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.
I had a hole in the middle
Where the lightning went through
I told my friends not to worry
My wife would know how to fix it
Hole in the middle, I'm seeing less of you
Now I'm not going anywhere and I
Don't know what I'll do
It's easy to lose your grip it's easy
I never tell my decisions to the ones I adore
I just show up like a
Bible breather outside the door
But when I look out the window
I see Girls on TV living and dying in LA and
It means nothing to me
It's easy to lose your grip it's easy
It's easy to lose your grip it's easy
So I walk through the streets I love
And I'm led to the house I built
So I walk through the streets I love
And I lay in your bed again
Wake up your saints Jenny, I need them
Jenny, I need them today
Wake up your saints Jenny, I need them
Jenny, I need them today
I didn't have to explain to
Her that I wasn't deaf
She sat me down and lit some
Colored candles over my head
She said you're right, it's a living
But you're wrong for the life
You know you never should've listened
To my father's advice
It's easy to lose your grip it's easy
It's easy to lose your grip it's easy
So I walk through the streets I love
And I'm led to the house I built
So I walk through the streets I love
And I lay in your bed again
Wake up your saints Jenny, I need them
Jenny, I need them today
Wake up your saints Jenny, I need them
Jenny, I need them today
Where the lightning went through
I told my friends not to worry
My wife would know how to fix it
Hole in the middle, I'm seeing less of you
Now I'm not going anywhere and I
Don't know what I'll do
It's easy to lose your grip it's easy
I never tell my decisions to the ones I adore
I just show up like a
Bible breather outside the door
But when I look out the window
I see Girls on TV living and dying in LA and
It means nothing to me
It's easy to lose your grip it's easy
It's easy to lose your grip it's easy
So I walk through the streets I love
And I'm led to the house I built
So I walk through the streets I love
And I lay in your bed again
Wake up your saints Jenny, I need them
Jenny, I need them today
Wake up your saints Jenny, I need them
Jenny, I need them today
I didn't have to explain to
Her that I wasn't deaf
She sat me down and lit some
Colored candles over my head
She said you're right, it's a living
But you're wrong for the life
You know you never should've listened
To my father's advice
It's easy to lose your grip it's easy
It's easy to lose your grip it's easy
So I walk through the streets I love
And I'm led to the house I built
So I walk through the streets I love
And I lay in your bed again
Wake up your saints Jenny, I need them
Jenny, I need them today
Wake up your saints Jenny, I need them
Jenny, I need them today
Lyrics submitted by brainybrainybrainy
Wake Up Your Saints Lyrics as written by Matthew D. Berninger Aaron Dessner
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Example: proper punctuation and transcription of the third stanza:
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PS - I should have added, this connects to another National song where the persona exhibits metatextual awareness of the song (and career) and questions either its futility or worth, given the difficulty of life as a musician and the pressures of trying to properly express big ideas. You know, given the interpretation that Mr. November is about the anxiety of delivering a good album to a British record label. (which is a fair interpretation, given the process of how the National write their songs). <br /> <br />