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.
Back [...] a hundred years ago
There wasn't anyway you can go down here in Florida
Mississippi
[...]
Any of [...] things
Then you got your home [...]
And you got your own things
And you got your soul brothers
Hundred years ago [...]
Would never [...] it was
[...]
[...]
[...] background, ladies and gentlemen
[...] brownie diphtheria harmonica blues
[...] Asthma Mark
And the Funk Brothers
Good God!
Good God!
[...]
What is this?
I can't stand it
I can't really [...] a heartbreak
You just warm me up
Take it to my pocket please
Take it to my hometown
Take it to my strawhat
Take it in my blue [...]
They send me down by the scarecrow
And they say
Hey, boy
You better picking bluebirds all day long
It's about time you really got it on
And I know you brothers got rhythm and you got soul
Somebody you play some, I mean
We gotta have one on every block
Just to show how cool we are
I'm staying [...] and all of this
What's that rag you're listening here
Would be [Joe Brown and the Twistmen], boy
Would take your women back to their shed
We're gonna use you to make me feel, boy
Then we're gonna sit down and [...] on you
[...]
Fine [...] Asthma Mark
They used to say, play that thing there for more
Play the harmonica, boy
Play that thing
Asthma Mark goes free, yeah!
[...] what?
Asthma Mark goes free, yeah!
Free yeah!
Free yeah!
Carlos Santana, ladies and gentlemen!
Good God!
Don't break that bottle, brother Aynsley
It's all we got
So Asthma Mark would sit on the corner
And he would play his Diphtheria Blues on this corner
And people will come from miles around
To see Asthma Mark a-wheezing and a-playing
A-playing and a-wheezing
And spewing
And a-foaming
They say
We love you, Asthma Mark
And we sing with him
Go Diphtheria Blues
I can't breath
I can't breath
My blow's a sweater
Miles of water and
[...]
Oh, I can't stand it
What's gonna happen to me
Oh Diphtheria got me down
Oh San Antonio epidemic out
Oh [...]
Oh Diphtheria Blues
[...] say
Gonna play in this [...]
Gonna [...] through
[...] on the back
[...]
[...] in my place
[...] here
[...] funky blues
Diphtheria Blues
Got me down
Diphtheria Blues
Got me down
Can't stand it no more
Diphtheria Blues
Just [...]
[...]
Diphtheria Blues
Diphtheria Blues
Diphtheria Blues, yeah
Diphtheria Blues, oh
Diphtheria Blues [...]
Can't stand it
Oh no
Oh no
OW!
OW!
HOO-AAHHH!
Diphtheria Blues
Diphtheria Blues
Diphtheria Blues
Diphtheria Blues
Can't stand it
Oh no
Oh no
Diphtheria Blues
Diphtheria Blues
Play that thing Asthma Mark
Good God!
Good God!
Amen . . .
John Lennon: Okay?
FZ: Sit down and cool it for a minute so you can hear what we're gonna do!
John Lennon: Yeah, this is a song I used to sing when I was in The Cavern in Liverpool, I haven't done it since so . . . Two, three, four . . .
There wasn't anyway you can go down here in Florida
Mississippi
[...]
Any of [...] things
Then you got your home [...]
And you got your own things
And you got your soul brothers
Hundred years ago [...]
Would never [...] it was
[...]
[...]
[...] background, ladies and gentlemen
[...] brownie diphtheria harmonica blues
[...] Asthma Mark
And the Funk Brothers
Good God!
Good God!
[...]
What is this?
I can't stand it
I can't really [...] a heartbreak
You just warm me up
Take it to my pocket please
Take it to my hometown
Take it to my strawhat
Take it in my blue [...]
They send me down by the scarecrow
And they say
Hey, boy
You better picking bluebirds all day long
It's about time you really got it on
And I know you brothers got rhythm and you got soul
Somebody you play some, I mean
We gotta have one on every block
Just to show how cool we are
I'm staying [...] and all of this
What's that rag you're listening here
Would be [Joe Brown and the Twistmen], boy
Would take your women back to their shed
We're gonna use you to make me feel, boy
Then we're gonna sit down and [...] on you
[...]
Fine [...] Asthma Mark
They used to say, play that thing there for more
Play the harmonica, boy
Play that thing
Asthma Mark goes free, yeah!
[...] what?
Asthma Mark goes free, yeah!
Free yeah!
Free yeah!
Carlos Santana, ladies and gentlemen!
Good God!
Don't break that bottle, brother Aynsley
It's all we got
So Asthma Mark would sit on the corner
And he would play his Diphtheria Blues on this corner
And people will come from miles around
To see Asthma Mark a-wheezing and a-playing
A-playing and a-wheezing
And spewing
And a-foaming
They say
We love you, Asthma Mark
And we sing with him
Go Diphtheria Blues
I can't breath
I can't breath
My blow's a sweater
Miles of water and
[...]
Oh, I can't stand it
What's gonna happen to me
Oh Diphtheria got me down
Oh San Antonio epidemic out
Oh [...]
Oh Diphtheria Blues
[...] say
Gonna play in this [...]
Gonna [...] through
[...] on the back
[...]
[...] in my place
[...] here
[...] funky blues
Diphtheria Blues
Got me down
Diphtheria Blues
Got me down
Can't stand it no more
Diphtheria Blues
Just [...]
[...]
Diphtheria Blues
Diphtheria Blues
Diphtheria Blues, yeah
Diphtheria Blues, oh
Diphtheria Blues [...]
Can't stand it
Oh no
Oh no
OW!
OW!
HOO-AAHHH!
Diphtheria Blues
Diphtheria Blues
Diphtheria Blues
Diphtheria Blues
Can't stand it
Oh no
Oh no
Diphtheria Blues
Diphtheria Blues
Play that thing Asthma Mark
Good God!
Good God!
Amen . . .
John Lennon: Okay?
FZ: Sit down and cool it for a minute so you can hear what we're gonna do!
John Lennon: Yeah, this is a song I used to sing when I was in The Cavern in Liverpool, I haven't done it since so . . . Two, three, four . . .
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
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