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.
if you're never sorry
then you can't be forgiven
if you're not forgiven
then you can't be forgotten
if you're not forgotten
then you can live forever
if you live forever
then you'll begin to dream
of death...
ezra pound sat upon my bed
asked me which books as of late I've read
ezra pound sat upon my bed
asked me which books as of late I've read
asked me if I've read his own
and whether I could spare a pound
of flesh to cover his bare bones
I says, man, take a pound, take two
what's a pound of flesh between
friends like me and you?
what's a pound of flesh among friends?
but if you're never sorry...
if you're never sorry
then you can't be forgiven
if you're not forgiven
then you can't be forgotten
if you're not forgotten
then you must live forever
if you live forever
you cannot be reborn
if you're not reborn then
you can't be a baby
if you're not a baby
you can't learn how to crawl
if you cannot crawl away
then you must stay in bed all day
if you stay in bed all day
you're sure to have some visitors
ezra pound'll sit upon your bed
ask you which books as of late you have read
ask you if you've read his own
and whether you could spare a pound
of flesh to cover his bare bones
you'll say, man, take a pound, take two
what's a pound of flesh between
friends like me and you?
what's a pound of flesh among friends?...
then you can't be forgiven
if you're not forgiven
then you can't be forgotten
if you're not forgotten
then you can live forever
if you live forever
then you'll begin to dream
of death...
ezra pound sat upon my bed
asked me which books as of late I've read
ezra pound sat upon my bed
asked me which books as of late I've read
asked me if I've read his own
and whether I could spare a pound
of flesh to cover his bare bones
I says, man, take a pound, take two
what's a pound of flesh between
friends like me and you?
what's a pound of flesh among friends?
but if you're never sorry...
if you're never sorry
then you can't be forgiven
if you're not forgiven
then you can't be forgotten
if you're not forgotten
then you must live forever
if you live forever
you cannot be reborn
if you're not reborn then
you can't be a baby
if you're not a baby
you can't learn how to crawl
if you cannot crawl away
then you must stay in bed all day
if you stay in bed all day
you're sure to have some visitors
ezra pound'll sit upon your bed
ask you which books as of late you have read
ask you if you've read his own
and whether you could spare a pound
of flesh to cover his bare bones
you'll say, man, take a pound, take two
what's a pound of flesh between
friends like me and you?
what's a pound of flesh among friends?...
Lyrics submitted by Airyca
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give him two is a biblical reference to love your enemies
Mat 5:41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him two.
forgive and forget? it's ironic that in biblical terms the people who are not forgiven (aren't sorry) are the ones who get forgotten - and the forgiven live forever, but death does not exist any more
they used to use human skin from murderers that were killed. They took their skin and used it to cover books like poetry and stuff a long time ago.
I didn't see the meaning of this in a biblical or religious sense. I took it on a more personal level of relations; friendship.
"What's a pound of flesh between friends" -that is repeated throughout the song only to illustrate the perversion of what "friends" are all about, sarcastically speaking. Ironically, it's a play on words, the ingredient of what makes up a friend, by definition.
case in point:
say someone fails to recieve an apology, in a relationship that depends on one. It is ideal, an or safe to say that the realtionship between the two are over but ironically, given the ingredient..
"if your never sorry, you can't be forgiven. and if your not forgiven you can't be [forgotten]" which means if you can't forget someone you one had a good relations with, it's not over
The Ingredient:
"beginning w/ if your never sorry....
to... if you're not reborn then you can't be a baby if you're not a baby you can't learn how to crawl if you cannot crawl away then you must stay in bed all day if you stay in bed all day you're sure to have some visitors(i.e.) 'FRIENDS'"
this suggests that pompous people such as Ezra Pound are to be, not so much saw as an enemy but not to be mistaken for a friend either (considering they won't apologize), but by definition, people like Pound will have some visitors (friends) who will likely pass, in empathy, and give you their time "a pound of flesh". as a play on words: friends will eventually empathize with you even "if your never sorry" to someone who need your empathy.
I didn't understand anything you said.<br /> Nothing.
ezra pound was a w=modernist writer, and an anti-semite.
well...i havent looked into this song too much...but i love the wording...and the alluions to forgive and forget.....the old saying....and i love how she changes it up with the accent...great...
this ezra pund sounds like it might have great significance because in the song i get a feeling that the person asks alot and is snobby...have you read MY book????? i mean come on...dont be snobby hen your asking for something of such great importance like flesh....hahah theres my rendition...
there is something bitter and relentless to this song. all the weighty syllogisms piling up on top of each other until the character is flat on his/her back in bed with a learned historical figure sitting on him, making unreasonable demands.
maybe, it's about frustration, stress, a kind of defiant outburst at life, fate, etc
and i think ezra pound, specifically, is there because of the whole play on words with pound of flesh. could've been anyone.her word play is amazing.
This song used to be called "Ezra Pound" in the earliest concerts.
I think the pound of flesh refers to the Shakespeare play The Merchant of Venice, where the jew Shylock wants a pound of flesh from Antonio, if he doesn't pay back the money he lent from him in time.
I reasearched the name Ezra Poud and discovered it was a russian author, who in his later years became a bit crazy. not sure what it has to do with the song, but im sure with some futher research it'd become a bit clearer.
amazing song. love he part where she talks in a posh british accent. haha.
Actually, although he was a writer/poet/critic/..., he was an American expatriate and thus definitely not Russian. He was of great importance to the emerging Modernism in 2Oth Century Poetry.
Well, at least that's what my professor American Literature wants me to believe and wiki backs him up, so I guess it's probably pretty reliable info. ^^