Death, data entry, ant hill law
Encoded arc, our common cause
Drink liquid clocks until I see God
Crystal display, can't turn it off

Shh . . . shhh . . . shhhh
Don't talk, don't talk



Lyrics submitted by Mopnugget

Track duration: 03:54


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  • +1
    General Comment:When I first listened to this, the line 'drink liquid clocks, 'til I see god' was stuck in my mind for weeks. I don't really like all the "this song is about..." posts, any Bright Eyes Song is about whatever you want it to be, whatever you can make it fit to, that's the essence of poetry, a unique feeling made universally accessible.
    So, what I (!) made of this line was: drink the time away, until your dead and it's too late. And that's not even limited to alcoholics, that goes for anyone hurrying through the week towards any next friday, that's working 5 days, for having 2 days off, if you're not enjoying the way your life goes (and therefore want it to go faster/drink liquid cloks), make a change, it WILL be too late, someday. That's what I made of it, what I made to help ME, and there's no being wrong.
    Flag milseNon May 15, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:This is the hands-down best song Oberst has ever written.
    Flag badartson November 03, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:the first two lines are about the hopelessness of mankind, our common fate, how death is the end for us all.

    "drink liquid clocks until I see god" : how time slips through his fingers, and suddenly, the end is there

    the next line is about crystal meth, clearly, his addiction (like, you hear the ragged breathing?)
    Flag JessicaDinhon March 20, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Ok, Ill break down what I think each line is about

    Death Data entry, anthill law
    (Almost clinical study of human death,and that we are numb,like ants)
    encoded arc, our commen cause
    (We all die, it is what we are planned to do)
    Drink liquid clocks till I see god
    (This is about remorse for death. About drinking to make it go away.Clocks= time so drinking liquid time is drinking to forget)
    Crystal desplay cant turn it off
    (this is about that even with achohol You can still see and remember)
    Shh..Shhh... Dont talk dont talk
    (This is about the loss and despair they feel)
    The rest of the musical techo bits are ambient and moody
    There are always so many pictures that ome to my head when I listen to this awsome song
    Flag The_Dead_Girlon January 08, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think that goulet kid is right about the allusions to himself however i rarely see him use allusions to anything else, making me think even more that this is not a dali referance. Plus the alchohal just make more sense, he'll drink until he dies(see's god).
    Flag chazisawsomeon October 22, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:okay, so on the cd. i was reading the album booklet.
    thought i'd share something from it, in case you don't have the cd;
    "they invented LOVE all right
    But they still can't make the right
    plastic or metal or whatever to hold it all in
    So it just keeps leaking (insert water sounds)
    all over everything (insert everything)
    dripping and splashing/making music
    Gives me an ear infection
    [This record is dedicated to stella mogis and rosemarie gentile whose coming and going have somehow helped this whole mess of a world make sense.]
    Now my equilibrium's fucked.
    So i'm holding onto the railing all the way down.
    And i'm asking for your shoulder on the way up
    If you help me when i'm frightened i will help you when you're drunk.
    promise you know nothing, and you're someone i can trust.
    Neverminding hot DEATH on our heals
    But never forgetting it either."

    intense writing, i think.
    Flag brighteyes15on July 18, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:ps. i may be way off on alot of my thinking but for my interpretation of the song i looked back to other albums (especially Fevers & Mirrors) for help. i've noticed that some things such as his meaning for clocks as symbolism have returned in Digital Ash. i've also noticed that he tends to use allusions in his songs that actually refer back to himself and songs that he wrote in the past. i find it fascinating. :]
    Flag ThatGouletKidon May 19, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this album is amazing. i've owned it for a few years now but only recently have i started to really listen to it and appreciate it for what it is.

    this is a fantastic intro to a truly wondrous album.
    with only a few lines Conor is able to sum up the entire album. i love all of the double-entendres that are used. "crystal display, can't turn it off" sounds like he is taking crystal meth and disguising it as a computer screen, comparing our addiction to media and the digitalisation of the world to his addiction to drugs.

    alot of Digital Ash has to do with life, death and rebirth and the themes revolve around drugs more than once.

    "drink liquid clocks 'til I see God" can be ref to alcohol. Conor was raised catholic and catholics are often stereotyped as alcoholics (which everyone knows Conor is).

    the rest of the song just speaks of death, drugs and the way people squabble for control over things ("ant hill law"?). and of course underneath all of this repeated digital imagery we've got a wonderful melange of electronic instruments and sounds.

    pretty kickassery for an intro. :]
    Flag ThatGouletKidon May 19, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:liquid clocks is a dali refernce
    Flag willlliwon May 19, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Drink liquid clocks is the best fucking line ever.
    Flag Havenspearon March 01, 2008   Link

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