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.
Another cold day
Three weeks in a row
I spend more time getting dressed than
Where it is I go
There are people on the streets
Shaking out their hands
Some to say hello others
Stay as warm as they can
I'm stopping in
For a hot cup of coffee
With an old bum who says
He could've been James Dean
Now the chief of police
Has asked him to leave
I say no, no, no
This man's with me
He makes me laugh
He makes me smile
And sometimes I cry
And he wrecks my mind
With a simple smile
Sometimes I believe in God for a while
Now I give a nod to Lucy
She knows my name
I've been around a lot here lately
Wow...someone knows my name
There's Dylan on the jukebox
A song from highway 61
James says he knows Dylan
That he wrote this one
(Chorus)
James has got a real name
But he prefers James
It reminds him of his youth
When he had a body just like yours
He says no one ever gives a damn
Unless they've got something to sell
It's a long way back
When you've fallen through hell
I'm stopping in
For a hot cup of coffee
With an old bum who says
He could've been James Dean
The chief of police
Has asked him to leave
And he whispers to me
As he tugs on my sleeve
You make me laugh
You make me smile
And sometimes I cry
But you never wrecked my mind
With a simple smile
Sometimes I believe in God for a while
Three weeks in a row
I spend more time getting dressed than
Where it is I go
There are people on the streets
Shaking out their hands
Some to say hello others
Stay as warm as they can
I'm stopping in
For a hot cup of coffee
With an old bum who says
He could've been James Dean
Now the chief of police
Has asked him to leave
I say no, no, no
This man's with me
He makes me laugh
He makes me smile
And sometimes I cry
And he wrecks my mind
With a simple smile
Sometimes I believe in God for a while
Now I give a nod to Lucy
She knows my name
I've been around a lot here lately
Wow...someone knows my name
There's Dylan on the jukebox
A song from highway 61
James says he knows Dylan
That he wrote this one
(Chorus)
James has got a real name
But he prefers James
It reminds him of his youth
When he had a body just like yours
He says no one ever gives a damn
Unless they've got something to sell
It's a long way back
When you've fallen through hell
I'm stopping in
For a hot cup of coffee
With an old bum who says
He could've been James Dean
The chief of police
Has asked him to leave
And he whispers to me
As he tugs on my sleeve
You make me laugh
You make me smile
And sometimes I cry
But you never wrecked my mind
With a simple smile
Sometimes I believe in God for a while
Lyrics submitted by weezerific:cutlery
Could've Been James Dean Lyrics as written by Jaron Lowenstein Evan Lowenstein
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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