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.
rioja rioja
reverend al green
deep blue morocco
the water on stone
the water on concrete
the water on sand
the water on fire smoke
the wind the salt the bride boat coming
dave in the water
old man einstein on top of his house
white deep blue
andalusia red yellow red yellow black car
red light far black place walls
blue chair morocco
hamburg paris
the pieces of the puzzle are waiting
the water of the dark boats
gliding the bride boats
gone out to sea
and dave is floating
dave is floating
and old man einstein crazy in his attic
crazycrazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
white room
sun room
shadow room
night transmitting cars
across the room
these things sent to dance
across the room
eye watching from your bed
returning to you
rioja rioja
reverend al green
deep blue morocco
the water on stone
the water on concrete
the water on sand
the water on fire smoke
the wind the salt the bride boat coming
dave in the water
old man einstein on top of his house
white deep blue
andalusia red yellow red yellow black car
red light far black place walls
blue chair morocco
hamburg paris
the pieces of the puzzle are waiting
the water of the dark boats
gliding the bride boats
gone out to sea
and dave is floating
dave is floating
and old man einstein crazy in his attic
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazy
reverend al green
deep blue morocco
the water on stone
the water on concrete
the water on sand
the water on fire smoke
the wind the salt the bride boat coming
dave in the water
old man einstein on top of his house
white deep blue
andalusia red yellow red yellow black car
red light far black place walls
blue chair morocco
hamburg paris
the pieces of the puzzle are waiting
the water of the dark boats
gliding the bride boats
gone out to sea
and dave is floating
dave is floating
and old man einstein crazy in his attic
crazycrazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
white room
sun room
shadow room
night transmitting cars
across the room
these things sent to dance
across the room
eye watching from your bed
returning to you
rioja rioja
reverend al green
deep blue morocco
the water on stone
the water on concrete
the water on sand
the water on fire smoke
the wind the salt the bride boat coming
dave in the water
old man einstein on top of his house
white deep blue
andalusia red yellow red yellow black car
red light far black place walls
blue chair morocco
hamburg paris
the pieces of the puzzle are waiting
the water of the dark boats
gliding the bride boats
gone out to sea
and dave is floating
dave is floating
and old man einstein crazy in his attic
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazycrazycrazycrazy
crazy
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
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.
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
"I spent a few nights in Hamburg," recalled Karl Hyde, "and it actually came from a night on the Rioja[4] down by the docks. I'm actually shouting, Rioja, Rioja… I'd come from this really great club on the Reeperbahn, listening to lots of classic soul, which is where the 'Reverend Al Green' bit comes from. I was sitting by the docks and they have these 'bride boats' there, which people get married on. They go down the river and out to sea. I was just sitting there, Rioja-ed out, watching these boats sail past me at three in the morning. There were bonfires and everything."[5]
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl%27s_Girl
This has to be one of the best stream of consciousness songs ever written. Poetry set to an incredible soundtrack.
+1, Stream of conciousness all the way
I get an image of some James Bond murder mystery type of thing, and only Old Man Einstein saw who killed Dave.