See the soul singer in the session band
Shredded to ribbons beneath a microphone stand
Felt the quickness of pity like a flash in a pan
For the soul singer in the session band

A red carpet bagger makes a Blackberry call
To the plastic piranhas in the city of salt
Wasted wheat paste campaign post no bills on the wall
You mean nothing to no one but that is nobody's fault

See the soul singer in the session band
Shredded to ribbons beneath a microphone stand
Felt the quickness of pity like a flash in a pan
For the soul singer in the session band

I had a lengthy discussion about The Power of Myth
With a post-modern author who didn't exist
In this fictitious world all reality twists
I was a hopeless romantic, now I'm just turning tricks

Just like that soul singer in the session band
Shredded confetti beneath a microphone stand
Saw the Conflict of Interest slipping cash in the hand
For the soul singer in the session band

His room is on fire since he painted it red
There are a stranger's silk sequins at the foot of the bed
He has been weddings and funerals but still never wept
Now sorrow is pleasure when you want it instead

Just like the soul singer in the session band
Wailed like an infant atop a white baby grand
We'll need every sand bag and every man
To save the soul singer in the session band

Headlights or taillights, it's a flip of a coin
I have been coming and going since the day I was born
And I followed the breadcrumbs but I never got home
I grew old in an instant, now I am all on my own

Just like that soul singer in the session band
Shredded to nothing beneath a microphone stand
Saw the wave of the future through the crack in the dam
Drown the soul singer in the session band
Bless the soul singer in the session band



Lyrics submitted by benjam326

Track duration: 04:14

"Soul Singer in a Session Band" as written by Conor Oberst

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Soul Singer in a Session Band song meanings
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37 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:oh yeah shit- also think about what happened in Neworleans.
    Flag adderallwire222on August 28, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:its about something that is real in a fake plastic world. similar to wish you were here by floyd. you need to focus on the dualities of his imagery.
    Flag adderallwire222on August 28, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"A red carpet bagger makes a Blackberry call
    To the plastic piranhas in the city of salt
    Wasted wheat paste campaign post no bills on the wall
    You mean nothing to no one but that is nobody's fault"

    WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?!?
    Flag CORPSErawron January 11, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:does anyone know what conor says right after the solo? right before the "headlights or taillights..." line. i keep listening to it and trying to figure it out and i can't.
    Flag pjsom23on July 14, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Aww, this song came on yesterday at a restaurant I was at for a school club meeting, and I completely missed about four minutes of the meeting because I was singing along in my head. :]
    Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous, as is every song on the CD.
    Flag taylorsaurus rexon June 18, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I'm probably totally wrong here, but the first thing that came to mind about the author was Vonnegut, because of Cat's Cradle, which includes the line, "Anyone unable to understand how a useful religion can be founded on lies will not understand this book either." To me that deals with how powerful a myth can be. That was just my first impression though.
    Flag astatusquoexileon April 13, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:does anyone see a reference to e.e. cummings in the line "you mean nothing to no one and that's nobody's fault"
    perhaps he means "You mean nothing to Noone and that's Nobody's fault"
    Flag theminstrels1on March 17, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i like the line about the postmodern author...postmodnernists believe that nothing matters because nothing exists.
    Flag sploogerellaon January 03, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The song is autobiographical, yet he uses it to represent any "hopeless romantic" bent into "just
    turning tricks". He says that "you mean nothing
    to no one but thats nobody's fault" which is a clever
    reflection of the movement of time, and how
    it changes everything, including what one values
    themselve as. I think the soul singer in a session band is a very faint whisper, a slight nod of the head
    towards the events of Katrina. The city of New Orleans famous for its blues (session bands) was
    forgotten (meant nothing to no one) and was drowned by katrina (needed every sand bag and
    every man). This connection is faint yet evident.

    the song is about losing one self to circumstance,
    and that how it is no ones fault but time, and that
    you can't blame the sell out who breaks with it.
    Flag cristobolon November 07, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:what's a session band?
    and what does the line "wasted wheat paste campaign post no bills on the wall" mean? i can't even make grammatical sense of it...
    Flag flippant thoughtson October 28, 2007   Link

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