Joseph, Better You Than Me Lyrics
Well your eyes just haven't been the same, Joseph
Are you bad at dealing with the fame, Joseph?
There's a pale moonshine, above you
Do you see both sides, do they shove you, around?
Is the touchstone forcing you to hide, Joseph?
Are the rumors eating you alive, Joseph?
When the holy night is upon you
Will you do what's right, the position is yours?
From the temple walls to the New York night
Our decisions rest on a child
When she took her stand
Did she hold your hand?
Will your faith stand still or run away?
Run away
When they've driven you so far
That you think you're gonna drop
Do you wish you were back there at the carpenter shop?
With the plane and the lathe
The work never drove you mad
You're a maker, a creator
Not just somebody's dad
Our decisions rest on a man
When I take the stand
When I take the stand
Will he hold my hand?
Will my faith stand still or run away?
And the desert
It's a hell of a place to find heaven
Forty years lost in the wilderness looking for God
And you climb to the top of the mountain
Looking down on the city
Where you were born
Better you than me
Yes
Well the Holy night is upon you (Better you than me 2x)
Do you see both sides, do they shove you, around
Better you than me
Joseph, Joseph, Joseph, Joseph
Than me
Better you than me
Better you than me (Better you, better you, better you)
Than me
This song sounds like it's about the decision of Joseph to keep the pregnant Mary in the Nativity Story. Mary was pregnant with Jesus at the time, conceived by the Holy Spirit. This could certainly be seen by her contemporaries as some lame excuse, and Joseph had to make a decision to leave her or keep her. According to ancient Jewish customs, he was supposed to leave her, and he was going to (albeit in secret to keep her honor) but was visited by an Angel in a dream telling him to keep her and to name the baby Jesus. I would have to look closer but this song seems like it references this decision, and concludes "better you than me" to make the decision, as in Brandon Flowers admits he wouldn't want to have had to made such a difficult decision. Oh, and Elton John too. Heh.
No one has commented yet??
Not sure about this one, think its growing on me though.....
Brandon Flowers is mormon, and this song is obviously about Joseph Smith... "are the rumors eating you alive," Joseph Smith was hated by a lot of people, and there were a lot of rumors about him... "from the temple walls to the new york night," they built a lot of temples when he was alive, and he was born and lived most of his life in New York... "And the desert It's a hell of a place to find heaven Forty years lost in the wilderness looking for God" (i know it sounds a lot like Moses but listen to this) Salt Lake...
Brandon Flowers is mormon, and this song is obviously about Joseph Smith... "are the rumors eating you alive," Joseph Smith was hated by a lot of people, and there were a lot of rumors about him... "from the temple walls to the new york night," they built a lot of temples when he was alive, and he was born and lived most of his life in New York... "And the desert It's a hell of a place to find heaven Forty years lost in the wilderness looking for God" (i know it sounds a lot like Moses but listen to this) Salt Lake City was the desert and that was supposed to be Zion, it also took them 40 years to build the Salt Lake City temple...
it also says about a carpenter, so that's obviously Joseph from the old testiment... i think he's kind of talking about both
Needs a little less Elton John and a bit more Killers me thinks!
^yep lol i totally agree. elton john is....well elton john. and the killers are rock geniuses!
Ya, this one's about Joseph from the bible. "Bad at dealin with the fame" = all the people around bringing gifts to baby jesus and other things. he's not used to all these people around him like a celebrity almost.
"Are the rumors eatin you alive" = he didnt conseive the baby so people are bound to talk....
"When she took her stand did she hold your hand Will your faith stand still or run away" = Will you stay with Mary, or leave her?
"And the desert It's a hell of a place to find heaven Forty years lost in the wilderness looking for God" = This is referring to Moses leading the Jews out of Egypt. Not sure how this fits in with Joseph, considering he would have been born yet...
"Better you than me Joseph" = This is obviously a hard situation to be in so the singers are saying they couldnt handle this much responsibility, and 'good for you Joseph' kind of thing
Great song....at least thats how i take this song.
I think the line "Bad at dealin with the fame" could also be referring to how his whole community would be talking about Mary and her pre-marital pregnancy, as well as his role in it. He has a tough decision to make at it is, and all of the rumors and staring eyes wouldn't help.
I think the line "Bad at dealin with the fame" could also be referring to how his whole community would be talking about Mary and her pre-marital pregnancy, as well as his role in it. He has a tough decision to make at it is, and all of the rumors and staring eyes wouldn't help.
Read my review on this song and let me know your thoughts..
lol u were a bit mean to elton :p
lol u were a bit mean to elton :p
idk, this at certain points i am willing to bet isnt brandon... is someone else singing with him?
AHAHA scratch that last comment...
40 years in the desert is about the isrealites going across the desert it fits because it's comparing his and the isrealites expirences and saying God taught them both stuff (least I take it in that way)......and also maybe more theologically they they meant it. The isrealights were gods chosen people and were carrying forth his plan by crossing the desert to reach the promised land, J+M were crossing the desert for Jesus to be born in beth (and fufill the prophets) so they were also carrying forth God's plan
i thought moses was involved with the crossing of irsaletes? who's joseph? it doesn't fit with the joseph sold in egypt? I don't get the song.
@charliepop500 what is an irsalete?
@charliepop500 what is an irsalete?