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Pensacola Lyrics
Now I have a nagging flaw I never saw it sneaking up
it wrapped it's dirty arms around me
Pockets full of blood
After I had seen the sight I hardly had a choice to fight
A nail snuck out behind the van and it hit me through my sweater and my shirt
And when I looked at Michael he heard "I need to be alone"
But when he turned his head I soon corrected "Need to be at home"
It took me all this time to get where I said I would never be
I hope it's not even out there
I hope eventually you'll see what you've been turning me into
It's all for you
It feels like 37 years and I am nothing but a bank
If we could build our credit score "Incredible," they'll surely say
But I can credit only one to focus all the fame
It has the first and last even the middle of my very name
I am the greatest man that never lived and now i never sleep
I never lost a fight but never knew I started one the same
I never knew how capable I would become
I'm tired of talking to a wall when I could talk to someone else
It's got seven days without a word and you're with someone somewhere else
My daughter, she barely eats
She barely sleeps
She barely speaks
My daughter, she barely eats
She barely sleeps
She barely speaks to me
(To me, to me)
We spent the most of nights defending fights you fought in the past
But it was different now and I'm entirely too drunk to ask
(To me, to me)
You spend most every day enjoying the sun and hoping it lasts
(To me, to me)
I have a funny gut and feeling doubtful you'll get it back
(To me, to me)
I have a funny gut and feeling doubtful you'll get it back
Alcohol, dirty malls, Pensacola, Florida bars
it wrapped it's dirty arms around me
Pockets full of blood
After I had seen the sight I hardly had a choice to fight
A nail snuck out behind the van and it hit me through my sweater and my shirt
And when I looked at Michael he heard "I need to be alone"
But when he turned his head I soon corrected "Need to be at home"
It took me all this time to get where I said I would never be
I hope it's not even out there
I hope eventually you'll see what you've been turning me into
It's all for you
If we could build our credit score "Incredible," they'll surely say
But I can credit only one to focus all the fame
It has the first and last even the middle of my very name
I am the greatest man that never lived and now i never sleep
I never lost a fight but never knew I started one the same
I never knew how capable I would become
It's got seven days without a word and you're with someone somewhere else
She barely sleeps
She barely speaks
My daughter, she barely eats
She barely sleeps
She barely speaks to me
We spent the most of nights defending fights you fought in the past
But it was different now and I'm entirely too drunk to ask
(To me, to me)
You spend most every day enjoying the sun and hoping it lasts
(To me, to me)
I have a funny gut and feeling doubtful you'll get it back
(To me, to me)
I have a funny gut and feeling doubtful you'll get it back
Song Info
Submitted by
dwyatt12 On Apr 27, 2011
More Manchester Orchestra
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Where Have You Been
I Can Barely Breathe
Colly Strings
I've Got Friends
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Because I feel I can relate- I'm fairly certain that this song is about being on the road, and how everyone has this misconception about how glamorous and fun the whole ordeal is for him.
His whole life is happening back home- his daughter is growing up, his family is there. He calls his daughter on the phone, and she doesn't even recognize him. His wife is forced to find something to do, so she goes out with people and explains her resentment towards him for always being gone, thinking that he's having the time of his life.
But he's not. What everyone thinks is some glamorous party lifestyle is really just flat tires, wasting time, and getting drunk to forget about everything that he's missing. He's too busy on the road to enjoy the money that he makes, and he's gone so much that all that his family can really use him for is that money.
Manchester Orchestra played in Pensacola years ago and some locals got drunk and picked a fight, actually.
andy hull said quite a few times that this whole album was incredibly personal, which makes the meaning even stronger in my opinion.
the last chorus, "alcohol, dirty malls, pensacola, florida bars" i think is explaining why his daughter "barely, eats, sleeps, speaks"
her father spends so much time away from home, drinking, and wasting his time at dirty malls instead of home with his family.
that's what it sounds like to me anyway.
In an interview for Simple Math they you can find on their Youtube channel Andy was asked what the inspiration behind the song was and he said:
"There is a lot of inspiration in the city of Pensacola because it was one of the few places that we played for a long time before anybody ever knew who we were... That song has a lot to do with those two disgustingly amazing and beautiful years that we spent touring there"
My Favorite song on the new ablum right now...I'm sure i'll find a new favorite song over and over again like I do with every Manchester Orchestra album
Hell, yeah. I live right by Pensacola, hopefully they'll come and play since most people avoid it for some reason. Although, I know the song isn't necessarily about Pensacola but rather blaming drinking for getting in the way of your family life in general.
Hell, yeah. I live right by Pensacola, hopefully they'll come and play since most people avoid it for some reason. Although, I know the song isn't necessarily about Pensacola but rather blaming drinking for getting in the way of your family life in general.
Yeah this song is great! Favourite off the new album. What a great storyteller. I don't think this is a personal song, maybe based off experiences but I do agree that this is about getting caught up in a lifestyle, causing those you left at home to drift away from you. The lyrics are pretty literal, I guess.
I grew up in Pensacola and saw Manchester Orchestra Several time. As they were from Atlanta, they had a big following in Pensacola. I don't think it had anything to do with fights in Pensacola but rather the big following they had here and the time spent away from his family. If you ever visit Pensacola you will realize what they meant. For a band that spends a few moments here, they played at the Venue in a shitty mall, Sluggos off a shitty street, but I wouldn't trade a moment. The lyrics resound and the memories I have they may never know. Though in Andy's position I would much rather be with my family.
reminds me of the mountain goats, at least the vocal delivery in the first half and the subject matter.
ABSOLUTELY not. Have you ever even heard them? Or just hipster-name-dropping?
ABSOLUTELY not. Have you ever even heard them? Or just hipster-name-dropping?