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.
Sara spelled without an 'h' was getting bored
On a Peavea amp in 1984
While Zak without a 'see' tried out some new guitars
Playing Sara-with-no-h's favorite song
Zak and Sara
Often Sara would have spells where she lost time
She saw the future, she heard voices from inside
The kind of voices she would soon learn to deny
Because at home they got her smacked
Zak and Sara
Zak and Sara
Zak called his dad about layaway plans
And Sara told the friendly salesman that:
"You'll all die in your cars,
And why's it gotta be dark?
And you're all working in a submarine."
(Asshole)
She saw the lights, she saw the pale English face
Some strange machines repeating beats and thumping bass
Visions of pills that put you in a loving trance
That make it possible for all white boys to dance
And when Zak finished Sara's song, Sara clapped
Zak and Sara
Zak and Sara
On a Peavea amp in 1984
While Zak without a 'see' tried out some new guitars
Playing Sara-with-no-h's favorite song
Zak and Sara
Often Sara would have spells where she lost time
She saw the future, she heard voices from inside
The kind of voices she would soon learn to deny
Because at home they got her smacked
Zak and Sara
Zak and Sara
Zak called his dad about layaway plans
And Sara told the friendly salesman that:
"You'll all die in your cars,
And why's it gotta be dark?
And you're all working in a submarine."
(Asshole)
She saw the lights, she saw the pale English face
Some strange machines repeating beats and thumping bass
Visions of pills that put you in a loving trance
That make it possible for all white boys to dance
And when Zak finished Sara's song, Sara clapped
Zak and Sara
Zak and Sara
Lyrics submitted by ang, edited by cyan100341
Zak and Sara Lyrics as written by Benjamin Scott Folds Ben Folds
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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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.
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Quoting Ben...
I was thinking of these kids growing up in the Midwest. A 16 year old boy plays guitar and his girlfriend has to sit and watch him play all day. She just buzzes there and listens like she had nothing better to do. Maybe the girl is also writing songs and she has this idea in her of music that will happen in 20 years time. She really has some good ideas. But she is not saying anything, cause she is supposed to listen to her boyfriend. And he is playing music that was written 20 years ago."
"I remember going to music stores when I was in high school, and there was always some guy playing guitar while his poor girlfriend had to sit on the amp and watch his dumb ass for two hours. And I thought, 'Man, I would never do that to my girlfriend.' And that's the basis of the song. There's probably something wrong with Sara. At the same time, she's seeing some truth. There's no truth coming out of Zak. Sara's a little crazy, but she's having visions of techno music in the future. And she's sitting there inventing techno while Zak's playing 'Dust in the Wind.'"
Peavea should be spelt Peavey. it's a brand of amplifier.
Peavea is Spelled Peavey
I just gotta say that my name is Sara with no 'h' and I'm dating a guy named Zak with no 'c'. We're planning on forever here guys.
Obviously this song is going to be special to me.
I don't agree with the fact that Sara is sick. I think that she's just a little different. I know that everything in this song fits me perfectly. I space out for long periods of time, I imagine the future, and I talk to myself a lot. Perhaps it something as simple as that? I think that it's just a story of two people that meet and fall in love. I think that Sara in the song is a little crazy, but so am I. All I know is that Ben Folds could have written this song for us, and we're not druggies, we're not sick, and we don't rave.
Just my two cents.
The song is about a couple who are bored with music until they discover electronica.
I gave these lyrics to a friend of mine the other day.... Sara-- without and 'h'. lol. She's always complaining about how everyone spells her name incorrectly.
My names Sara ( without a h) and i have a crush on a bou name zac
Interesting lyrics, great music... but I don't understand the prophecying side to the lyrics - "She saw the lights, she saw the pale English face / Some strange machines repeating beats and thumping bass." The following lyrics about pills and dancing and trances means these lyrics relate to the dance scene, and Ecstasy ("pills that put you in a loving trance"). I don't know what this has got to do with the love story of Zak and Sara tho.
I think Zak is the DJ at the rave.
this song is trippy and i'm not sure what is means but it's a great song to rock to.
i think it may deal with the way people can seem normal on the surface, but then have major problems underneath- zak is talking about layaway plans (to me this means marriage), but sara is schitzophrenic (or goes to raves, but this is 1984)... the lalalala part sounds to me like how falling in love can sound- happy and a little dizzy... but i've never thought of it as a rave before i started reading these. Does anyone want to guess who the pale English face is?