Her parents named her Hallelujah, the kids they called her Holly
And if she scared you then she's sorry, she's been stranded at these parties
These parties they start lovely
But they get druggy and they get ugly and they get bloody

The priest just kinda laughed, the deacon caught a draft
She crashed into the Easter mass with her hair done up in broken glass
She was limping left on broken heels
And she said, "Father, can I tell your congregation how a resurrection really feels?"

Holly was a hoodrat, and now you finally know that
And she's been disappeared for years, today she finally came back
St. Louis had enslaved me, I guess Santa Ana saved me
St. Peter had me on the queue, the St. Paul Saints they waved me through
And I was all wrapped up in some video booth when I heard her say "I love you too"

She said I've laid beneath my lovers but I've never gotten laid
Some nights she felt protected, some nights she felt afraid
She spent half last winter just trying to get paid
From some guy she'd originally thought to be her savior

They wrote her name in magic marks on stop signs and subway cars
They got a mural up on East 13th that said "Hallelujah, rest in peace"
Hallelujah was a hoodrat, and now you finally know that
She's been disappeared for years, today she finally came back

Walk on back, and walk on back

She said don't turn me on again (walk on back)
You know I'll probably just go and get myself all gone again (walk on back)
Don't turn me on again (walk on back)
You know I'll probably just go and, go and get myself all gone again (walk on back)

So don't turn me on again (walk on back)
You know I'll probably just go and get myself all gone again (walk on back)
Hallelujah was a sexy mess, she looked strung out but experienced
Yeah, so we all got kind of curious

(Walk on back)
(Walk on back)
(Walk on back)
(Walk on back)
(Walk on back)
(Walk on back)
(Walk on back)
(Walk on back)


Lyrics submitted by Moses19

How a Resurrection Really Feels Lyrics as written by Tad Jason Kubler Craig Finn

Lyrics © Reservoir Media Management, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

How a Resurrection Really Feels song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

10 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +3
    My Interpretation

    An amazing ending to an amazing album. Creg Finn is one of the most talented lyricists around today. Most of his stuff isn't even lyrics, more like poems set to music. But regardless, he is an amazing storyteller. The song tells of Holly the hoodrat, finally getting what she wanted. She suffers a near death experience and realizes that there is more to life than getting high and sleeping around. She says that she's laid beneath her lovers but never gotten laid. Meaning that she's had a lot of sex, but never actually felt any sense of love involved. The preist at her church and the deacon laugh at her, writing her off as a lost cause until she comes back clean, sober, and pure. She's a classic example of the underdog. A beautiful disaster. Nobody cared or wanted her to pull through except for the person who is telling all of the stories. (we can assume it's Creg.) And through all she's endured and all the things she's seen, she chooses to live clean. And at the end she is telling people to stay away from her with bad influeces, because she doesn't want to get turned on to it all again. And seperation sunday ends happily ever after. :)

    modestcoryon December 01, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I CANNOT BELIEVE NO ONE HAS COMMENTED ON THIS!!! This is the end of the Separation Sunday story! Come on people!

    HoldSteadyYborCityon July 06, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I love this song soo much. I can't stop listening to it [[:

    watchmewatchuon October 04, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The message it send is awesome. Quite a happy ending.

    Maeston January 04, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This is a great ending. The song is so triumphant and it's nice that Holly gets this happy ending considering all the shit she went through on the album.

    "They got a mural up on East 13th / That said Halleluiah rest in peace." adds to the "Father can I tell your congregation how a resurrection really feels?" line nicely. She was "gone" now she's come back to her previous wholesome, positive life, resurrected in a sense.

    For some reason I like the last 3 lines as well. "Holly was a sexy mess / She looked strung out but experienced / So we all got kind of curious." Kinda implies there's more to the story than what we were told. A good way to end the album, no?

    muteoffon September 02, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this girl that my friend used to date just posted on her livejournal that this song was written about her. Apparently the "whole album" was too, but I can't find the tracklisting that it's on.

    here's her entry about it: theeviltart.livejournal.com/231047.html

    If you know her... i don't think she wants a happy ending.

    abacuslateron February 03, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation

    I don't see how this is a happy ending.

    She said, "Don't turn me on again, I'd probably just go and get myself all gone again."

    How does that not point to a relapse, probably sooner than later?

    Lysiason March 13, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I agree with Lysias

    How is it a happy ending?

    She "crashed into the Easter Mass with her hair done up in broken glass" and then explained "how a resurrection really feels", contradicting what the Priest and deacon (and Catholic Church) traditionally teach, hence the "really". She's not sober or clean at all, the present is when she enters the church in a bad state and then she mentions her previous life.

    MilkyJoeon March 20, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The whole album is about how it's one addiction or another. Holly is either addicted to God or whatever drug she's on.

    skybleachon April 12, 2011   Link
  • -1
    General Comment

    if you don't know anything about the Catholic religion, aside from vague notions, you do yourself a disservice by commenting on this album. Read: you sound stupid.

    sulfar77on January 16, 2013   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
In regards to the meaning of this song: Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.” That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Album art
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve. The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future. Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere" The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Album art
Holiday
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday". I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Album art
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988. "'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it." "There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Album art
No Surprises
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.