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.
You said we should look out further
I guess it wouldn’t hurt us
We don’t have to be around all these coffee shops
Now we’ve got that percolator
Never made a latte greater.
I’m savin 23 dollars a week
We drive to a house in Preston
We see police arrestin’
A man with his hand in a bag.
Hows that for first impressions
This place seems depressing
It’s a Californian bungalow in a cul-de-sac
Its got a lovely garden
A garage for two cars to park in
Or a lot of room for storage if you’ve just got one
And its going pretty cheap you say
Well it’s a deceased's estate
Arent the pressed metal ceilings great?
Then I see the handrail in the shower
The collection of those canisters for coffee tea and flour
And a photo of a young man in a van in Vietnam
And I cant think of floorboards anymore
Whether the front room faces south or north
And I wonder what she bought it for
If you’ve got a
Spare half a million
You could knock it down
And start rebuildin’
x3
I guess it wouldn’t hurt us
We don’t have to be around all these coffee shops
Now we’ve got that percolator
Never made a latte greater.
I’m savin 23 dollars a week
We drive to a house in Preston
We see police arrestin’
A man with his hand in a bag.
Hows that for first impressions
This place seems depressing
It’s a Californian bungalow in a cul-de-sac
Its got a lovely garden
A garage for two cars to park in
Or a lot of room for storage if you’ve just got one
And its going pretty cheap you say
Well it’s a deceased's estate
Arent the pressed metal ceilings great?
Then I see the handrail in the shower
The collection of those canisters for coffee tea and flour
And a photo of a young man in a van in Vietnam
And I cant think of floorboards anymore
Whether the front room faces south or north
And I wonder what she bought it for
If you’ve got a
Spare half a million
You could knock it down
And start rebuildin’
x3
Lyrics submitted by shaneboyar, edited by Robert128
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This song is only half about the first-person view. It’s also about reflecting on your own older years, life, experiences.
This song is truly about realizing you’re aging and picturing what you’ll be like when you need a “shower bar”
“I wonder what she bought it for” doesn’t refer to money, it’s about what choices and sacrifices she suffered
This is one of the most empathetic songs I’ve ever heard. Author can almost feel themselves in the previous homeowner/departed’s situation.
It starts out with a depressed narrator. Reluctant to go even for a car ride, much less far outside town. Depressed about everything, including suburban life. Change of scenery hasnt’t helped.
By the end of the song, it’s gone from a hopeless lamentation to a wishful/hopeful mood and lyrics
Perhaps the woman who own the home before here was an inspiration. Kept a nice garden. Maybe she lived alone. (A whole new story)
Seeing the handrail in the shower is a very real sign of aging, frailty.
The storyline’s buyer is picturing their own future, aging, being alone, body deteriorating. This becomes existential.
@GuitarHero9000 hey this is me the OP but i have a new take on this song<br /> <br /> songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107859484274/