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.
I was born in a swamp
I was born with no clothes on
I was born in a swamp
I was born with no clothes on
I broke off and became something breathing
I was fast; there were packs I was leading
I was born in a swamp
I was born with no clothes on
Tripped out the devil spoke to me
Through my high fingertips
Which were in the ground
The same beneath you now
Which means I’m alive
Which means I’m not dead
This god of your holy books I do not agree with him
I will not be one more servant
I will not bow to anything
Not a puff of smoke or the flash of a turning mirror
Let’s talk about your real fears
Like that you might actually be all alone
No happy heavenly home
To return to god, dispenser of judgmental pencil shavings
He’s got baggies full for you
But I’ve got a planet packed with proof
Oh, to understand
You must spend time alone
To comprehend
You must spend time alone
To be together
We must spend time alone
And I am the only thing that's controlling
My functions, my habits, and hands
And I’m alone in the vastness
Hollow vacuum
I take my chances
And I am holding all my horses tight
We’ve become breathlessly dark
And we're coming up for light
I have cobwebs for maps
I’m walking in circles again
I’m walking in circles again
I’m walking in circles again
I’m walking in circles again
I have cobwebs for maps
I was born with no clothes on
I was born in a swamp
I was born with no clothes on
I broke off and became something breathing
I was fast; there were packs I was leading
I was born in a swamp
I was born with no clothes on
Tripped out the devil spoke to me
Through my high fingertips
Which were in the ground
The same beneath you now
Which means I’m alive
Which means I’m not dead
This god of your holy books I do not agree with him
I will not be one more servant
I will not bow to anything
Not a puff of smoke or the flash of a turning mirror
Let’s talk about your real fears
Like that you might actually be all alone
No happy heavenly home
To return to god, dispenser of judgmental pencil shavings
He’s got baggies full for you
But I’ve got a planet packed with proof
Oh, to understand
You must spend time alone
To comprehend
You must spend time alone
To be together
We must spend time alone
And I am the only thing that's controlling
My functions, my habits, and hands
And I’m alone in the vastness
Hollow vacuum
I take my chances
And I am holding all my horses tight
We’ve become breathlessly dark
And we're coming up for light
I have cobwebs for maps
I’m walking in circles again
I’m walking in circles again
I’m walking in circles again
I’m walking in circles again
I have cobwebs for maps
Lyrics submitted by vossler
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"I have cobwebs for maps" means he doesn't have a set path like Christians do. Christians/Jews/Hindus/etc are all working for a greater being or cause (for God, to get into heaven, Hindus working for rebirth, etc), but this dude singing is just lost because he knows we're all alone.
Love how this guy writes so bluntly. So needed.
So I think the meaning of this song is pretty obvious: it's talking about atheism. "This god of your holy books I do not agree with him."
I'm not sure I get the part about being born in a swamp, or "I have cobwebs for maps", though.
I was born in a swamp, i broke off and became something breathing, i was fast there were packs i was leading. Hes talking about evolution, fishfrogs to monkeys to people or whatevs. And about the cobwebs hes trying to imply he as no idea where hes going or what hes doing, even tho most spiders cobwebs are very semetricle and would be pretty easy to navigate :P
i think the swamp means he is from this earth and nowhere else, opposed to from heaven, or god. and the using spider webs for maps signifies that he uses things in the world or thigns around him to help guide his way, real things. as in not god.
as in there is no god. as in god isnt real. as in religon is fake.
i love the lyrics to this song.
I actually believe that he's saying "I was born in a swarm."
no, it was "i was born in a swamp". listen harder, it's right.
this whole CD is very native-american themed, basically i agree with what MitchDouglas said. he is telling of being one with the earth, living a neverending circle of life.
cobwebs for maps may be a reference to their veganism.
the beginning is a story of a trip he had. i think, if anything, he had some kind of epiphany while high and wrote about it. there is some intentional symbolism and methaphors in there too. cobwebs for maps, just think of what a web looks like. its an intricate web that ultimately is a circle. good song, the dude can write.
there seems to be a theme of evolution and darwinism in weatherbox's songs including this one.. " i was born in a swamp/with no clothes on/broke off became something breathing" humans evolved from tiny organisms in the water and through evolution "broke off" crawled out of the swamp and became something breathing
the second part refers to atheism "this god of your holy books....you might actually be alone" there is no god..."ive got a planet packed with proof" ie darwinism/ evolution
the rest continues along this line... "cobwebs for maps" and walking in circles may refer to the fact that no matter what he looks at he comes to the same conclusion...no god
i would be interested to know the meaning of "judgemental pencil shavings"
"judgemental pencil shavings" i always think of that line as like, "god" throwing baggies of things that don't matter or effect you.