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.
I had a girl I knew, she grew, became a woman now
I think that she teaches at one of the schools downtown
We used to roll the windows down and play the music loud
Smoking out in her car, lost in west Omaha
And we'd get drunk and kiss, our bodies twist like shoelaces
Yeah, we never came untied, I guess you were just my type
You know that summer never stopped, I still pretend I'm there
The band's in the living room, the neighbors, they never cared
So when I sat behind the drum set, your heartbeat's what I tried to play
But with the kick and snare so careless, not in time
So you got ahead of me, and I guess I'm still dragging behind
I had a friend who changed his name but couldn't change himself
Never quite figured out, how to deal with what life had dealt
He put a needle in his arm to calm his handsome hell
Who would've imagined it could've worked out so well?
Now he's a shape that moves like echoes through my empty room
And there's a voice that speaks, like someone's right behind me
I turned around and found exactly what you would expect
The clothes I left on my floor, the papers piled on my desk
But where the ink is wet, the cause, effects, what's meant by it?
The story that is incomplete, the picture's left unfinished
So I am writing my own ending, I let my pen bleed black or blue
And I will color in the meaning, it will be gold and green and true
And I'll learn to love my new discovered proof
I'll be grateful for this day
I will be grateful for each day to come
I think that she teaches at one of the schools downtown
We used to roll the windows down and play the music loud
Smoking out in her car, lost in west Omaha
And we'd get drunk and kiss, our bodies twist like shoelaces
Yeah, we never came untied, I guess you were just my type
You know that summer never stopped, I still pretend I'm there
The band's in the living room, the neighbors, they never cared
So when I sat behind the drum set, your heartbeat's what I tried to play
But with the kick and snare so careless, not in time
So you got ahead of me, and I guess I'm still dragging behind
I had a friend who changed his name but couldn't change himself
Never quite figured out, how to deal with what life had dealt
He put a needle in his arm to calm his handsome hell
Who would've imagined it could've worked out so well?
Now he's a shape that moves like echoes through my empty room
And there's a voice that speaks, like someone's right behind me
I turned around and found exactly what you would expect
The clothes I left on my floor, the papers piled on my desk
But where the ink is wet, the cause, effects, what's meant by it?
The story that is incomplete, the picture's left unfinished
So I am writing my own ending, I let my pen bleed black or blue
And I will color in the meaning, it will be gold and green and true
And I'll learn to love my new discovered proof
I'll be grateful for this day
I will be grateful for each day to come
Lyrics submitted by I Saw Star Wars
I Will Be Grateful For This Day [Companion Version] Lyrics as written by Mike Mogis Conor Oberst
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Neeley (who sang with Conor on "Feb. 15") was a friend that grew up and left him behind, so to speak. Conor is saying he would rather stay in that summer, the time when he and Neeley were depressed and drunk together. But Neeley grew up and changed, and Conor wasn't ready to do that.
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Yeah I agree that some line's are definitely about Elliott. "I had a friend who changed his name, but couldn't change himself" Very simple proof that he's referring to elliott. Elliott's real name was Steve, but changed it because he thought Steve sounded too much like a jock. Oh, and "to calm his handsome hell" isn't referring to Elliott's looks, it's referring to the fact that Elliott took his personal hells (his pain) and turned them into art. Even the music in the background is very Elliott-esque at some distinct points. And the last part of the song, Conor's refering to himself "The story that's incomplete, The picture's left unfinished, so I am writing my own ending".
This is actually the best interpretation of the song I've read, notably because of your explanation of Elliott's handsome hell.<br /> Good on you!
loving life... beautiful message
This is a great song. Basically it's just remembering the past and trying to move on from it. It's rememebering, but not forgetting. Basically, he has an optimistic outlook. I think he's saying, "yeah, I f*cked up in the past, but that's okay because I learned from it and now I can make everything okay now." It's a matter of deciding that you want to be okay. It's choosing between happiness and torturing yourself with regrets. It's about loving what is now, the present, and looking forward to the future and not dwelling on the past.
i.love.this.song.
"So when I sat behind the drumset Your heartbeat's what I tried to play But with the kick and snare so careless, not in time So you got ahead of me And I guess I'm still dragging behind"
is the best verse i can think of. it's the best way to express unrequited love for an ex, or so i think.
This is the best Bright Eyes song. The beginning is amazing, where it's basically just beats and then comes in the beautiful harmonic part of the song. Even without the lyrics, this song is great.
"That's why I'm writing my own ending, I let my pen bleed black or blue. And I will color in the meaning It will be gold and green and true. And I'll learn to love my new discovered proof..."
It's honest and almost defiant. Like saying, "I'll pick up where I left off, and I'll make my way colorful and beautiful." Definitely one of my favorite songs.
"And we'd get drunk and kiss, our bodies twist like shoelaces And we never came untied I guess you were just my type You know that summer never stopped, I still pretend I'm there "
words that fit. over the summer, i fell in love with someone who is "just my type" ... and during the summer, he was feeling the same. things fell apart, though, for myriad reasons. and still, we get drunk and we get together, if only for an hour or two.
this is possibly the best bright eyes song ever, hands down.
this song is so beautiful. the ending is exactly what i felt when i first listened to it. listening to it gives me a moment thats a "soundtrack to life"....i cant even find the right words with so many running through my head to describe what it makes me feel.
this song is so powerful, my heart stops every time i hear, "and i will color in the meaning..."