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.
Hey! Give me a listen you corpses of cheer
At least those of you who still got an ear
I'll tell you a story that'll make a skeleton cry
Of our own jubiliciously lovely corpse bride
Die, die we all pass away
But don't wear a frown 'cause it's really okay
And you might try and hide
And you might try and pray
But we all end up the remains of the day
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah (that's right)
Yeah yeah yeah
Well our girl is a beauty known for miles around
When a mysterious stranger came into town
He's plenty good-looking, but down on his cash
And our poor little baby, she fell hard and fast
When her daddy said no, she just couldn't cope
So our lovers came up with a plan to elope
Die, die we all pass away
But don't wear a frown 'cause it's really okay
And you might try and hide
And you might try and pray
But we all end up the remains of the day
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah
Oh, that's right.
Okay. Oh, yeah.
Come on, boys, pick it up
Yeah. Like it.
Okay, Chancy, take it.
Yeah. Yeah! That's nice
Yeah!
So they conjured up a plan to meet late at night
They told not a soul, kept the whole thing tight
Now, her mother's wedding dress fit like a glove
You don't need much when you're really in love
Except for a few things, or some told
Like the family jewels and a satchel of gold
Then next to the graveyard by the old oak tree
On a dark foggy night at a quarter to three
She was ready to go, but where was he?
And then?
She waited
And then?
There in the shadows, was it her man?
And then?
Her little heart beat so loud
And then?
And then baby, everything went black
Now when she opened her eyes she was dead as dust
Her jewels were missing and her heart was bust
So she made a vow lying under that tree
That she'd wait for her true love to come set her free
Always waiting for someone to ask for her hand
When out of the blue comes this groovy young man
Who vows forever to be by her side
And that's the story of our own corpse bride
Die, die we all pass away
But don't wear a frown 'cause it's really okay
And you might try and hide
And you might try and pray
But we all end up the remains of the day
At least those of you who still got an ear
I'll tell you a story that'll make a skeleton cry
Of our own jubiliciously lovely corpse bride
Die, die we all pass away
But don't wear a frown 'cause it's really okay
And you might try and hide
And you might try and pray
But we all end up the remains of the day
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah (that's right)
Yeah yeah yeah
Well our girl is a beauty known for miles around
When a mysterious stranger came into town
He's plenty good-looking, but down on his cash
And our poor little baby, she fell hard and fast
When her daddy said no, she just couldn't cope
So our lovers came up with a plan to elope
Die, die we all pass away
But don't wear a frown 'cause it's really okay
And you might try and hide
And you might try and pray
But we all end up the remains of the day
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah
Oh, that's right.
Okay. Oh, yeah.
Come on, boys, pick it up
Yeah. Like it.
Okay, Chancy, take it.
Yeah. Yeah! That's nice
Yeah!
So they conjured up a plan to meet late at night
They told not a soul, kept the whole thing tight
Now, her mother's wedding dress fit like a glove
You don't need much when you're really in love
Except for a few things, or some told
Like the family jewels and a satchel of gold
Then next to the graveyard by the old oak tree
On a dark foggy night at a quarter to three
She was ready to go, but where was he?
And then?
She waited
And then?
There in the shadows, was it her man?
And then?
Her little heart beat so loud
And then?
And then baby, everything went black
Now when she opened her eyes she was dead as dust
Her jewels were missing and her heart was bust
So she made a vow lying under that tree
That she'd wait for her true love to come set her free
Always waiting for someone to ask for her hand
When out of the blue comes this groovy young man
Who vows forever to be by her side
And that's the story of our own corpse bride
Die, die we all pass away
But don't wear a frown 'cause it's really okay
And you might try and hide
And you might try and pray
But we all end up the remains of the day
Lyrics submitted by Vampaneze_LORDESS
Remains of the Day Lyrics as written by Danny Elfman John Meise August
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
I love this song. My favorite out of the movie. My second is Tears to Shed.
i love bonejangles (the dude who sings it in the movie). this song is so fun and upbeat, its hard not to love it
Does that voice sound familiar?
Sound like a certain Pumpkin King we all know and love?
Danny Elfman actually sings this song himself.
Of course it's the Pumpkin King we all know and love. Elfman even told Burton to let him do the song. He wrote it, they couldn't find the right person for it, so he got the job. But Bongjangles sounds mare raspy in this movie than Jack was. But I believe that Elfman only did the singing for the Pumpkin King, I'm not sure though.
Anyway, for the reason this whole site was made. Read the lyrics! The meaning is plain as day light, it's the story about the 'Corpse Bride' also known as Emily. Gotta love the song either way though. GO BONEJANGLES!!!
This was my 2nd fav song from the movie... because it's Emilys story.. and I love singing it...lol
I love this song. Its just so...livley! And yes, Danny did the singing for Jack, but it was Chris Sarandon who did the speaking for Jack. He was chosen for the part because he sounded like Elfman.
LOVE IT!!!! best song in the movie! we can always thank danny for all this awesome crap in movies :)))