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I dreamed about killing you again last night
And it felt alright to me
Dying on the banks of Embarcadero skies
I sat and watched you bleed
Buried you alive in a fireworks display
Raining down on me
You cold, hot blood ran away from me
To the sea
I painted my name on the back of a leaf
And I watched it float away
The hope I had in a notebook full of white, dry pages
Was all I tried to save
But the wind blew me back via Chicago
In the middle of the night
And all without fight
At the crush of veils and starlight
I know I'll make it back
One of these days and turn on your TV
To watch a man with a face like mine
Being chased down a busy street
When he gets caught, I won't get up
And I won't go to sleep
I'm coming home, I'm coming home
Via Chicago
Where the cups are cracked and hooked
Above the sink
They make me think
Crumbling ladder tears don't fall
They shine down your shoulders
And crawling is screw faster lash
I blow it with kisses
I rest my head on a pillowy star
And a cracked door moon
That says I haven't gone too far
I'm coming home
I'm coming home
Via Chicago
Searching for a home
Searching for a home
Searching for a home
Via Chicago
I'm coming home
I'm coming home
And it felt alright to me
Dying on the banks of Embarcadero skies
I sat and watched you bleed
Buried you alive in a fireworks display
Raining down on me
You cold, hot blood ran away from me
To the sea
I painted my name on the back of a leaf
And I watched it float away
The hope I had in a notebook full of white, dry pages
Was all I tried to save
But the wind blew me back via Chicago
In the middle of the night
And all without fight
At the crush of veils and starlight
I know I'll make it back
One of these days and turn on your TV
To watch a man with a face like mine
Being chased down a busy street
When he gets caught, I won't get up
And I won't go to sleep
I'm coming home, I'm coming home
Via Chicago
Where the cups are cracked and hooked
Above the sink
They make me think
Crumbling ladder tears don't fall
They shine down your shoulders
And crawling is screw faster lash
I blow it with kisses
I rest my head on a pillowy star
And a cracked door moon
That says I haven't gone too far
I'm coming home
I'm coming home
Via Chicago
Searching for a home
Searching for a home
Searching for a home
Via Chicago
I'm coming home
I'm coming home
Lyrics submitted by papercutcasualty
Track duration: 05:34
"Via Chicago" as written by Jeffrey Scott Tweedy
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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To me the most poignant line in all of Jeff Tweedy's lyrics is:
printed my name on the back of a leaf
and watched it float away
The first ten times I heard this I could barely keep tears from coming. When I first heard the song I was raising my stepson as my own son, and I knew that somewhere out there his biological father had cast a similar leaf down the river, but to Jeff this is a torturously painful choice and to me the lyrics indicate that he struggles constantly to make light of such a major decision. When I had my first son in 2006 (mine biologically that is) I realized at an even deeper level the pain being conveyed by 'watched it float away'...no big deal right. wrong. Look at the end of the song: 'says I haven't come too far.' He is looking for reassurrances that what he did was ok, even though in his heart of hearts he knows it was the wrong thing to do and he should have fought harder for what he let so easily slip away. There is no going back, there is no undoing, it's all just empty self reassurances now.
I don't know about you, but I can sure relate to that kind of deep dark honesty.
That's why Tweedy's lyrics and poetry are so intricate and veiled at times, because he is being honest about some pretty dark things that humans generally all have in common.
And that is why he is the best living poet I have come across.
At least that's what I make of it.
And a cracked door moon
Says I haven't gone too far
Marcussummerteeth I believe you are on to something here. Whether this is how Tweedy originally intended it or not I will not pretend to know, but I can see how your interpretation in light of recovery makes sense. The last lines are chilling when read this way. Addiction is a bitch and will tell you what you want to hear to keep you active in the addiction. "I haven't gone too far" could mean that you can keep on using because it's okay, you can still get back to normal - later but right now you can use. Or if you are in recovery and are feeling tempted, it could be the addiction reminding you that it is just an arms length away and any progress you feel you've made is easily overcome. Whatever the case I know that I certainly have another relapse in me, but another recovery is not as certain.
I dreamed about killing you again last night
And it felt alright to me
Dying on the banks of Embarcadero skies
I sat and watched you bleed
Buried you alive in a fireworks display
Raining down on me
Your cold, hot blood ran away from me
To the sea
06-22-2009
Rated 0 Perhaps Tweedy isn't even speaking of separation with a person in this tune. For someone in recovery the tune speaks to me a bit differently. Here's my view, and take it for what it's worth.
When making the reference to "killing you last night" could correlate strongly to burying your habit for good. I don't know how many times I tried to bury it, and like the song says "in a fireworks display raining down on me, your cold dark blood ran away from me to the sea." Veritably letting go...only to have the embers fall on you, and letting the tide wash it back to you.
While "out there" using and consuming copious amounts of booze (much like Tweedy did)...all the hope that you have is usually stuffed into a notebook full of white dry pages. Sometimes writing is the only cure for the utter pain and self destruction that one endures while in active addiction.
Knowing that you'll make it back one of these days...getting caught...not going to sleep tells of the sleepless nights and struggle. Whether this be alone, in a jail cell, or in an institution.
The last few lines of "via Chicago" deserve the most critical analysis. In my opinion this is the point of surrender for our character in the song. Desparate and alone, one comes to the realization that he/she must give up their lover (their drug of choice). Cups that are cracked and hooked above the sink is our broken spirit waiting to either hold on, or shatter in the sink. Crumbiling ladder tears don't fall...they SHINE down your shoulders. This line portrays that the actor is finally reaching a moment of clarity, whereas, they find out that they are human--and do feel emotion. It is no longer something burried in the depths of their blackened soul. The crack door moon is the escape route for our addict. Whether is be treatment, 12 step programs, or some other venture...it is a reassurance that he/she hasn't gone too far.
Searchin' for a home via Chicago...I'm comin' home via Chicago. The end of our story where the player has found their home. They have discovered that there is meaning to life in recovery.
Where the cups are cracked and hooked
Above the sink
They make me think
Crumbling ladder tears don't fall
They shine down your shoulders
Crawling is screw faster lash
I blow it with kisses
Rest my head on a pillowy star
And a cracked door moon
Says I haven't gone too far
Well that's my interpretation on it...from a recovering addict's point of view. Do with it as you will--and comments would be greatly appreciated :).
"Cups that are cracked and hooked above the sink is our broken spirit waiting to either hold on, or shatter in the sink. Crumbiling ladder tears don't fall...they SHINE down your shoulders. This line portrays that the actor is finally reaching a moment of clarity, whereas, they find out that they are human--and do feel emotion. It is no longer something burried in the depths of their blackened soul."
I have always loved that cup line, and somehow intuitively grasped an optimistic vibe with those words, without thinking on their meaning... but you articulated why, perfectly. I always thought the whole summerteeth effort smacked of a two adults in recovery, and recovery's brush paints a broad stroke that includes more than destructive substances, there are those pesky destructive thought patterns that tend to go with the addiction territory.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
We had just spent the day together and I proclaimed my human feelings for him.
He's moving to Chicago this Saturday. And this song came on the radio right before we pulled in to his driveway.
I will forever appreciate Wilco for that.
So killing her in his dream is his minds way of getting rid of the thoughts of her..symbolically. He's alright with it because he knows that he wants to stop thinking about her, so it's ok that he killed her (stopped mourning her). The fireworks display may even be a celebration of his ability to move on. I also think it's really interesting that he dreamed about killing her AGAIN last night (remember the 'again' for later)
To me, the second part is then the next day. He wakes up with the intent of moving on with his life. He's in a quiet place with pen and notebook (journal) and he hopes that he has no sorrow or mourning (pages will stay white and dry)...but his mind quickly takes him back to Chicago (back to her) and he's swept up in wishing they were together again...I picture him frantically writing in the journal and crying (pages no longer white and dry).
I know I'll make it back
One of these days and turn on your TV
To watch a man with a face like mine
Being chased down a busy street
When he gets caught I won't get up
And I won't go to sleep
I picture this as our character thinking (daydreaming) about being back home with her, watching tv...but on the tv of his daydream is him...and when the man that looks like him is caught, he wishes that is won't be him, just someone that looked like him (it won't have been a dream, so he won't get up and won't go to sleep - he will really be with her and not dreaming).
But in the end, he was just daydreaming, so in the last part, it's later in the day and he's back home. And he keeps seeing things at home that make him think of her. Even the cracked cup makes him think of her and he's picturing her being there.
Rest my head on a pillowy star
And a cracked door moon
Says I haven't gone too far
I picture this as the end of the day and he's looking to the sky, watching stars and looking at the moon. He knows that wherever she is, she could be seeing the same sky, signifying hope that they could be together again someday (he's not THAT far away). He wants to move on, but he hasn't moved on, instead he continues to hope they will be together again.
Then it's again time to sleep and his conflicted mind returns him to his dreams...where perhaps he dreams about killing her AGAIN. He's stuck in a circle of sorrow/sadness, hope and conflict about whether to move on or continue to hope.
I love too how the music changes for each of the stages. The beginning is almost emotionless (he's trying to not be upset). Then in the second section, it turns to sorrow (weeping guitars). And then the cracked door moon says he hasn't gone too far - hope and excitement.
Amazing song...and whether this is what was actually meant or not, it works for me!
The first line "I dremaed about killing you again last night, and it felt alrgith to me." Is about a 'I hate that I love you' relationship. Love and hate are two sides of the same coin. He wants her love, but he isn't given it. It hurts him so much he wants to kill her. thus the last line of the verse "Your cold, hot blood ran away from me..."
The second verse is about realization and desire to forget. He tried to save his hopeless romatic hopes "in a notebook full of white dry pages" Instead, he "wrote his name on a back of a leaf and watched it blow away." In other words, he let that imagined life (future) go. And it was all because the revelation of lies (crush of veils) and unraveling of temporary romance (starlight). Yet he still has a hope. To be comfortable on her couch watching tv, and when he is "caught" he will be content there sitll "won't get up and won't go to sleep." She's a lost love from his home (chicago -- a great fucking city) and he is looking for it all to feel like home.
Yet... it is not as should be "cups are cracked" . And he sees the failure of her dreams too by "crumbling ladder tears." However he stil holds out a ... albiet jaded... realization of his dreams evident from "not going too far." and "searching for a home"
Beautiful, empathetic, tragic, and relatable.
I love it. My favorite Wilco song.