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.
The breakers roar on an unseen shore
In the teeth of a hurricane
Oh, we struggle in vain
A hellish night, a ghostly light
Appears through the driving rain
Salvation in a human chain
All I know is that sometimes you have to be wary
Of a miracle too good to be true
All I know is that sometimes the truth is contrary
Everything in life you thought you knew
All I know is that sometimes you have to be wary
'Cause sometimes the target is you
Driven to ground with a helpful sound
Drowned by the cheer from the shore
Oh, we wonder what for
The people swarm through the darkening storm
Gather everything they can score
'Til their backs won't bear any more
All I know is that sometimes you have to be wary
Of a miracle too good to be true
All I know is that sometimes the truth is contrary
Everything in life you thought you knew
All I know is that sometimes you have to be wary
Of a miracle too good to be true
All I know is that sometimes the truth is contrary
'Cause sometimes the target is you
The breaker's roar on an unseen shore
In the teeth of an icy grave
In the teeth of an icy grave
Whoa, the human chain
Leaves a bloody stain
Washed away in the pounding waves
Washed away in the pounding waves
All I know is that sometimes you have to be wary
Of a miracle too good to be true
All I know is that sometimes the truth is contrary
Everything in life you thought you knew
All I know is that sometimes you have to be wary
'Cause sometimes the target is you
All I know is that memory can be too much to carry
Striking down like a bolt from the blue
All I know is that sometimes the truth is contrary
Everything in life you thought you knew
All I know is that sometimes the truth is contrary
'Cause sometimes the target is you
In the teeth of a hurricane
Oh, we struggle in vain
A hellish night, a ghostly light
Appears through the driving rain
Salvation in a human chain
All I know is that sometimes you have to be wary
Of a miracle too good to be true
All I know is that sometimes the truth is contrary
Everything in life you thought you knew
All I know is that sometimes you have to be wary
'Cause sometimes the target is you
Driven to ground with a helpful sound
Drowned by the cheer from the shore
Oh, we wonder what for
The people swarm through the darkening storm
Gather everything they can score
'Til their backs won't bear any more
All I know is that sometimes you have to be wary
Of a miracle too good to be true
All I know is that sometimes the truth is contrary
Everything in life you thought you knew
All I know is that sometimes you have to be wary
Of a miracle too good to be true
All I know is that sometimes the truth is contrary
'Cause sometimes the target is you
The breaker's roar on an unseen shore
In the teeth of an icy grave
In the teeth of an icy grave
Whoa, the human chain
Leaves a bloody stain
Washed away in the pounding waves
Washed away in the pounding waves
All I know is that sometimes you have to be wary
Of a miracle too good to be true
All I know is that sometimes the truth is contrary
Everything in life you thought you knew
All I know is that sometimes you have to be wary
'Cause sometimes the target is you
All I know is that memory can be too much to carry
Striking down like a bolt from the blue
All I know is that sometimes the truth is contrary
Everything in life you thought you knew
All I know is that sometimes the truth is contrary
'Cause sometimes the target is you
Lyrics submitted by blood is thin, edited by unsaved
The Wreckers Lyrics as written by Geddy Lee Weinrib Alex Lifeson
Lyrics © Anthem Entertainment
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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It's about not taking things in life for granted, not assuming you have all the answers and realizing that you might not have as much control over your destiny as you once might have thought. The song is a metaphor -- the "wreckers" of olden times were looters who, by lighting bonfires along coastlines to resemble light houses, would steer ships off course and cause them to wreck against the shore so they could plunder their remains.
I know this song is about a book, but it has its own meaning as a particular song, despite the book it's based on. To me, this song says that sometimes something that seems good may not be. In fact, may be no good at all. For example: you're living a comfortable and peaceful life and you won the lottery. Maybe this, that you can call a miracle too good to be true, ends up with the comfortable and peaceful life you were living and you can be miserable. Just an example and has happened. This can apply to many different situations in life.
Confusing at first, but then it's simple. Probably the most important lyric is "Cause sometimes the target is you." Sometimes you're the Wrecker, and sometimes the Wreckers are wrecking you.