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.
Pull the blindfold down
So your eyes can't see
Now run as fast as you can
Through this field of trees
Say goodbye to everyone
You have ever known
You are not gonna see them
Ever again
[Chorus:]
I can't shake this feeling I've got
My dirty hands, have I been in the wars?
The saddest thing that I'd ever seen
Were smokers outside the hospital doors
Someone turn me around
Can I start this again?
How can we wear our smiles
With our mouths wide shut
'Cause you stopped us from singin'
[Chorus]
Someone turn me around
Can I start this again?
Now someone turn us around
Can we start this again?
We've all been changed from what we were
Our broken parts left smashed off the floor
I can't believe you
If I can't hear you
I can't believe you
If I can't hear you
(We've all been changed
From what we were
Our broken parts
Smashed off the floor
We've all been changed
From what we were
Our broken parts
Smashed off the floor)
Someone turn me around
(We've all been changed
From what we were)
Can I start this again?
(Our broken parts
Smashed off the floor)
Now someone turn us around
(We've all been changed
from what we were)
Can we start this again?
(Our broken parts
Smashed off the floor)
So your eyes can't see
Now run as fast as you can
Through this field of trees
Say goodbye to everyone
You have ever known
You are not gonna see them
Ever again
[Chorus:]
I can't shake this feeling I've got
My dirty hands, have I been in the wars?
The saddest thing that I'd ever seen
Were smokers outside the hospital doors
Someone turn me around
Can I start this again?
How can we wear our smiles
With our mouths wide shut
'Cause you stopped us from singin'
[Chorus]
Someone turn me around
Can I start this again?
Now someone turn us around
Can we start this again?
We've all been changed from what we were
Our broken parts left smashed off the floor
I can't believe you
If I can't hear you
I can't believe you
If I can't hear you
(We've all been changed
From what we were
Our broken parts
Smashed off the floor
We've all been changed
From what we were
Our broken parts
Smashed off the floor)
Someone turn me around
(We've all been changed
From what we were)
Can I start this again?
(Our broken parts
Smashed off the floor)
Now someone turn us around
(We've all been changed
from what we were)
Can we start this again?
(Our broken parts
Smashed off the floor)
Lyrics submitted by dustfinger
Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors Lyrics as written by Edward Owen Lay Christopher Dominic Urbanowicz
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Coming from a background in the emergency department, to me, this song refers to losing a patient. Usually after working your arse off to save a life, and the patient dies, all the staff go outside the ER to smoke, and get rid of the stress...
Say goodbye to everyone You have ever known You are not gonna see them ever again - Refers to nameless patients that die.
My dirty hands, have I been in the wars? - In my opinion could refer to the blood that you have on your gloves while treating.
Someone turn me around Can I start this again? Now someone turn us around Can we start this again? - Begging to have another shot at saving the patient's life, just to have a redo.
We've all been changed From what we were - Seeing people die, changes you.
Our broken parts Left smashed off the floor - There is always blood (broken parts) on the floor of the ER after a hectic case.
Probably not what they tried to convey, but hey, this is what makes poetry so BRILLIANT!
Spoken in the language (without the medical jargon) of an experienced MD, RN, or....CNA? Interesting analysis!
It's not about seeing hopital staff smoking outside the doors to relieve the stress you fool. Editors, Tom Smith in particular, is an anti-smoking enthusiast. His track All Sparks has an anti-smoking theme as well as this one. Smokers outside the hospital doors is about people who are sick with a smoking related disease yet they continue to kill themselves by smoking while they're being treated. <br /> <br /> I can't believe you<br /> If I can't hear you<br /> <br /> and <br /> <br /> Say goodbye to everyone<br /> You have ever known<br /> You are not gonna see them<br /> Ever again<br /> <br /> refers to a person who kills themselves by continuing to smoke while being treated.<br /> I'm an ex-smoker and sometimes I miss it. But if you think about it, the human body is not designed to inhale smoke into it. Cigarette Smoke containing 4000 toxic chemicals which damage the human body, including 43 known cancer-causing toxins.<br /> <br /> For someone working in a hospital you've missed the point.
@Stass88 @DanRoyal Surprisingly they don't cover analysing song lyrics and recognising the background of the songwriter in medical school.