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.
[FAREWELL]
Today's a day that they knew could be coming,
but it hurts the same anyway
The soldier is called to take part in the battle,
but he's still just Dad for today
The table is set, the family is gathered
to send their father on his way
His country calls
The soldier that leads them is leaving to enter the fray
Farewell laughter
Farewell to your boys
Farewell daughter
Farewell to your voice
Farewell father
Farewell to you son
Farewell brother
Until the war is done
What awaits, no one knows
What war brings, time will show
All that's certain is the cause and the man
All are hurting for the price war demands
Farewell laughter
Farewell to your boys
Farewell daughter
Farewell to your voice
Farewell father
Farewell to you son
Farewell brother
Until the war is done
What can be said
when emotions run so high?
There's a lump in his throat,
and everyone he cares for is saying goodbye
Tomorrow he leaves for war,
but that doesn't matter now
All that he cares about
is enjoying this night somehow
But there's one who will suffer
more than the rest
Yet she will still remain hopeful
She will still do her best
to raise their children to be worthy
of the freedom they possess,
and to understand the sacrifice
of a soul whose blood is shed
What awaits, no one knows
What war brings, time will show
All that's certain is the cause and the man
All are hurting for the price war demands
Farewell laughter
Farewell to your boys
Farewell daughter
Farewell to your voice
Farewell father
Farewell to you son
Farewell brother
Until the war is done
[THE SOLDIER]
Sailing far and away
from the place he wants to be
But his heart's still there,
though his job is across the sea
His thoughts are of reflection,
the way he used his time
Though his life was not perfection,
the moments of regret were few to find
And somehow he knows
that he won't be coming back
What he wonders the most
is how his family will react
But now the battle draws near,
pulls him away from the past
With a sigh he moves out,
committed to lead the attack
Fear has left him and adrenaline surges
Straight ahead he sees the battlefield
The first explosion brings death closer
His mind is focused, his orders clear
Believing in freedom
enough to give his life
As the moment of truth arrives,
he's not afraid to fight
Taking down the enemy quickly
He fights alongside good company
Willing to die for their country
Willing to fight to keep men free
Believing in freedom
enough to give his life
As the moment of truth arrives,
he's not afraid to die
Bullets fill the air as thick as a smoke cloud
The cost of war lay spread across the ground
No one panics as the fighting turns fatal
At any moment the death toll could sound
Sudden pain strikes and he looks at himself
As he clutches his side, he drops his gun
Collapsing in darkness, his eyes start to dim,
and the next thing he knows, he is gone
Believing in freedom
enough to give his life
As the moment of truth arrives,
this is his time to die
[THE UNBELIEVER]
Never again will I see his face
It's already lost from my memory
He's dead and gone, no sense in praying
No time is left for him to love me
He'll never see me become a man
He'll never see me do the best I can
My hope has already begun to fade
There is no miracle to stop my rage
Dead and gone, no life after death
I don't believe - don't preach to me!
Call me crazy, but I just don't see
I think your beliefs are just fantasy
I've lost my dad and I don't know why
anyone would choose to fight and die
He left us here and I don't believe
that war is worth the pain and grief
What comfort and peace can I have?
Is there a way I can ease my mind?
Those who claim in life beyond
are just the blind leading the blind
He'll never be here to share my dreams,
to give advice when life is bleak
I feel abandoned in my hour of need
My anger builds, another flame to feed
Dead and gone, no life after death
I don't believe - don't preach to me!
Call me crazy, but I just don't see
I think your beliefs are just fantasy
I've lost my dad and I don't know why
anyone would choose to fight and die
He left us here and I don't believe
that war is worth the pain and grief
[DADDY'S LITTLE GIRL]
Daddy's little girl
Just a little girl now
The pain so unbearable
that she simply shuts down
She's sitting in the corner
Not a word will pass her mouth
Since the news arrived,
she's withdrawn into herself
So much crying, too much denying
Her delicate heart shattered
Her frail emotions battered
The point of ruin so near
for the child he held so dear
Can a girl so young survive the loss?
Can her will rise up and bear this cross,
or for her, is all life's meaning lost?
She cries herself to sleep,
and sleep is all she wants
It's the only way for her to cope,
her refuge from the storm
Staring at the ceiling
Another day slips into night
As teardrops soak her pillow,
his image fills her mind
So much crying, too much denying
Her delicate heart battered
Her frail emotions shattered
The point of ruin so near
for the child he held so dear
Can a girl so young survive the loss?
Can her will rise up and bear this cross,
or for her, is all life's meaning lost?
[THE BELIEVER]
I believe that there's more than just this life,
and I believe in my son's sacrifice
I can see why my boy would join the fight,
and I can feel him looking down from the other side
There's no need for regret
He did what was right in his eyes
Why should I diminish his life
by seeing his death in a negative light?
There are many things that don't make sense,
but I never dwell on them for long
I've fought in war and seen men fall,
and I know that they're not really gone
If there's nothing to believe in,
then life would have no reason
If faith is seeing blindly,
then remove my sight from me
I'm unshaken
And when I falter,
I'll work my way back to solid ground,
because I have conviction
in the wisdom I have found
If there's nothing to believe in,
then life would have no reason,
and death would be so senseless
for everyone, not just my son
I'm decided
[WIDOWED]
I can't accept that he's left my side
The days are long and the night leaves me terrified
Every morning I wake and put my best face on,
but everything reminds me my best friend is gone
Please God, save me and help me to see
With unshaken faith, I want to believe
Show me that death doesn't mean that he's gone
Give me a sign that there is life beyond
I can't find a reason to get out of bed
His last words to me are stuck in my head
I'd like to believe that I'll see him again
I'll try to keep hope that this isn't the end
Please God, save me and help me to see
With unshaken faith, I want to believe
Show me that death doesn't mean that he's gone
Give me a sign that there is life beyond
In the dead of night, I wake up screaming
from this nightmare that's become reality
I'm all mixed up inside and I can't reconcile
Because he's gone, but I believe in what he was fighting for
In the light of day, I find strength inside
but I cannot hide the pain that's drowning me
Drowning me
In the dead of night, I wake up screaming
In the light of the day, I find some meaning
I'm all mixed up inside
What was right has all gone wrong,
and still my life will carry on,
though I'm not sure what I'm fighting for
[THE SOLDIER ALIVE]
I want to be the man my father was
And if I'm half that, I'd be a better man because
I would have faith, I would never lack love
for the people that surround me
I could never give enough, and I'd see my freedom
in the light that it's meant to shine,
and I'd see that nothing that surrounds me
is gained without a price
And I'd see that nothing that surrounds me
is gained without a price
I want to be the man he saw in me,
and if I'm half that, I know that he will see
(x3)
Today's a day that they knew could be coming,
but it hurts the same anyway
The soldier is called to take part in the battle,
but he's still just Dad for today
The table is set, the family is gathered
to send their father on his way
His country calls
The soldier that leads them is leaving to enter the fray
Farewell laughter
Farewell to your boys
Farewell daughter
Farewell to your voice
Farewell father
Farewell to you son
Farewell brother
Until the war is done
What awaits, no one knows
What war brings, time will show
All that's certain is the cause and the man
All are hurting for the price war demands
Farewell laughter
Farewell to your boys
Farewell daughter
Farewell to your voice
Farewell father
Farewell to you son
Farewell brother
Until the war is done
What can be said
when emotions run so high?
There's a lump in his throat,
and everyone he cares for is saying goodbye
Tomorrow he leaves for war,
but that doesn't matter now
All that he cares about
is enjoying this night somehow
But there's one who will suffer
more than the rest
Yet she will still remain hopeful
She will still do her best
to raise their children to be worthy
of the freedom they possess,
and to understand the sacrifice
of a soul whose blood is shed
What awaits, no one knows
What war brings, time will show
All that's certain is the cause and the man
All are hurting for the price war demands
Farewell laughter
Farewell to your boys
Farewell daughter
Farewell to your voice
Farewell father
Farewell to you son
Farewell brother
Until the war is done
[THE SOLDIER]
Sailing far and away
from the place he wants to be
But his heart's still there,
though his job is across the sea
His thoughts are of reflection,
the way he used his time
Though his life was not perfection,
the moments of regret were few to find
And somehow he knows
that he won't be coming back
What he wonders the most
is how his family will react
But now the battle draws near,
pulls him away from the past
With a sigh he moves out,
committed to lead the attack
Fear has left him and adrenaline surges
Straight ahead he sees the battlefield
The first explosion brings death closer
His mind is focused, his orders clear
Believing in freedom
enough to give his life
As the moment of truth arrives,
he's not afraid to fight
Taking down the enemy quickly
He fights alongside good company
Willing to die for their country
Willing to fight to keep men free
Believing in freedom
enough to give his life
As the moment of truth arrives,
he's not afraid to die
Bullets fill the air as thick as a smoke cloud
The cost of war lay spread across the ground
No one panics as the fighting turns fatal
At any moment the death toll could sound
Sudden pain strikes and he looks at himself
As he clutches his side, he drops his gun
Collapsing in darkness, his eyes start to dim,
and the next thing he knows, he is gone
Believing in freedom
enough to give his life
As the moment of truth arrives,
this is his time to die
[THE UNBELIEVER]
Never again will I see his face
It's already lost from my memory
He's dead and gone, no sense in praying
No time is left for him to love me
He'll never see me become a man
He'll never see me do the best I can
My hope has already begun to fade
There is no miracle to stop my rage
Dead and gone, no life after death
I don't believe - don't preach to me!
Call me crazy, but I just don't see
I think your beliefs are just fantasy
I've lost my dad and I don't know why
anyone would choose to fight and die
He left us here and I don't believe
that war is worth the pain and grief
What comfort and peace can I have?
Is there a way I can ease my mind?
Those who claim in life beyond
are just the blind leading the blind
He'll never be here to share my dreams,
to give advice when life is bleak
I feel abandoned in my hour of need
My anger builds, another flame to feed
Dead and gone, no life after death
I don't believe - don't preach to me!
Call me crazy, but I just don't see
I think your beliefs are just fantasy
I've lost my dad and I don't know why
anyone would choose to fight and die
He left us here and I don't believe
that war is worth the pain and grief
[DADDY'S LITTLE GIRL]
Daddy's little girl
Just a little girl now
The pain so unbearable
that she simply shuts down
She's sitting in the corner
Not a word will pass her mouth
Since the news arrived,
she's withdrawn into herself
So much crying, too much denying
Her delicate heart shattered
Her frail emotions battered
The point of ruin so near
for the child he held so dear
Can a girl so young survive the loss?
Can her will rise up and bear this cross,
or for her, is all life's meaning lost?
She cries herself to sleep,
and sleep is all she wants
It's the only way for her to cope,
her refuge from the storm
Staring at the ceiling
Another day slips into night
As teardrops soak her pillow,
his image fills her mind
So much crying, too much denying
Her delicate heart battered
Her frail emotions shattered
The point of ruin so near
for the child he held so dear
Can a girl so young survive the loss?
Can her will rise up and bear this cross,
or for her, is all life's meaning lost?
[THE BELIEVER]
I believe that there's more than just this life,
and I believe in my son's sacrifice
I can see why my boy would join the fight,
and I can feel him looking down from the other side
There's no need for regret
He did what was right in his eyes
Why should I diminish his life
by seeing his death in a negative light?
There are many things that don't make sense,
but I never dwell on them for long
I've fought in war and seen men fall,
and I know that they're not really gone
If there's nothing to believe in,
then life would have no reason
If faith is seeing blindly,
then remove my sight from me
I'm unshaken
And when I falter,
I'll work my way back to solid ground,
because I have conviction
in the wisdom I have found
If there's nothing to believe in,
then life would have no reason,
and death would be so senseless
for everyone, not just my son
I'm decided
[WIDOWED]
I can't accept that he's left my side
The days are long and the night leaves me terrified
Every morning I wake and put my best face on,
but everything reminds me my best friend is gone
Please God, save me and help me to see
With unshaken faith, I want to believe
Show me that death doesn't mean that he's gone
Give me a sign that there is life beyond
I can't find a reason to get out of bed
His last words to me are stuck in my head
I'd like to believe that I'll see him again
I'll try to keep hope that this isn't the end
Please God, save me and help me to see
With unshaken faith, I want to believe
Show me that death doesn't mean that he's gone
Give me a sign that there is life beyond
In the dead of night, I wake up screaming
from this nightmare that's become reality
I'm all mixed up inside and I can't reconcile
Because he's gone, but I believe in what he was fighting for
In the light of day, I find strength inside
but I cannot hide the pain that's drowning me
Drowning me
In the dead of night, I wake up screaming
In the light of the day, I find some meaning
I'm all mixed up inside
What was right has all gone wrong,
and still my life will carry on,
though I'm not sure what I'm fighting for
[THE SOLDIER ALIVE]
I want to be the man my father was
And if I'm half that, I'd be a better man because
I would have faith, I would never lack love
for the people that surround me
I could never give enough, and I'd see my freedom
in the light that it's meant to shine,
and I'd see that nothing that surrounds me
is gained without a price
And I'd see that nothing that surrounds me
is gained without a price
I want to be the man he saw in me,
and if I'm half that, I know that he will see
(x3)
Lyrics submitted by Octavarium64
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