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.
Some granite wall
Numbs our bones, numbs our all
As we sit on skinny hands
Nothing to say, nothing at all
I don't know you and I don't want to
You're so awkward just like me
But I don't care
You're the reason I'm leaving
You're the reason I'm leaving
And by leaving, we don't stop living you know
I'd no idea that in four years
I'd be hanging from a beam
Behind the door of number ten
Singing "well, fare thee well"
Fare thee well
Fare thee well
I am leaving
Yes, I leave it all to you
You're the reason I'm leaving
You're the reason I'm leaving
And by leaving, we don't stop living you know
I'm the reason you're leaving
You're the reason I'm leaving
And by leaving, we don't stop living you know
As we ride along under an optimistic sun
The radio sings that "Everybody" song by REM
And here I am fighting fighting
Yes I'm fighting not to cry
And that's another reason
Why I ought to hate you like I do
Like I do, oh like I do
You're the reason I'm leaving (leaving alone)
You're the reason I'm leaving (leaving alone)
And by leaving, we don't stop living you know
I'm the reason you're leaving (leaving alone)
You are the reason you're leaving (leaving alone)
If we're leaving, we don't stop living you know
Numbs our bones, numbs our all
As we sit on skinny hands
Nothing to say, nothing at all
I don't know you and I don't want to
You're so awkward just like me
But I don't care
You're the reason I'm leaving
You're the reason I'm leaving
And by leaving, we don't stop living you know
I'd no idea that in four years
I'd be hanging from a beam
Behind the door of number ten
Singing "well, fare thee well"
Fare thee well
Fare thee well
I am leaving
Yes, I leave it all to you
You're the reason I'm leaving
You're the reason I'm leaving
And by leaving, we don't stop living you know
I'm the reason you're leaving
You're the reason I'm leaving
And by leaving, we don't stop living you know
As we ride along under an optimistic sun
The radio sings that "Everybody" song by REM
And here I am fighting fighting
Yes I'm fighting not to cry
And that's another reason
Why I ought to hate you like I do
Like I do, oh like I do
You're the reason I'm leaving (leaving alone)
You're the reason I'm leaving (leaving alone)
And by leaving, we don't stop living you know
I'm the reason you're leaving (leaving alone)
You are the reason you're leaving (leaving alone)
If we're leaving, we don't stop living you know
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
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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.
I liked the reference to R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts", the song that has supposedly prevented hundreds of people from offing themselves in horrible ways. To juxtapose the image of him pleasantly driving in his car, hearing that song, then fighting the urge to cry and lashing out is brilliant.
Also, the ambiguity of exactly who is leaving who here is great (I'm the reason you're leaving / no, you're the reason I'm leaving) Nothing like a nice song about a mutually-self-destructive relationship to get your blood pumping in the morning :)
Clearly the song IS about President Bush as are all of Franz Ferdinand's songs, except for "Michael," which is about J. Edgar Hoover, and "Walk Away" which is about losing a pet monkey. Anyone who can't see that is blind, deaf, and dumb, just like President Bush.
are you a retard?
You sir are a master of sarcasm.
Upon reflection, I believe my comments may have been too harsh. I'd like to apologize to any right wing Republican pricks out there who still think Bush knows his ass from his elbow. I certainly didn't mean to offend anyone with my comments, so please accept my sincerest apologies.
we dont care about bush, its not about BUSH! NOT ABOUT BUSH!<br /> they are a scotich band, does bush live at number 10? even you american twat should know where your president lives!
What's with the lack of chorus on these lyrics? Anyway basically isn't this about hate?... I can't really decide... First post.
And Here I Am Fighting Fighting Yes I'm Fighting not to cry And that's another reason Why I oughtta hate you like I do Like I do
from those lines i think that shes the reason he's leaving coz they got to close for comfort, like he realy likes her, but he has commitment issues.
and his fighting not to cry because he dosent want to leave her, but its a good reason for him to hate her coz she shouldnt mean so much to him to make him want to cry. then he repeats 'like i do' because he dosent fully believe it so he repeats it to convince himself.
just guessing, what do ya think?
i think its written on 2 levels,political and like a love story.i seem to think that about alot of their songs on this album tho so dunno...might just b me :s
I agree with wee_chloe that this is a political song. It's meant to be addressed to President Bush, and is blaming him for why Franz Ferdinand is leaving the United States. You can tell it's President Bush he's addressing by the lines "you're so awkward just like me" which refers to President Bush's speaking style, and also by the line "as we ride along under an optimistic sun" which refers to President Bush's failure to acknowledge that Iraq has turned into a debacle. The 'granite wall' referred to in the first line is the Vietnam War Memorial. I don't know if President Bush has skinny hands, but I think he must based on the song lyrics.
Theres no reference to America for Bush at all in this song. I think the meaning of this song is similar to Walk Away; He thinks he can cope without her, but both of them are fragile and are terrified of living without eachother.
Theres no reference to America for Bush at all in this song. I think the meaning of this song is similar to Walk Away; He thinks he can cope without her, but both of them are fragile and are terrified of living without eachother.
Me too. ^ agrees with this.