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.
Pilgrims in the parking lot
Arteries clogged with blood clots
Pushing through the aisles of department stores
Neon crosses and Christmas lights
Credit card debts and brand new bikes
The holidays are here and we're still at war
The rabbi reads from the testament
The banker gazes at the year's investments
Salvation santa's solicit for the poor
Deception of democracy
The philanderings of faux foreign policy
The holidays are here and we're still at war
Smoggy skies and fixed elections
Injustice strikes from all directions
People with their backs against the floor
Looking for someone to set us free
A king with fists like Mohammad Ali
The holidays are here and we're still at war
A mother knows what is best for you
Even though it's hard to listen
Your father knows he can count on you
Though you couldn't count on him
Christopher Columbus knew
Vasco De Gama and Magellan too
The profits of oppression grow like never before
All hail to the captalist thief
And mourn your lost ones and covet our grief
The holidays are here and we're still at war
Hurricane waters ravage southern towns
And black and brown people are left to drown
While the White House and the emergency management agency ignores
Victims seek shelter in the Astrodome
And the National Guard says "Don't go home"
The holidays are here and we're still at war
Police officers hassle the homeless
Domestic disputes, alcohol and violence
The jailhouse opens wide its door
A corporation cuts a million employees
And the factory is moving overseas
The holidays are here and we're still at war
A mother knows what is best for you
Even though it's hard to listen
Your father knows he can count on you
Though you couldn't count on him
Jesus sheds another tear
Into a sea of two thousand years
Into the eve of a new year once more
Tears of joy, resolutions of sorrow
Toast to health and wealth tomorrow
The holidays are here and we're still at war
Religious wars and domination
World trade and globalization
The prices of petroleum soar
Lonesome churches are packed with sinners
Non-believers and new beginners
The holidays are here and we're still at war
Say a prayer for the less fortunate
Prisoners and soldiers you never have met
Understand what it is they're fighting for
Say a prayer for your enemies
Say a prayer for the victims and their families
The holidays are here and we're still at war
Yes, the holidays are here and we're still at war
Arteries clogged with blood clots
Pushing through the aisles of department stores
Neon crosses and Christmas lights
Credit card debts and brand new bikes
The holidays are here and we're still at war
The rabbi reads from the testament
The banker gazes at the year's investments
Salvation santa's solicit for the poor
Deception of democracy
The philanderings of faux foreign policy
The holidays are here and we're still at war
Smoggy skies and fixed elections
Injustice strikes from all directions
People with their backs against the floor
Looking for someone to set us free
A king with fists like Mohammad Ali
The holidays are here and we're still at war
A mother knows what is best for you
Even though it's hard to listen
Your father knows he can count on you
Though you couldn't count on him
Christopher Columbus knew
Vasco De Gama and Magellan too
The profits of oppression grow like never before
All hail to the captalist thief
And mourn your lost ones and covet our grief
The holidays are here and we're still at war
Hurricane waters ravage southern towns
And black and brown people are left to drown
While the White House and the emergency management agency ignores
Victims seek shelter in the Astrodome
And the National Guard says "Don't go home"
The holidays are here and we're still at war
Police officers hassle the homeless
Domestic disputes, alcohol and violence
The jailhouse opens wide its door
A corporation cuts a million employees
And the factory is moving overseas
The holidays are here and we're still at war
A mother knows what is best for you
Even though it's hard to listen
Your father knows he can count on you
Though you couldn't count on him
Jesus sheds another tear
Into a sea of two thousand years
Into the eve of a new year once more
Tears of joy, resolutions of sorrow
Toast to health and wealth tomorrow
The holidays are here and we're still at war
Religious wars and domination
World trade and globalization
The prices of petroleum soar
Lonesome churches are packed with sinners
Non-believers and new beginners
The holidays are here and we're still at war
Say a prayer for the less fortunate
Prisoners and soldiers you never have met
Understand what it is they're fighting for
Say a prayer for your enemies
Say a prayer for the victims and their families
The holidays are here and we're still at war
Yes, the holidays are here and we're still at war
Lyrics submitted by fraexx
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I think the song is making a point that the holidays is to be a time of compassion and understanding. Yet nothing has changed. Soldiers are still over in Iraq, away from their families. The last lines are my favorite because it shows what the holidays ARE supposed to be about. Not about gifts or money, it's about taking a moment to remember your fellow man.
Even if you've never met him.