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.
A room with a window facing west towards the sea
You wave your hands across your chest facing me
Sing me a song, your voice is like silver and
I don't think that I can do this anymore
I'll take the high road that he walked once before
You sit and watch me as I come through the door
Sing me a song, your voice is like silver and
I don't think that I can do this anymore
Sing me a song, your voice is like silver and
I don't think that I can do this anymore
Show me the path down to the shoreline 'cause
I don't know if I can do this anymore
You wave your hands across your chest facing me
Sing me a song, your voice is like silver and
I don't think that I can do this anymore
I'll take the high road that he walked once before
You sit and watch me as I come through the door
Sing me a song, your voice is like silver and
I don't think that I can do this anymore
Sing me a song, your voice is like silver and
I don't think that I can do this anymore
Show me the path down to the shoreline 'cause
I don't know if I can do this anymore
Lyrics submitted by llscience
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Mountain Song
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"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Blue
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“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
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Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
I'm fairly certain I have the correct interpretation of this song and can provide proper insight into this sad, beautiful song.
It is an American interpretation, but I imagine it can apply to any country that has had a navy (and a West coast... and windows). The lyrics also suggest post-WW1 West Coast ("hands across your chest," meaning in a casket), although it could be from any battlefront where caskets returned by sea (WW2, South Korea, Vietnam?). The music video also looks a lot like Cali with palm trees, lots of coastal shots, and numerous lighthouses (or at least a lot of shots of the same one or two).
There is an old wives' tale that notes the widow's walk/watch on top of houses was used to watch the ocean for returning sailors. Many sailors did not return, thus the name. Sometimes the walk is accompanied by or only has a windowed tower like structure, often called a widow's peak. From my living/travel experience, peaks are far more common on the West Coast and walks are far more common on the East Coast of the USA (especially the Northeast / New England).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widow%27s_walk (The page notes there's no evidence for the wives' tale, but then I wonder where the name comes from...!)
So... the song...
The window facing West is a widow's peak. One of the only times a man might have his arms across his chest is in a casket.
Her man was a good man and likely literally a good singer.
She's grieving his death (for this line in this verse anyway).
Again, he's a good man, and I think here she/they are saying that he'd want her to continue living and find love again.
She's met someone new.
The new guy is also good (and a singer) but reminds her of the old guy. This thing is painful, and she's considering the alternative, specifically suicide.
(This is also evidenced in the music video with a single shot of a liquor store, suggesting minimally depression.)
She's considering specifically to commit suicide to join her old man in the sea.
Just a refrain, although arguably perhaps a suggestion that she went through with it.
Anyway, I could be wrong. For example, it could be about a father or any well-loved man in a woman's life dying at sea or at war. It's a relatively dated song with this interpretation, although more men do go to war than women still. But listening to it, I actually thought it might have been a cover of a much older song, but I couldn't find anything.
Correction: my experience is walks are more common on the West Coast and peaks are far more common in the Northeast.
Gorgeous girls........ gorgeous harmonies....... but......... the meaning of these particular lyrics elude me! I'd be only too happy to be enlightened by anyone.... particularly if it is the songwriter!! I really hope that there is an emotional meaning to the lyrics, even if it is a private, 'hidden' one relating to a life experience. Do please feel free to shoot me down(gently!) in flames if you feel I've been short-sighted re the meaning of these lyrics. :-) Raggy.
this is a tough one because I can't find any reliable information anywhere. My own personal interpretation is that it's a deeply personal song about someones death (lying with arms folded across the chest) ....the main significance being the "facing west - that being a religious act of prayer. Although people normally associate religious prayers with facing east - there are special circumstances in (kabbalah) the muslim faith, when prayers are given with "faces to the west" for somebody who is believed to have earned redemption and true righteousness. ....forgive me if I've got that slightly wrong - I'm not muslim myself and I do believe this particular "rule" is open to some interpretation anyway. It is along these lines though ....hope that helps.
This sounds like a suicide song to me ... esp as the music is so sad and the singer 'wants to go to the shoreline as she cant take this any more'. 'I'll take the high road as he walked once before' could mean the road Jesus took. Another clue to that is 'with your hands across your chest' (sign of the cross). 'Facing west' could be the way a Christian should face when in prayer.
To me this song is about a girl who is hoping for her boyfriend to be more like her, dreamy and sentimental rather than cold and distant.
She I think this song is about a girl who is hoping for her lover or boyfriend to be more like her, dreamy and sentimental.
She sings: "you with your hands across your chest facing me" She is looking out the window facing west to the sea while he watchs her with his hands across his chest, "you with your hands across your chest facing me."
This gave me the sense that there is some animosity between then, mainly because she desires him to be a more affectionate dreamy man, but in reality he can often cold. OR perhaps he was that once, and she is longing for him to be that way again, 'sing me a song your voice is like silver."
She sings, 'I can't do this anymore' because she loves him but it is taking a toll on her
the line; I'll take the high road that he walked' indicated to me that she like to be in what she perceives to be the superior position that he is in where the coldness mean that feelings are at bay and you get hurt less.
"you sit and watch me as I come" ... through the 'door" to me this line is sexual. It is a play on words. And again there is that that distance between them because he watches her in an intimate moment. So close yet so far. They clearly have chemistry but it has a an elusive distant quality to it.is looking out the window facing west to the sea while he watches her with his hands across his chest, "you with your hands across your chest facing me." It's as if she is dreamily gazing out longing for something more.
This gave me the sense that there is some tension between them, mainly because she desires him to be a more emotionally engaged person, but in reality he can often be cold towards her. Or perhaps he was that way once, but she feels like she is losing him and is longing for him to be that way again "sing me a song your voice is like silver," she says.
She sings, "I don't think that I can do this anymore," because she loves him but it is taking a toll on her.
the line; I'll take the high road that he walked' indicated to me that she will try to mimic his more stoic action, what she perceives to be the superior position that he is in where his coldness means that he is less vulnerable to hurt.
"You sit and watch me as I come" ... through the 'door" to me this is a play on words and is sexual. Again there is that distance between them because he watches her in an intimate moment... So close yet so far. They clearly have chemistry but it has a an elusive distant quality to it.
To me this song is about a girl who is hoping for her boyfriend to be more like her, dreamy and sentimental rather than cold and distant.
She I think this song is about a girl who is hoping for her lover or boyfriend to be more like her, dreamy and sentimental.
She sings: "you with your hands across your chest facing me" She is looking out the window facing west to the sea while he watchs her with his hands across his chest, "you with your hands across your chest facing me."
This gave me the sense that there is some animosity between then, mainly because she desires him to be a more affectionate dreamy man, but in reality he can often cold. OR perhaps he was that once, and she is longing for him to be that way again, 'sing me a song your voice is like silver."
She sings, 'I can't do this anymore' because she loves him but it is taking a toll on her
the line; I'll take the high road that he walked' indicated to me that she like to be in what she perceives to be the superior position that he is in where the coldness mean that feelings are at bay and you get hurt less.
"you sit and watch me as I come" ... through the 'door" to me this line is sexual. It is a play on words. And again there is that that distance between them because he watches her in an intimate moment. So close yet so far. They clearly have chemistry but it has a an elusive distant quality to it.is looking out the window facing west to the sea while he watches her with his hands across his chest, "you with your hands across your chest facing me." It's as if she is dreamily gazing out longing for something more.
This gave me the sense that there is some tension between them, mainly because she desires him to be a more emotionally engaged person, but in reality he can often be cold towards her. Or perhaps he was that way once, but she feels like she is losing him and is longing for him to be that way again "sing me a song your voice is like silver," she says.
She sings, "I don't think that I can do this anymore," because she loves him but it is taking a toll on her.
the line; I'll take the high road that he walked' indicated to me that she will try to mimic his more stoic action, what she perceives to be the superior position that he is in where his coldness means that he is less vulnerable to hurt.
"You sit and watch me as I come" ... through the 'door" to me this is a play on words and is sexual. Again there is that distance between them because he watches her in an intimate moment... So close yet so far. They clearly have chemistry but it has a an elusive distant quality to it.
IMO, it's a lovelorn song about suicide. I think the lyric should be; 'you with your arms across your chest, facing me'. The imagery is obvious. She reminisces and longs for days gone by, then ends with; 'show me the path down to the shoreline 'cause I don't know if I can do this anymore', inferring that she is planning to join him.