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.
Got my paintbox out last night
Stayed up late and wrecked this place
Woke up on the floor again
Cellphone stuck to the side of my face
Dead space on the other end
Perfect howl of emptiness
Cast my gaze around the room
Someone needs to clean up this mess
Tape up the windows
Call in a favor from an old friend
Make some scratches on my floor
Crawl down on my hands and knees
In old movies people scream
Choking on their fists when they see shadows like these
But no one screams cuz it's just me
Locked up in myself
Never gonna get free
Something sacred, something blue
Cannons in the harbor dawn
I crawled down here to dig for bones
One more season then I'm gone
Black drapes over the crosses
Call in a favor from an old friend
Stayed up late and wrecked this place
Woke up on the floor again
Cellphone stuck to the side of my face
Dead space on the other end
Perfect howl of emptiness
Cast my gaze around the room
Someone needs to clean up this mess
Tape up the windows
Call in a favor from an old friend
Make some scratches on my floor
Crawl down on my hands and knees
In old movies people scream
Choking on their fists when they see shadows like these
But no one screams cuz it's just me
Locked up in myself
Never gonna get free
Something sacred, something blue
Cannons in the harbor dawn
I crawled down here to dig for bones
One more season then I'm gone
Black drapes over the crosses
Call in a favor from an old friend
Lyrics submitted by lionelhutz, edited by zeppyfish, alia612, crazyeyeskilla
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
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
I read an article that said:
"[In Memory of Satan] is a look at the process of someone becoming a borderline recluse, getting inside their head and looking out at a world that seems too much to take. "Everyone has spent those years, or maybe entire seasons, indoors where you don't really leave," Darnielle said. "That's when you go into the inner realms of the spirit. This guy's in hiding, and it's this most spiritual realm. That old saying holds here, that you can't be in a cave unless there's an exit, or else it's a grave."
More here: rollingstone.com/music/news/mountain-goats-john-darnielle-discusses-the-satan-record-20120120