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 was walking alone on the ocean
I felt a fever burning up all I am
'Cause if there's one thing that I can't stand
It's standing next to my fellow man, ah
It's about to break, oh
For the social worker at the needle exchange
For the soft medicated and the hard deranged
For the lesbians at the bakery
Saying, "Do you really hate me?"
It's about to break
Break like a fever
It's about to break
Break like a fever
People looking for themselves without mirrors
Well, not knowing why you're here
Public appearance is the verge of tears
When you're out, you get off on weed and beer
Stand up now, let me look at you
Can we all take a part of you?
Stand up now, let me look at you
Can we all take a part of you?
You're dangerous with a stinger, missile
Weapons hot, thinking this will
We won't make them follow orders
Doctors without borders
It's about to break
It's about to break
Break like a fever
When I see your face, I wanna be in the human race
(Break like a fever)
You're beautiful, it's true, I wanna be beautiful life you
When I see your face, I wanna be in the human race
For the teenage mother with the baby asleep
For apricot when life is cheap
For losing faith
America fades into myth
I felt a fever burning up all I am
'Cause if there's one thing that I can't stand
It's standing next to my fellow man, ah
It's about to break, oh
For the social worker at the needle exchange
For the soft medicated and the hard deranged
For the lesbians at the bakery
Saying, "Do you really hate me?"
It's about to break
Break like a fever
It's about to break
Break like a fever
People looking for themselves without mirrors
Well, not knowing why you're here
Public appearance is the verge of tears
When you're out, you get off on weed and beer
Stand up now, let me look at you
Can we all take a part of you?
Stand up now, let me look at you
Can we all take a part of you?
You're dangerous with a stinger, missile
Weapons hot, thinking this will
We won't make them follow orders
Doctors without borders
It's about to break
It's about to break
Break like a fever
When I see your face, I wanna be in the human race
(Break like a fever)
You're beautiful, it's true, I wanna be beautiful life you
When I see your face, I wanna be in the human race
For the teenage mother with the baby asleep
For apricot when life is cheap
For losing faith
America fades into myth
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This is one my favorites of the album! This song hits the soul pretty deep, the feeling changes a few times. But I seem to be partial to laid back, slower tempo songs, Along with Why Can't You Be. His voice is amazing in these songs.
At the start the feeling is definitely tense. Think about talking one of those walks when your just sick of everything. And the fever is about to break, which I think is a great analogy. The obvious people we think of as being stressed, the social worker, drug addicts, poverty... these people are having a hard time with life. And I think generally as a whole we all are feeling a little worn out. But I love the bittersweet that comes when these lyrics are mixed with the music. And thats where this hope feeling comes in that the fever is about to break. "Break like a fever" when he sings that the supporting music is awesome!
But also on the inside, I would assume most people have feeling of insecurity about life itself. "People looking for themselves inside of mirrors For not knowing why you're here" And him personally having to live in public spotlight. Which isn't always easy. But I wouldn't know :)
It should go right to, "Stand up and let me get a look at you Can we all take a wider view" I think it makes a big difference that he dosen't say: ""When I see your face I want to be in the human race" hes does later but thats when the fever breaks...all about the building of tension.
More bad, the evangelist with bad intentions, weapons that want to explode.
But heres where it all changes!! The lyrics should be "we won't make them follow orders", and the drums come in, slowly getting louder. " We won't make them follow orders For doctors without borders" And it turns around with a little bit of hope. Let the people be free, the example being doctors that just really wan't to help people and aren't going to subscribe to some country's selfish bullshit. Traveling the globe helping people, a beautiful image. The music is building still and he shouts "its about to break"! Ohhh it's coming!! ;) AND IT BREAKS!! "break like a fever" Listen to the chorus singing behind him! It's beautiful! And simultaneously he says: "When i see your face, I wanna be in the human race" Think about going about day to day life...mundane. And then you see that one persons face, and your whole outlook changes. The feeling of love comes over "I wanna be with the human race". Such a change from the beginning when he hated his fellow man. The fever broke and hope has taken over! oh yay! :) He's seeing how beautiful life can be! So this great feeling must be spread, to the "teenage mother with the baby asleep", and "africa where life is cheap". These two situations I would imagine being hard, and he wan'ts the fever to break for them. But then he drops the bomb.... "for losing faith in who your going with". And the music quiets down. So basically his universal love is only accesed in partnership with a new love. Which I think we can understand. And like that the whole hope feeling drops out. But it was there, and all things must come to an end. After awhile sometimes you just get tired of hoping and give up. So the next line, "America fades into myth," I think thats pretty powerful. He basically saying the hopeful dreams of our forefathers is turing into a myth, a story of what was long ago. But things change and now we have 300 million people to look after everyday in this country, and more adding to it everyday. Stress.