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.
My father's land,
my mother's tongue
Misleading me,
so shamelessly
For many years,
I misbelieved
The hatred is the path for me.
Father I have killed many angels,
I think.
I will now walk in the sea.
I hope you will someday forgive me
Please moor
my empty boat on a pier
I can blame for the blue blood that runs in my veins.
But I seem to forget that we are all the same.
In your own blaze of hate you've spawn a fear in many lifes
You've taken action thinking it was all said on the sings.
You cannot heal the feeling burning deep inside your spine
You now collapse, cave in revealing scabby marks of life
Mother I've seen too much, I hate to live my life.
Forgot every word you told me, stubborn little child, (angel of your life)
I have to find my Eden now, the gates I left behind.
But the pain will remain.
No power to gain.
Now I have time to dwell on, self awareness, dreadful crime.
I saw the colors too bright, not knowing that I was blind.
I slayed a man who took a chance and drank the forbidden wine.
The map I draw reveals that I have been complete, machine, in team.
Father I've seen too much, I hate to live my life. Forgot every word you told me, stubborn little child, (angel of your life)
I have to find my Eden now, the gates I left behind.
The pain will remain.
No power to gain.
Mother where's your son.
When has this begun?
Who has been the fool?
No one was born to be a servant or a slave.
Who you tell me the color of the rain?
In the world that we live on, the lies said and done
They can well overrun
the power of one.
No one was born to be a slave etc.
To live and let die
To give hope and take life
Is that what you're here for?
To think you are right
To make sure it won't fly
Is a making of a hate crime
In the homes of the brave,
In the homes of the land slaves,
We are all the same
I need to believe.
There's more than the eye can see
All colors of rainbow.
No one was born to be a slave
Seek the past and place the blame
Tell me the color of the rain
No one was born to be a master
In the land we live, we die
praise the oneness, praise the lie
To bind a web around the faker
We will need a true
Rainmaker
"Children of Abel, Children of Cain
Can live in harmony, without shame
The keys that I grant thee, The Sacret Land
Are dry desert sand on the palm of your hand
Without the water, the wisdom of past
Will run through your fingers, forgotten so fast
Thus now when I leave you, I´m truly blind
This blindness, this blessing, the hope of mankind..."
my mother's tongue
Misleading me,
so shamelessly
For many years,
I misbelieved
The hatred is the path for me.
Father I have killed many angels,
I think.
I will now walk in the sea.
I hope you will someday forgive me
Please moor
my empty boat on a pier
I can blame for the blue blood that runs in my veins.
But I seem to forget that we are all the same.
In your own blaze of hate you've spawn a fear in many lifes
You've taken action thinking it was all said on the sings.
You cannot heal the feeling burning deep inside your spine
You now collapse, cave in revealing scabby marks of life
Mother I've seen too much, I hate to live my life.
Forgot every word you told me, stubborn little child, (angel of your life)
I have to find my Eden now, the gates I left behind.
But the pain will remain.
No power to gain.
Now I have time to dwell on, self awareness, dreadful crime.
I saw the colors too bright, not knowing that I was blind.
I slayed a man who took a chance and drank the forbidden wine.
The map I draw reveals that I have been complete, machine, in team.
Father I've seen too much, I hate to live my life. Forgot every word you told me, stubborn little child, (angel of your life)
I have to find my Eden now, the gates I left behind.
The pain will remain.
No power to gain.
Mother where's your son.
When has this begun?
Who has been the fool?
No one was born to be a servant or a slave.
Who you tell me the color of the rain?
In the world that we live on, the lies said and done
They can well overrun
the power of one.
No one was born to be a slave etc.
To live and let die
To give hope and take life
Is that what you're here for?
To think you are right
To make sure it won't fly
Is a making of a hate crime
In the homes of the brave,
In the homes of the land slaves,
We are all the same
I need to believe.
There's more than the eye can see
All colors of rainbow.
No one was born to be a slave
Seek the past and place the blame
Tell me the color of the rain
No one was born to be a master
In the land we live, we die
praise the oneness, praise the lie
To bind a web around the faker
We will need a true
Rainmaker
"Children of Abel, Children of Cain
Can live in harmony, without shame
The keys that I grant thee, The Sacret Land
Are dry desert sand on the palm of your hand
Without the water, the wisdom of past
Will run through your fingers, forgotten so fast
Thus now when I leave you, I´m truly blind
This blindness, this blessing, the hope of mankind..."
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Standing On The Edge Of Summer
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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Page
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There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
I agree with ZareliMan, this song is a masterpiece. The change-ups are awesome and I love the double bass on the drums. It's a solid song, great for those air guitar sessions.