its amazing how far music can come.. 24 years after it released and its one of the most heartfelt songs ive heard
Half-mast land grants homesteading laws
past Dodge Summit toward Athabasca Falls
practicing our Avocets and Gnatcatcher calls
Owl: I laid down my guns where the soldierfish swam
& slept inside the shoe of the world's tallest man
I saw Charlotte Corday with the knife in her hand
(It was nothing new)
I've perched on Steele Dakota's sandhill crane
I flew among the Paiute before the Mormon rain
I was in Virginia City for the stringing up of Clubfoot Lane
but I've never seen anything like you
All untied, by and by!
But I'd pour the matrimony wine
if you're ever so inclined
while low in a lodgepole branch nearby
a lovesick Barnyard an amorous eye
Owl: What unprecedented gift does this afternoon provide?
Walrus: What from the air now calls to water on the land?
What from my seclusion does this charlatan demand?
What to do now with my best-laid eremetic plans?
I've been to the Arfaks where the Sicklebills fly
seen Tangier's acrobatics nine stories high
I was there at Appomattox back in '65
when the General arrived
but I've never been in this room before!
(aside)
All untied, by and by!
that same old dream's trapped in my mind
I'm bound in ropes and on the firing line
well I wake up disappointed every time
To Owl: If the weather ever withers up your vine
Jacob knows a ladder you can climb
If that old thorn is still buried in your side
Jacob knows a ladder you can climb
Owl: Well if your pacific rivers all run dry
their clouds will fill my loud corrupted sky
and if the pleasures of your heavens ever end
that very ladder just as well descends
past Dodge Summit toward Athabasca Falls
practicing our Avocets and Gnatcatcher calls
Owl: I laid down my guns where the soldierfish swam
& slept inside the shoe of the world's tallest man
I saw Charlotte Corday with the knife in her hand
(It was nothing new)
I've perched on Steele Dakota's sandhill crane
I flew among the Paiute before the Mormon rain
I was in Virginia City for the stringing up of Clubfoot Lane
but I've never seen anything like you
All untied, by and by!
But I'd pour the matrimony wine
if you're ever so inclined
while low in a lodgepole branch nearby
a lovesick Barnyard an amorous eye
Owl: What unprecedented gift does this afternoon provide?
Walrus: What from the air now calls to water on the land?
What from my seclusion does this charlatan demand?
What to do now with my best-laid eremetic plans?
I've been to the Arfaks where the Sicklebills fly
seen Tangier's acrobatics nine stories high
I was there at Appomattox back in '65
when the General arrived
but I've never been in this room before!
(aside)
All untied, by and by!
that same old dream's trapped in my mind
I'm bound in ropes and on the firing line
well I wake up disappointed every time
To Owl: If the weather ever withers up your vine
Jacob knows a ladder you can climb
If that old thorn is still buried in your side
Jacob knows a ladder you can climb
Owl: Well if your pacific rivers all run dry
their clouds will fill my loud corrupted sky
and if the pleasures of your heavens ever end
that very ladder just as well descends
Lyrics submitted by MusicSoul0889
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Siberian Kiss
Glassjaw
Glassjaw
The Spy
Doors, The
Doors, The
Like a lot of the other comments are saying, I think this mainly about voyeurism. If the song was about his girlfriend, then why would he use the word spy. If you are a spy it means you shouldn't be caught, that is kind of the whole point, and if you are a voyeur, the whole point of the pleasure you get from it, is the fact that the other people don't know you are watching them. See a bit of a connection there?
Battle Royale
Word Alive, The
Word Alive, The
This song is def a twin to "Unfair" (a song she has been quoted as saying is about falling in love with someone who is already in a relationship) so it is presumably about the same person. Given the references to buying an apartment and not being able to see her love interest "after tonight," it's most likely that she's moving away and she'll "wait a day to break the bad news" (i.e. notifying him that she's leaving once she's already gone).
And, of course, the fact that she sees in him a fellow "idealist" and "dreamer" (terms commonly given to people with the INFP personality on the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)) portends that she'll always be left wondering if they would've been perfect together.
Step
Ministry
Ministry
Both as a standalone and as part of the DSOTS album, you can take this lyric as read. As a matter of public record, Jourgensen's drug intake was legendary even in the 1980s. By the late 90s, in his own words, he was grappling with massive addiction issues and had lost almost everything: friends, spouse, money and had nearly died more than once. "Dark Side of the Spoon" is a both funny & sad title for an album made by a musical genius who was losing the plot; and this song is a message to his fans & friends saying he knows it. It's painful to listen to so I'm glad the "Keith Richards of industrial metals" wised up and cleaned up. Well done sir.
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
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'm confused as to why mwY would post lyrics to this song with lines that aren't actually included in the song and missing lines that are actually in the song
oh well