Lyrics for Buildings as interpreted by geekusa

Buildings Lyrics
He was a husband who drove his wife home drunk from the parties
He was a husband who drove his wife home
And in the car he would lean her head gently against the side door window
And in the bathroom he would hold her hair back and hope, saying;

Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
So tall these days

And in the morning she'd wake up and crouch recollections all day
But she would always always wake up the next morning
He'd take one look at her a say "Oh, oh it's okay"
And her conscience would issue yet another last warning, saying;

Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
So tall these days

And she would ask for time
And she'd ask for time
And she'd ask for time
And she'd ask for time
And she would beg for time
And she’d beg for time
And call it a gift
And he would give her time
And he'd give her time
And he’d give her time
And he'd give her time
But time is not given and time is not taken
It just sifts through its sift
But time is not given and time is not taken
It just sifts through its sift

Sifts through its sift
Just sifts through its sift
Oh, Oh ooooo
Sifts through its sift
Just sifts through its sift

And it was coffee and coffee and coffee and coffee and coffee
And coffee some more
He'd go to work and she'd take a sick day and rot at the core
And by the time he came back she'd scrub the bathrooms and make them smell like pine
It would be almost as if nothing had happened
And he'd give her time
Oh, oh, and he’d give her time saying:

Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh don't they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh they build buildings
Oh, they build buildings so tall these days
And she would ask for time
And she’d ask for time
And she’d ask for time
She’d beg for time
And she would beg for time
And she’d beg for time
And call it a gift
And he would give her time
And he'd give her time
And he’d give her time
And he'd give her time
But time is not given and time is not taken
It just sifts through its sift
But time is not given and time is not taken
It just sifts through its sift

Oh sifts though its sift,
Sifts through its sift
Oh oooo
Oh sifts through its sift
Sifts through its sift

He was a husband drove time
Home, time, car
Oh core
Cores the day
Core coffee
Core warning
Last warning
Was a husband
Time pine
Scrub scrub
Bathroom
Lean hair back
Car window
Hope
Time give
Don't they build buildings so tall these days

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WriterOfFictions
10-18-2005

Rated 0 
i love this song its beautiful
i could be totally missing here, but i think that its about a man and a woman and the man loves her, but she is slipping away from him. she would like try to figure thingss out and she needed time
and whenever they did talk to eachother it was meanigless kind of small talk-dont they build buildings so tall today? something like that, maybe theres some metaphor there but thats the first impression i got

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Yuyi
04-12-2006

Rated 0 
I think that she is an alcoholic, and he is sticking by her side. The tall buildings part is a metaphor that talks about how different things are now, and how hard it is for her to cope with the world as it is, thus...she drinks to forget about it all. But, he sticks by her...and give her time to get herself together. So sweet.

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eleven24eleven
05-03-2006

Rated 0 
i was totally going to say the same thing as Yuyi about her being an alcoholic... i don't know about the tall building thing, because i am still trying to figure that one out... but i totally agree with the alcoholism & him sticking by her & giving her time to get it taken care of...

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WiresAndWaves
05-18-2006

Rated 0 
Time never stops & things always change.

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ukdean31
05-20-2006

Rated 0 
I think the "they build buildings so tall these days" might be something about her falling off a builiding or commiting suicide by jumping off one. In fact before I used to think that the song was about a man who terrorised his wife, because of the she would beg for time bit, I thought it was saying she would beg for more time for him to keep her alive. And I thought the bit that goes "her conscience would issue yet another last warning, saying they build buildings so tall these days," was about him pushing her off a building. But after I've read the lyrics I realise I was probably wrong, ok definitely wrong lol

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betwnliesntruth
06-08-2006

Rated 0 
This song is amazing. I agree with what Yuyi says. I'm not sure about the buildings metaphor, but if you're just looking at it basically, obviously it's about how things change and are so different these days.

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Leeorama
08-15-2006

Rated +1 
You probably won't agree with me here, as it seems like a cruel suggestion, buit i think the song's about a woman who suffers from depression, so she drinks to try and help with the pain. Her husband stands by her, but he can see she doesn't want to live anymore, so he says to her "They build buildings so tall these days" - reasuring her that it'd be quick and simple to end her life.
"But time is not given and time is not taken, it just sifts through it sifts" implies that time means nothing to her anymore. She just lives each day, struggling, waiting for the next one. It just sifts.
The part where regina sings "But she would always wake up the next morning, and he would look at her and say 'Oh, that's ok.' and her conscience would isssue her another last warning" is talking about how she'd feel guilty every morning she wakes up, because her husband has to put up with her depression and alcohol abuse for another day, but he would sympathise and tell her it's ok, but he conscience is telling her it's wrong to put him through that.
"She would ask for time, and he would give her time" is talking about her not being ready to end her life yet, and he husband is saying "it's ok, when you're ready."
Then at the end, it sounds to me like she actually decided it was time to commit suicide. When Regina sings a jumble of key words from the song, it represents the image of her life flashing before her eyes, and as she's falling, she's going over in her head what her husband did for her. The note that Regina ends on, as she sings the word "days" sounds very saddening, asthough a life has just come to an end.

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grietje
09-02-2006

Rated 0 
when someone talks about the world and how it is today,they usually mention how mankind improved on technology and stuff and when someones says somethings impossible the argument against that can be ''why would it be imposibble, i mean..people build buildings and we have cures against all kind of diseases'' so MY interpretation was that she IS indeed an alcoholic and he sticks by her side and helps her, and whenever one of them feels down and depressed about the situation they cheer themselves (and eachother perhaps) up by thinking of the fact that we cán indeed build buildings and invent cures,and make cars and planes ...so if all that is possible then idea of her stop drinking and the situation improving seems a bit realistic ...

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Wiglac
09-06-2006

Rated 0 
I think that the buildings thing is just how we talk about inane things when we're waiting for something to happen. We talk about the weather and how they build tall buildings and they want time, but they have all the time in the world and they just spend it choking on mundanity and choking back more coffee and choking back alcohol and anything else that will help us feel like we're not wasting the time we so desperately want more of.

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Wiglac
09-07-2006

Rated 0 
Well, and maybe the buildings are also representative of the sense of insurmountability of the painfully mundane in life, how tall they are when they're driving through them, on either side, like the world is encroaching.

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kylebank
09-12-2006

Rated 0 
i think it's just small talk. i don't think either one of them knows where to start a conversation about her alcoholism, so they make idle comments about buildings, and he goes to work and she scrubs the toilet and they ask and they beg and nothing changes. i bet the song ends, they go to bed, wake up the next day and do it all over again. like time, they're just sifting through themselves. over and over.

this is an incredible song though. my heart breaks everytime i hear regina singing that "she begs for time".

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fitzgerald
10-08-2006

Rated +1 
This to me isnt a song of suicide. Its about the part in your life when the excitements long gone, and things are hard, and theres bills to pay.
This to me is about a man and his wife, Shes drinking to put some excitement back into her life, shes become apathetic towards life.

And he works at the relationship, because theres always that time in life when you have to grow up and realise that relationships take work.

"They build buildings so tall these days"

is a line that helps him hold on to what he's doing, that gives him faith that this will pass and buildings become bigger. Its also a line of comfort he gives to her. That things change all the time.
and time isnt anything you can ever hold on too.
So if she woke up, and saw how big the buildings are, she'd appreciate what it truely is.

i suppose thats rambling, but this song breaks my heart, her voice is so powerful and the notes so resounding. Its almost as if you can hear her heart breaking through the sounds.

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ssslowlikehoney
10-17-2006

Rated 0 
relatable... its a husband who's coping with his wife's problems because he loves her, so he gives her as much time as she needs to change, yet, as much time as he gives her, he knows she won't. the wife is taking him for granted, figuring he'll deal with her and stay with her and not trying to better herself.

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louiemcgooey
12-23-2006

Rated 0 
To me this song is about expectation. Obviously this couple are having problems and by the line:
"The build buildings so tall these days"
He is conciously or subconciously commenting on how he expected more, however both their expectations in life/marriage etc have not been met. Futhermore you can say from the lines:
"But time is not given and time is not taken
It just sifts through its sift"
This could mean that even if they wanted to go back time is indifferent to their wants a needs. Which fits to the idea that this is about expectations not being met and dealing with not being able to go back.

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envirohodges
03-06-2007

Rated -1 
i know...i think that this means...they build buildings so tall is when she explains her bruises from her abusive alcoholic husband....and she tries to get a divorce.... and he gives her time to do chores and things... but its a crazy song...its so sad...

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envirohodges
03-06-2007

Rated 0 
oh and how he leans her head on the window...i see it as he shoves it through and holds her hair and pulls...he like hurts her then tells her to lie and say she fell...and this sounds like an abusive husbandbecause theyre blind to how hard thy hit and the gravity of the situation...

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zaner
03-16-2007

Rated 0 
wow this is a crazy bunch of comments! you've got them from all over the place i mean some think that its the husband thats drinking and abusive and others think that he is in love and will do anything for her, somet hign she is a drunk and taking advantage of his good heart or shes just depressed and doesn't care for life anymore. Here's what i think :)

I think that she is sad yes and maybe just getting drunk and emotions can be very strong when your under the influence of alchool. he takes care of her though because he is in love with her and will always stay by her side. that hold leans her head on the window thing i though was just like when your drunk and feel sick you don't feel like cuddling or what not and you usually look for something cold to lean against and whats colder in the car then the window! but that smashing her head through the window thing is crazy! i mean wow you have a strong emotion in this song :) glad to have seen that diversity in the comments.

Also the "And her conscience would issue yet another last warning"

i think that welll... who's been drunk and very sick raise there hand.... thats what i thought we've all felt like crap and when your feeling that bad you never wanna go there again and SWEAR!!! that you'll never do it again.. of coarse thats until your having a great time drinking them down partying with your friends or maybe... going out with your wife for a nice meal or out to a club and your not the one driving so bottoms up!

either way i loved the end where she is reciting parts of the song i never realised that it could be the flash back effect thats a great idea!

builds are so tall today? yep i believe they are and the small talk would be what i would be leaning on since i'm in the mind state that he loves her and she's having a hang over.

maybe this hole song is nothing but a hangover!

don't worry be happy!

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crow_heart
03-16-2007

Rated 0 
i loooooooooooooove this song!!!!!
makes me cry!

i think is about..
she is alcoholic
her housband is always supporting her..
but he gets tired because of her problem
and.. their relationship it's getting done
and she ask for time
but even if he give her time
is meaningles..
because the relationship is falling apart


that's the way i understand the song



i love regina!

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jadedgypsy
04-14-2007

Rated 0 
i think the idea of 'time sit(ting) through its sift' is a really accurate and pretty imagery. it makes me think of an hourglass, and how these two, as some of you have pointed out, remain the same despite all the rapid changes going on around them. they somehow can't move on even given a lot of time, they remain stuck in their self-composed stasis.

also when he says, "they build buildings so tall these days", i imagine him to be saying this sort of under his breath while she's barely conscious, so it's his own little private moment, a way for him to avoid dealing even further with one of the many problems in their marriage. so he pretends this humdrum routine of taking her home after her partying, is a joyful ride home for the both of them.

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jadedgypsy
04-14-2007

Rated 0 
argh i wasn't done, but i hit enter. my bad. anyway, as i was saying, he makes the buildings comment in reference to the ones he saw in the ride back home with her. so he mentions this 'icebreaker' so to speak. it's a way for him to retain a sense of normalcy amidst the drama in their relationship, so he casually mentions those buildings he saw while she's barely conscious and puking.

and...i really need to stop analysing this song.

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ErskineMusicLover
04-28-2007

Rated 0 
This song is so amazing. It's so gorgeously sweet. It's about an alcoholic wife and her husband who sticks by her through everything. The tall buildings thing is about how much humanity improves in a technological mindframe, yet we as individuals stay the same really at the core. I think she also suffers from depression because of the rotting at the core line. The time sifting lines are saying the husband would love to give her time but he doesn't have that power so he does what he can and sticks by her side. Also the tall buildings could be a reference as to how he is her strong tower....
Spartacus.

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Thewildwolf3000
04-29-2007

Rated 0 
Hmmm.... I think there is a slight mistake in the lyrics. Where is says "Cores the day" I think that is actually suppose to be
"Core sick day" it kinda makes a bit more sense for the song. I have to agree with most of the people on here that it is about an alcoholic wife and her husband who takes care of her and sticks by her side. I think when she is asking for time she knows how much this affects him, and she knows he won't stay around forever so she asks for time to get better, and he cares so much that he gives her time. But then there is the line "but time is not given and time is not taken, it just sifts through it's sift" kinda saying that time is just there and he can't give it to her but more of give himself and his life to her. Then there is the part, "And by the time he came back she'd scrub the bathrooms and make them smell like pine" and it's sort of like she's trying to wash away the mistakes of the previous night as though it would never happen again. I think the ending is kind of a look back on everything that is happening and has happened. I know there have been time in my life where I'd stop and look at everything and it's sort of like that. A jumble of memories and events, almost like a dream. Anyway, I need to stop over-analyzing everything lolz.

I like how so many people took such different views on this song. Regina is such an amazing singer with such a powerful voice. And all of her songs have an ever-changing persona that stays the same. She doesn't just stay in one genre, it really shows how she puts herself into her music. I love it!

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mistterpickle
05-05-2007

Rated 0 
For me, the "they build buildings so tall" is a metaphor... buildings are tall, just as love is long and strong.
That's cheesy, I know, but doesn't it make sense?

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lacrimosa
06-06-2007

Rated 0 
no no no! i recon... its

Oh they build buildings
So tall these days

because he has to carry her up all those stairs
and all its about is her trying to get over the alcoholism
but she cant do it fast enough in his eyes

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bloomingauthor7
06-09-2007

Rated 0 
i kind thought of it as a story about a husband whose wife is an alcoholic and he loves her anhyway, and every night he holds her hair back as she throws up and drives her home every night and every morning she wakes up and is sorry and asks for just a little time, and he "gives" it to her, though time can't really be given, and she'll clean the house every day, but every night they both know she'll get drunkagain but instead of blaming her he just prattles on with small talk about nothing important, how tall the buildings are, the weather, and this will just go on as time sifts through itself.

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