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.
[Verse 1]
Well staving off rejection has always hurt like hell
I took the devil's bargain, made a stranger of myself
If anything was wrong, I couldn’t tell
So I didn't see you coming but now it's pretty clear
I traded my own wisdom for a jury of my peers
I ignored you for thirty years
[Chorus]
You don’t have to tell me
How hard it must have been
For you to let me in
Nothing lasts forever
Now I understand
I hurt you again
My quietest friend
[Verse 2]
Fifth grade in the lunchroom, fickle friends are telling jokes
They were making you the punchline of some random thing I wrote
They were looking to me to land the final fall
Just to be included, went straight up to my head
I thought the joke too stupid for it to matter what I said
I was wrong but I went along with it
[Chorus]
You don't have to tell me
How hard it must have been
For you to let me in
Nothing lasts forever
Now I understand
I hurt you again
My quietest friend
[Verse 3]
We could write this on reminders [?]
I'd memorize them [?]
I could sing them to myself
And whoever's listening
I could put them on a record
About my hometown
Sitting here with pen and paper
I'm listening now
Well staving off rejection has always hurt like hell
I took the devil's bargain, made a stranger of myself
If anything was wrong, I couldn’t tell
So I didn't see you coming but now it's pretty clear
I traded my own wisdom for a jury of my peers
I ignored you for thirty years
[Chorus]
You don’t have to tell me
How hard it must have been
For you to let me in
Nothing lasts forever
Now I understand
I hurt you again
My quietest friend
[Verse 2]
Fifth grade in the lunchroom, fickle friends are telling jokes
They were making you the punchline of some random thing I wrote
They were looking to me to land the final fall
Just to be included, went straight up to my head
I thought the joke too stupid for it to matter what I said
I was wrong but I went along with it
[Chorus]
You don't have to tell me
How hard it must have been
For you to let me in
Nothing lasts forever
Now I understand
I hurt you again
My quietest friend
[Verse 3]
We could write this on reminders [?]
I'd memorize them [?]
I could sing them to myself
And whoever's listening
I could put them on a record
About my hometown
Sitting here with pen and paper
I'm listening now
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
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