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.
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Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Actual lyrics:
With our hands up high we're screaming Whoa whoa oh, whoa whoa oh.
I'm not afraid to make big mistakes, I'm not afraid to fall flat on my face. I need to get this looked at, Need to get this looked at. I need some time to think About what I've done, oh. One last thing before I go...
With our hands up high we're screaming Whoa whoa oh, whoa whoa oh. And with our feet we stomp a cadence for you.
It's all free and that's real, It's all free, you said. I need to accept, I need forget, I guess. I'm glad I got this looked at, Finally got this looked at. I'm so glad you came for me. Get this, get this right before we go.
With our hands up high we're screaming Whoa whoa oh, whoa whoa oh. And with our feet we stomp a cadence for you. [x2]
I am the one who needs you. [x3]
With our hands up high we're screaming Whoa whoa oh, whoa whoa oh. And with our feet we stomp a cadence for you. [x2]
I first heard this song on the radio and I didnt like it very much. Its different from the music on the previous album. I heard it a few more time, though, and started to like it. The lyrics, as usual, arent the most complex but are beautiful and have lots of meaning. Overall, from what I've hear, Monster monster is going to be a great album. Too bad I dont get it until Christmas.
I agree. For some reason I didn't care for this song all that much the first time I heard it. Then I gave it another listen and I couldn't take it off repeat. Great song, simple but meaningful lyrics and catchy tune. Love this band along with Underoath. Aaron is most definitely the man.
aaron gillespie is doing big things this is a great album and good song its weird to see his different music styles from underoath to the almost...keep it up mang
I love this album. I listened to it nonstop when it first was released and then i kinda stopped for a while then i put it in my cd player again yesterday and i forgot how amazing it is. The whole album is so religious and i love it because of that. And aaron has one of the best voices in rock i believe. i mean come on, i know he doesnt play the drums for this band but it takes some talent to sing and play the drums, especially for a hardcore band like underoath. dude does work.