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.
Father, can you hear me?
How have I let you down?
I curse the day that I was born
And all the sorrow in this world
Let me take you to the hurting ground
Where all good men are trampled down
Just to settle a bet that could not be won
Between a prideful father and his son
Will you guide me now, for I can't see
A reason for the suffering and this long misery
What if every living soul could be upright and strong
Well, then I do imagine
There will be sorrow
Yeah, there will be sorrow
And there will be sorrow no more
When all soldiers lay there weapons down
Or when all kings and all queens relinquish their crowns
Or when the only true messiah rescues us from ourselves
It's easy to imagine
There will be sorrow
Yeah, there will be sorrow
And there will be sorrow no more
There will be sorrow
Yeah, there will be sorrow
And there will be sorrow no more
Yeah, there will be sorrow
Yeah, there will be sorrow
And there will be sorrow no more
How have I let you down?
I curse the day that I was born
And all the sorrow in this world
Let me take you to the hurting ground
Where all good men are trampled down
Just to settle a bet that could not be won
Between a prideful father and his son
Will you guide me now, for I can't see
A reason for the suffering and this long misery
What if every living soul could be upright and strong
Well, then I do imagine
There will be sorrow
Yeah, there will be sorrow
And there will be sorrow no more
When all soldiers lay there weapons down
Or when all kings and all queens relinquish their crowns
Or when the only true messiah rescues us from ourselves
It's easy to imagine
There will be sorrow
Yeah, there will be sorrow
And there will be sorrow no more
There will be sorrow
Yeah, there will be sorrow
And there will be sorrow no more
Yeah, there will be sorrow
Yeah, there will be sorrow
And there will be sorrow no more
Lyrics submitted by Zekethesweetpeak, edited by z0mb0t, oscrwht
Sorrow Lyrics as written by Greg Graffin Brett W. Gurewitz
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The chorus proceeds:
"There will be sorrow" for two lines, but on the third, Graffin's voice adds in "No more." This leads to the question, is he referring to a chronological order in which there's sorrow and eventually it goes away in the end? Or is he repeating the words for emphasis only to drag out the words "No more" in the final line of the chorus. Or is he simply saying that there will always be sorrow?
What really struck me at this song was it's almost eerie, seemingly coincidental reference to the situation in Iraq.
"Let me take you to the hurting ground Where all good men are trampled down Just to settle a bet that could not be won Between a prideful father and his son "
Hurting ground: The fields of war. Prideful father and son: Bush Sr. and Bush Jr.
I picked up on this after listening a number of times. It's amazing how some of the lyrics fit in with it, yet they had no intention of that sort initially.
The final verse set of the song ("When all soldiers lay their weapons down...") is probably the most meaningful set of lyrics I've ever heard in a song, especially a relatively recent one. You can tell that BR was really putting their passion into this one. In my opinion the best song they've ever written.
YES!! i immediately thought of the bush family, but i knew that couldn't be it, so i came on here to see what it really was. i'm glad someone else made that connection.