The Ribs of a Broken Umbrella

Just a quick correction: its not 'the lies, the lies' its 'dear Liza, dear Liza' taken from the song Theres a hole in my bucket. And its not 'sometimes in the morning intent', its 'sometimes in the morning A tent'

At least I'm pretty sure thats right :)

It's definately "Dear Liza, dear Liza", and "sometimes in the morning a tent". It's not the first time Noonan has slipped in a sly reference to having an erection; in 'Slowset', he mentions having risen to the occassion while dancing with a girl!

I saw them on their acoustic tour, they were just incredible, and Paul said this song was about this Polish guy they met in a pub in New York. He'd moved to New York years ago to set up a new life, and , his sweetheart was supposed to follow, but she never didmand obviously there was no way of finding out why in those days, so he lived his life in New York without her and all he had of her was a very old creased picture.

And the broken umbrella about which Paul sings is how he envisages the body of an old man, with it's broken spans being compared to bones.

She was only just a girl in a picture but he thought if I could only make her smile bhen she'd be mine He'd folded it, re-folded it so many times, He'd already lost some of her to the creases precious pieces He wondered how close he's ever been to her in this ebb and flow of the distance between us maybe she got the same bus and he left a trail of string wherever he went When he was sleepin', he tied it to his toe if she crossed it, then he'd know

But he knew that all was unravelling and he was bare stripped of his skin like the ribs of a broken umbrella sticking out of a bin

He'd pull his collar up against the wind, Against those who said that trying was the first step to failing Oh he was railing and filled with newfound purpose and pride, He'd make something out of this heady glow Now where would she go?

But what do I know? Cos all is unravelling and he was bare stripped of his skin like the ribs of a broken umbrella sticking out of a bin

But he knew how to fix it, dear Liza, dear Liza with time's great elixir, dear Liza, dear Liza

She was only just a girl in a picture, But he thought if I could only make her smile then she'd be mine Oh the thought of being faced with her gave him the fear and sometimes in the morning a tent Oh Lord give him strength

Cos he knew that all was unravelling and he was bare stripped of his skin Like the ribs of a broken umbrella sticking out of the bin

She was only just a girl in a picture but he thought if I could only make her smile bhen she'd be mine He'd folded it, re-folded it so many times, He'd already lost some of her to the creases precious pieces He wondered how close he's ever been to her in this ebb and flow of the distance between us maybe she got the same bus and he left a trail of string wherever he went When he was sleepin', he tied it to his toe if she crossed it, then he'd know

But he knew that all was unravelling and he was bare stripped of his skin like the ribs of a broken umbrella sticking out of a bin

He'd pull his collar up against the wind, Against those who said that trying was the first step to failing Oh he was railing and filled with newfound purpose and pride, He'd make something out of this heady glow Now where would she go?

But what do I know? Cos all is unravelling and he was bare stripped of his skin like the ribs of a broken umbrella sticking out of a bin

But he knew how to fix it, dear Liza, dear Liza with time's great elixir, dear Liza, dear Liza

She was only just a girl in a picture, But he thought if I could only make her smile then she'd be mine Oh the thought of being faced with her gave him the fear and sometimes in the morning a tent Oh Lord give him strength

Cos he knew that all was unravelling and he was bare stripped of his skin Like the ribs of a broken umbrella sticking out of the bin