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.
On the night they killed Faye Tucker
I was gambling away my last dime
Well I pulled down the lever
And I sent up a prayer
That my luck would not be denied
My luck would not be denied
Roll out the head of Faye Tucker
And never you mind what they say
You may be reborn but its all just for scorn
And that's what you'll take to the grave
That's what you'll take to the grave
Well the minister wants you to live now
And the governor wants you to fry
And whatever it was that you thought might occur
They got something else in their minds
The got something else in their minds
If you live they gonna make you a campaigner
If you die they gonna make you a grave
Either way it goes down
Well your life's not your own
And that's why killin' don't pay
That's why killin' don't pay
I thought I heard the angel's bells
But they were just the hounds of hell
What did you learn Faye Tucker
What will take from this world
Well mercy could prove us
But nothing would move us
To rise above just being cruel
To rise above just being cruel
I was gambling away my last dime
Well I pulled down the lever
And I sent up a prayer
That my luck would not be denied
My luck would not be denied
Roll out the head of Faye Tucker
And never you mind what they say
You may be reborn but its all just for scorn
And that's what you'll take to the grave
That's what you'll take to the grave
Well the minister wants you to live now
And the governor wants you to fry
And whatever it was that you thought might occur
They got something else in their minds
The got something else in their minds
If you live they gonna make you a campaigner
If you die they gonna make you a grave
Either way it goes down
Well your life's not your own
And that's why killin' don't pay
That's why killin' don't pay
I thought I heard the angel's bells
But they were just the hounds of hell
What did you learn Faye Tucker
What will take from this world
Well mercy could prove us
But nothing would move us
To rise above just being cruel
To rise above just being cruel
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I love this song, even though I am not against the death penalty. I remember this case and how George W.( then governor of TX) couldn't wait to execute her but that many people spoke up for her, including conservative Pat Robertson (the "minister" in the song). I love the verse starting with "if you live they're gonna make you a campaigner". It is about how different sides of a political debate jump onto a peronal private thing, like a murder and execution, and use it to promote thier own cause. Musicaly, this song is outstanding. The Celtic-sounding reels of fiddle make it sound like a banshee keening for an approaching death. chilling.