Saving Grace

good song, but its a rip off of George Thorogood early stuff

America is in decay. Tom moves through it and describes it as he goes.

"I'm passing sleeping cities Fading by degrees And believing all I see to be so"

A lot of US cities have faded from past glory. To see them now is to believe the reality of the decay.

"I'm flyin' over backyards Country homes and ranches Watching life between the branches below."

He's in rural country ("country homes and ranches"), flyover country ("the branches below").

"And it's hard to say Who you are these days But you run on anyway Don't you baby?"

"You" is America. The country has changed almost beyond recognition. But somehow it keeps running -- where to?

"You keep running for another place To find that saving grace"

We have no idea where we're going. Nobody has any plans to fix things. We hope for a miracle -- a saving grace.

"I'm moving on alone Over ground that no one owns Past statues that atone for my sins And there's a guard on every door And a drink on every floor Overflowing with a thousand amens"

As in so many of his songs, Tom feels alienated or alone ("moving on alone"). The "guard on every door" brings to mind the paranoia of a disintegrating social fabric -- a locked door, a guard dog, a man with a pistol who is eager to shoot home invaders. We take refuge in hedonism ("drink on every floor") or in prayer ("a thousand amens").

(As for the statues and all, haha I have no idea what that means. Something about America's past sins?)

"You're rolling up the carpet Of your father's two-room mansion No headroom for expansion no more And there's a corner of the floor They're telling you is yours You're confident but not really sure"

We live in a time of increasing poverty, diminishing expectations. The oxymoron "two-room mansion" shows how ridiculous Americans are about our aspirations -- we're temporarily embarrassed millionaires. If your place is two rooms, it ain't a mansion! But that sad mansion is suddenly looking pretty good from the next generation's point of view -- the "father's two-room mansion" no longer has "headroom for expansion" and they're resigning us to "a corner of the floor". (Does "rolling up the carpet" refer to carpetbaggers, poor and desperate profiteers from the North who raided the South after the Civil War?)

Americans always bullshit about how they feel fine, even when life is caving in on them. Even if we aren't "really sure" about this whole situation and where it's leading, we pretend to be "confident".

Sure, the music is a rip off of ZZ Top's "La Grange", but he's earned the right from other bands taking from him. That said, great song, proving that Petty is still a great musician.

Haha, I KNEW I knew that music. Anyway, good song. Tom Petty is one of the greatest, but he was FRIGHTENING on Jay Leno..

On an album entitled "Highway Companion" this song fits perfectly. Petty, one of the best storytellers, puts you in the passenger seat as he drives cross country. Great driving song.

I guess this is a song about driving along the road at night. Having the road to yourself and thinking about the act of traveling. The "you" in the song seems to be using travel as a way to avoid things. "it's hard to say" who the person is because he or she won't settle down and establish a life. They feel stifled by normal life in the "two-room mansion," so they run away from it. It seems like they're looking for something (the saving grace, whatever that might be-- and they keep going to the next place without ever finding it.

Well, with all the songs out there, it's impossible to write something that doesn't sound a bit like something that someone else wrote....beats doing other peoples covers.

I can't put my finger on it, but there is a religious theme going on here. I think "my father's two room mansion" describes a small town church, no? Could this song painting religion in present day america?

philmelin, I agree.

"You keep running for another place To find that saving grace"

Maybe hes talking about people (or a particular person) waiting for heaven.

"I’m moving on alone over ground that no one owns Past statues that atone for my sins There’s a guard on every door And a drink on every floor Overflowing with a thousand amens"

He's "alone", maybe he content without religion. "Statues" maybe churches. "Drinks" and "amens" maybe hypocrisy. Just my thoughts.

I’m passing sleeping cities Fading by degrees Not believing all I see to be so

(fading by degrees: civilization is passing him by, global warming, the cities are not all they seem, they will pass away)

I’m flyin’ over backyards Country homes and ranches Watching life between the branches below

(he must be on an airplane, to be flying over backyards, he has a bird's eye view of what seems to be the South- country homes and ranches..?)

And it’s hard to say Who you are these days But you run on anyway Don’t you baby?

(i sense he says we're all but a chaff in the wind, do we really know who we are, or whats going on? but we live life to our ability anyway...we seem fragile, cause we need that saving grace as well)

You keep running for another place To find that saving grace

(we look to the outside to save us, like our environment or someone else can save us- thats a bit about the concept of grace in christianity but not all)

I’m moving on alone over ground that no one owns Past statues that atone for my sins There’s a guard on every door And a drink on every floor Overflowing with a thousand amens

(he seems to be looking for grace in another place- possibly a place where its hypocritical, drinks on every floor but amens??)

And it’s hard to say Who you are these days But you run on anyway Don’t you baby?

You keep running for another place To find that saving grace Don’t you baby?

You’re rolling up the carpet Of your father’s two-room mansion No headroom for expansion no more And there’s a corner of the floor They’re telling you is yours You’re confident but not really sure

(i wonder why this family is so cramped in this house? could he be talking about a catostrophe to make them lived cramped and desperately?)

And it’s hard to say Who you are these days But you run on anyway Don’t you baby?

You keep running for another place To find that saving grace

Don’t you baby?

I still dont know whose viewpoint he's talking about, like whose really singing this song, i know I'm not near correct but i wanted to give my take on it

when I listen to song I can enjoy it too!