We've lived in bars
And danced on tables
Hotels trains and ships that sail
We swim with sharks
And fly with aeroplanes in the air

Send in the trumpets
The marching wheelchairs
Open the blankets and give them some air
Swords and arches bones and cement
The light and the dark of the innocent of men

We know your house so very well
And we will wake you once we've walked up
All your stairs

There's nothing like living in a bottle
And nothing like ending it all for the world
We're so glad you will come back
Every living lion will lay in your lap
The kid has a homecoming the champion the horse
Who's gonna play drums guitar or organ with chorus
As far as we've walked from both ends of sand
Never have we caught a glimpse of this man

We know your house so very well
And we will bust down your door if you're not there

We've lived in bars
And danced on tables
Hotels trains and ships that sail
We swim with sharks
And fly with aeroplanes out of here
Out of here



Lyrics submitted by 16996602

Track duration: 03:44


Lived in Bars song meanings
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21 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:Come on boys and girls! Most of her songs have lots of disconcerting lines, like with early Dylan (whom she adores btw!), but this time she's put a couple that can't be missed: "There's nothing like living in a bottle, And nothing like ending it all for the world". It's about alcoholism, both the fun of being drunk and the glory of the addicted artist dying for his art.
    I would add that there might a reference to "Between the bars" by Elliott Smith, which is also a song about ... wait for it! .... alcoholism! There you have it ;)
    Flag guigaon November 10, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:but mind its that beautiful bar legacy of a song..., which makes bar songs great which makes this song great.
    Flag Bitwannaon May 05, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Also the replacements for bands, the "who will play such and such" was what happened after the plane crash "out of here" if you wiki you will catch the drift
    Flag Bitwannaon May 05, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Actually---coming from a non-super fan of anything in particular at all...I noticed this song is very much about lynyrd skynyrd and I was just talking about the death of MCA (beastie boys) and buddy holly vs waylon jennings (I learned tonight if there was no death of buddy holly there would be no dukes of hazards theme song (((well maybe))) tonight. But I noticed the lyrics earlier and felt compelled to share my take in the poetry. Hope you all see it and appreciate it because I am pretty sure its about the legacy of Lynard Skynyrd in the bar world.
    Flag Bitwannaon May 05, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:It is about her comming home, to a bar where she knows everyone.

    We're so glad you will come back
    Every living lion will lay in your lap

    She is known and loved there. And the house she knows so well is the bar like mcdaniel said.

    It belongs to no man but to all that fel at home there.


    We swim with sharks
    And fly with aeroplanes in the air

    The place where you feel the strongest or nicest emotions.

    Because she had problems with alcohol it means she was in this places for a long time and this song represent the good part of all she has been through.

    My opinion.
    Flag roxroxon March 31, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:yes. She had alcohol problem , she once said she was never sober on stage in an interview
    Flag Shanexxon January 20, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Its interesting how this song isn't like most songs about alcoholism. The song seems to be more about lifting somebodies spirits than just talking about what happened to her. I wonder if this song is a more private song aimed at somebody she knows and trying to encourage them.
    Flag snizel88on July 02, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I've read some of these posts and I find it surprising what people make of this song. Not good or bad, just surprising. Everyone has their own opinion and I respect that.

    To me this song represents a person reaching out to another in need, weather it's an intervention or just plain old advice during a rough time. It's nice to have someone there reminding you of how great life is and tell you to get out and enjoy life because they know what you're going through, yet everything will be alright. Get out, live your life!
    Flag saturnsongson February 17, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I don't know if it was intended, but it's like shes talking about jesus.

    "And nothing like ending it all for the world
    We're so glad you will come back
    Every living lion will lay in your lap
    The kid has a homecoming the champion the horse
    Who's gonna play drums guitar or organ with chorus
    As far as we've walked from both ends of sand
    Never have we caught a glimpse of this man"

    i wonder if she's religious.
    Flag scoutxyzon January 17, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:strange_as_angels86 is probably the closest. If you've ever bartended you can probably deduce that marshall is describing a watering hole and it's regular customers...

    The house is of course a common term for a bar (as in "drinks on the house", etc.). The surreal comments are simply the conversations that customers have ("kid with homecoming - the champion the horse"); even the random items that hang over the bar ("swords and arches bones and cement"); and the band ("who will play guitar..."). Regulars are also the first ones there ("We'll bust down the door...") and generally know the place better than the staff ("We've walked up all your stairs")

    The video also seems to support this interpretation. It's definitely not about alcoholism.
    Flag mcdanielon December 19, 2008   Link

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