set you free one day
My father promised me
But I'd never thought
The truth would come this way, quite honestly

William holds his palm out proud
Upon the Bible, lays it down
And solemnly swear against it
That every word is true

Searching through the faceless crowd
In the hallowed auditorium
He sees that everyone is turned against him
And his endless pursuit

If you'd a told me back then
That the words from my pen
Would end up bein' a pain of mine
I'd never change a damn thing

I'm so shocking to your ears
That the treaties you revere
Would suffer such assessment
At the status of _______

But I am more than well aware
Of how you all were unprepared
To stare into the sun
As it means to pick up on it's flares

Converted in question
And career upon the line
I suffer your reckless sanctions
With a clarity of mind

The charges that you lay
Against my character are faith full
And burden you with shame
When you face the gruesome paradise

And he knows as well as I
That the heralds can carol fight songs
The refrain rate's familiar
But the words just seem a tad wrong

God is just a breath away
He lives a kiss from your lips
With a message _____ _______
Drifts from mountains chiseled tips

So this is it
My suffer'n sings it's swan song
Suspicion sets me sovereign
From restriction of your sad bonds

You edit me from existence
For continuity
Where it will be always in your footsteps
To document your lunacy

William holds his palm out proud
Upon the Bible, lays it down
And solemnly swears against it
That every word is true

Searching through the faceless crowd
In the hallowed auditorium
He sees that everyone is turned against him
And his endless pursuit

The saga that he spells out
Has mothers grabbing children
Grown men twisting mustaches
As priests smooth out their suits

But William hammers right along
And ignores the banging gavel of
The judges plea for order
In the chaos of the room


Lyrics submitted by lorshmore

The Case of William Smith song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

4 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +1
    General Comment

    I believe this song to be based on the story of William Robertson Smith.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Robertson_Smith

    codykeithon April 03, 2010   Link
  • +1
    Lyric Correction

    "If you'd a told me back then That the words from my pen Would end up bein' a pain of mine I'd never change a damn thing

    I'm so shocking to your ears That the treaties you revere Would suffer such assessment At the status of ___"

    Should be:

    If you'd've told me back then That the words of my pen Would've branded me a paynim I'd've never changed a damn thing

    It must shocking to your ears That the treatise you revere Would suffer such assessment At the stylus of a confrere

    "Converted in question And career upon the line I suffer your reckless sanctions With a clarity of mind

    The charges that you lay Against my character are faith full And burden you with shame When you face the gruesome paradise"

    Should be:

    Covenant in question And career upon the line I'll suffer your reckless sanctions With a clarity of mind

    The charges that you lay against My character and faith Will burden you with shame When you face the Prince in Paradise.

    fromageron September 15, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation

    I feel like its about sticking to your guns.

    rurounickon February 16, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    God is just a breath away He lives a kiss from your lips With a message _ ___ Drifts from mountains chiseled tips

    Should be:

    God is just a breath away He lives a kiss from your lips With a message can mutate as it Drifts from mouth to chisel tips

    Alberickon May 14, 2013   Link

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

Album art
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
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.
Album art
Gentle Hour
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,
Album art
Just A Little Lovin'
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/
Album art
Magical
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Album art
Head > Heels
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.