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 entered the house
On the hill one day
Trying my best just to get away
No one was home
But the voices were clear
They let me know
I was welcome here
Life is so wonderful
Life is so beautiful
Stay a while
No one gets out alive
Life is so wonderful
Life is so beautiful
Just smile
No one gets out alive
I walked down the halls
Of that haunted place
A whisper was leading me
Through the maze
Promising warmth
Knowing my name
Knowing my reasons
And why I came
A face in a painting
Looked down on me
Smiled at me loving and tenderly
Reached out her hand
Stroking my hair
Suddenly voices were everywhere
Life is so wonderful
Life is so beautiful
Stay a while
No one gets out alive
Life is so wonderful
Life is so beautiful
Just smile
No one gets out alive
On the hill one day
Trying my best just to get away
No one was home
But the voices were clear
They let me know
I was welcome here
Life is so wonderful
Life is so beautiful
Stay a while
No one gets out alive
Life is so wonderful
Life is so beautiful
Just smile
No one gets out alive
I walked down the halls
Of that haunted place
A whisper was leading me
Through the maze
Promising warmth
Knowing my name
Knowing my reasons
And why I came
A face in a painting
Looked down on me
Smiled at me loving and tenderly
Reached out her hand
Stroking my hair
Suddenly voices were everywhere
Life is so wonderful
Life is so beautiful
Stay a while
No one gets out alive
Life is so wonderful
Life is so beautiful
Just smile
No one gets out alive
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Thursday
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Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.