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.
First with your hands and then with your mouth.
A downpour of sweat, damp cotton clouds.
I was a fool, you were my friend. We made it happen.
You took off your clothes, left on the light. You stood there so brave. You used to be shy. Each feature improved, each movement refined and eyes like a showroom.
Now they are spreading out the blankets on the beach.
That weatherman is a liar.
He said it would be raining but it is clear and blue as far as I can see.
Left by the lamp, right next to the bed, on a cartoon cat pat you scratched with a pen, "Everything is as it has always been. This never happened.
Don't take it so bad it is nothing you did. It's just once something dies you can't make it live. You are a beautiful boy.
You're a sweet little kid but I am a woman." So I laid back down and wrapped myself up in the sheet.
And I must have looked like a ghost because something frightened me and since then I've been so good at vanishing.
Now I do as I please and lie through my teeth. Someone might get hurt but it won't be me.
I should probably feel cheap but I just feel free and a little bit empty.
No it isn't so hard to get close to me. There will be no arguments.
We will always agree.
And I will try and be kind when I ask you to leave. We will both take it easy.
But if you stay too long inside my memory, I will trap you in a song tied to a melody and I will keep you there so you can't bother me
A downpour of sweat, damp cotton clouds.
I was a fool, you were my friend. We made it happen.
You took off your clothes, left on the light. You stood there so brave. You used to be shy. Each feature improved, each movement refined and eyes like a showroom.
Now they are spreading out the blankets on the beach.
That weatherman is a liar.
He said it would be raining but it is clear and blue as far as I can see.
Left by the lamp, right next to the bed, on a cartoon cat pat you scratched with a pen, "Everything is as it has always been. This never happened.
Don't take it so bad it is nothing you did. It's just once something dies you can't make it live. You are a beautiful boy.
You're a sweet little kid but I am a woman." So I laid back down and wrapped myself up in the sheet.
And I must have looked like a ghost because something frightened me and since then I've been so good at vanishing.
Now I do as I please and lie through my teeth. Someone might get hurt but it won't be me.
I should probably feel cheap but I just feel free and a little bit empty.
No it isn't so hard to get close to me. There will be no arguments.
We will always agree.
And I will try and be kind when I ask you to leave. We will both take it easy.
But if you stay too long inside my memory, I will trap you in a song tied to a melody and I will keep you there so you can't bother me
Lyrics submitted by i rock, edited by JohnnyViola
Take It Easy (Love Nothing) Lyrics as written by Conor Oberst
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
take off, surfpico. Of course the old stuff is as great. Everything has been great, since the likes of "puddle stomper" to the newer stuff. Maybe you could not read so much into posts, eh?
This song is unbelievable, the way it just progresses from innocence to undoing. I love it. "Now I do as I please. I lie through my teeth. Someone might get hurt but it won't be me" She'll probably feel cheap, but I'll just feel free and a little bit empty"
Wow
i think this song is about two good friends who do stuff because theyve always had feelings for each other, but it doesnt work out and turns into a one-time thing.
"first with your hands, then with your mouth. downpours of sweat, damp cotton clouds. i was a fool, you were my friend. we made it happen "
theyre doing stuff, and things are really intense, theyre questioning whats going on but enjoying it anyway
"you took off your clothes, left on the light. you stood there so brave, you use to be shy. each feature improved, each movement refined. and eyes like a show room. "
its just describing how hes looking at her in a completely different light and everything is so different so quickly
"now they're spreding out the blankets on the beach. that weather man's a liar, he said it'd be raining. but it's clear and blue as far as i can see. "
everyone told them that they would never work out together, but so far everything seems to be going okay to him
"left by the lamp, right next to the bed. on a cartoon cat pad, she scrached with a pen. "everything as its always been, this never happened, don't take it too bad, it's nothing you did. just once something dies, you can't make it live. you're a beautiful boy, you're a sweet little kid. but i am a women". "
she explains to him why they cant be together, and the reason might not make too much sense, but it just doesnt work. there are outside reasons why it cant work.
"so i layed back down, wrapped my self up in the sheet. and i must have looked like a ghost, because something fightened me. and since then i've been so good at vanishing."
hes sort of embarrased because he thought the feelings he was having at the beginning were mutual, and what she said to him took him off guard. he tried to hide from everything.
"now i do as i please, and i lie through my teeth. someone might get hurt, but it wont be me. she'll probably feel cheap, but i'll just feel free, and a little bit empty."
hes trying to convince himself that everything is okay .. and shes the one who will be hurt by all of this.
"no, it isn't so hard, to get close to me. there will be no arguements, we'll always agree. and i'll try and be kind, when i ask you to leave. we'll both take it easy."
reconsidering and saying that if she was with him, things would be great.
"if you stay to long, inside my memory. i will trap you in a song tied to a melody. and i'll keep you there so you can't bother me."
explaining how this song has a girl "trapped" so she doesnt haunt him anymore
...i dont know if i just pulled this out of nowhere, but when i heard this song i was reminded of something that happened to me, or was happening to me at the time, but it probably makes no sense to anyone else.
DeeKofsky; <br /> I think you are mostly right. <br /> or I too can see where you are getting it from. <br /> <br /> But when it gets to; <br /> <br /> "now i do as i please, and i lie through my teeth. <br /> someone might get hurt, but it wont be me. <br /> she'll probably feel cheap, but i'll just feel free, <br /> and a little bit empty." <br /> <br /> I feel its more of him trying to fill the voide of her leaving.<br /> But no matter what he does or who he gets with, he still is empty with out her.<br /> <br /> <br /> But thats just what I'm getting from it. ha
When it switches emotions,("Now I do as I please,...."), you can hear it in the music. That's what I'm talking about!
it's "downpours of sweat, damp cotton clouds" and "WE made it happen" and "now they're spreading blankets on the beach, THAT weatherman's a liar" and " I should probably feel cheap but I just feel free and a little bit empty." and "I'll try to be kind WHEN i ask you to leave" and "I'll keep you there so you can't bother me." GREAT song.. as is all the new stuff
And the old stuff? Isn't that just as great?
this song is so amazing, its my favorite song from the two new Lps...o gosh
"first with your hands, then with your mouth. downpours of sweat, damp cotton clouds. i was a fool, you were my friend. we made it happen "
Such a great song! Everything this man does is golden, and this is no exception. The lyrics are up to his high level, and the music is a little different than his old stuff but INCREDIBLE. He's #'s 1 and 2 on the Billboard singles right now. And he actually deserves it!
i love this song.
i wonder how he feels about being all over the billboard charts.. i mean,weird. he beat all the teeny poppers,is he going to become the 'new thing' now? im not going to be all "blah blah he's on tv now so im going to whine about how unjust it is that hes been around forever and NOW hes famous" i'm just saying..its crazy.fucking crazy.
I need to hear this song.