Bats Lyrics
and a swinging wire door that slams shut like a guillotine
strum a note up in the wires
to chase bats down the river, seagulls around spires
and shred all the twilight, scatter it city-wide
the drunken saints with heavy heads
They can keep dreaming, dreaming of sleep down the end of the bed
but nobody's ever gonna break your heart again
that ricocheted off the walls
she just set them down quiet, safe in her dresser drawer
she laid me out on the laundromat floor
and said "You'll be not nearly who you were anymore
and I'll always be here to remind you what time is for"
the drunken saints with heavy heads
you see their spirits are cowering under the table
and they're still counting, counting the breaths under their breath
but nobody's ever
nobody's ever gonna break your heart again
This is a love song to Paul's home Melbourne, I remember him mentioning that one of his most beautiful sights is watching the bats fly down the Yarra River at twilight. I think it is also quite self reaffirming "no one's going to break your heart again" and strengthening- almost as though the city itself is protecting him. Perhaps also recognising the way home tends to ground you regardless of the pretentiousness of fame or status- in "i'll always be there to remind you what time is for". I adore this song, it seems so earnest- full of pride and optimism, beautiful!
When I heard this, I got the impression that he was reminiscing on a past relationship
He had a past relationship with a girl (in Melbourne his home town where they watched and chased the bats) and he broke her heart. “They can keep dreaming, dreaming of sleep down the end of the bed” referring to the girl wanting to move on and get some sleep etc. Now years down the track the girl has found a new love and he is accepting of this “But nobody’s ever gonna break your heart again”
I don't know though, I guess it's all about how you interpret it.
in a way i agree with both of the two different ideas being put forward here. I heard this song (played by Paul live) last night and he said that it was written about the yarra river area. Whilst it may be written about the Yarra River area, from the lyrics i kinda get the impression that it does have some specific reference to a time/moment (with a lover perhaps) spent in the area. It's just that second verse that makes in unable to be sure....
test
Sorry, but I don't think this song is a love song about Melbourne. Even though he loves watching bats fly down the Yarra, he's just using it as a metaphor or a reference in this song.
It can't be a love song with lyrics like
"And those average angels the drunken saints with heavy heads you see their spirits are cowering under the table and they're still counting, counting the breaths under their breath"
in it.
I think its a song about a rough relationship, e.g
"And the high-pitched, crooked thoughts that ricocheted off the walls she just set them down quiet, safe in her dresser drawer she laid me out on the laundromat floor and said "You'll be not nearly who you were anymore and I'll always be here to remind you what time is for"
The "you'll be not nearly who you were anymore" is about how the relationship has deeply scarred him.
From Jmag+Dempsey: "Angels and saints are supposed to represent beings in a state of purity and perfection... which is obviously completely out of whack with reality. Nobody and nothing is or can be perfect. I think it's better and more helpful to accept and embrace some flaws. I liked the idea of an 'average' angel (something that's supposed to be so holy and special being just 'average') or a misbehaving saint sitting down the end of the bed nursing a hellish hangover, comtemplating all the stupid actions of the night before and telling themselves they will try to be better."
***** beautiful song either way