Lyric discussion by BethAnn 

Cover art for Ten Thousand Words lyrics by Avett Brothers, The

I think this song has religious undertones. In 1 Corinthians 14 Paul talks about speaking for edification and says that he would rather speak 5 words with his mind to instruct others than 10,000 words of speaking that others can’t understand. I think the lyrics anre about a searching for truth and that everyone has something to say about how you should live and what truth is. I also believe the line, “would they laugh if they know who paid” is speaking to sin and consequences (those good times come with prices), and the person who paid was Christ. If you read 1 Corinthians 13 and 14 and then read the lyrics I think you can see the connection. Especially because Paul specifically mentions 10,000 words.

Positive
Subjective
Analytical
Religious Undertones
Searching For Truth
Consequences Of Sin
Connection To Biblical References
Deep Analysis