Know something about this song or lyrics?
Add it to our wiki.
I got two armfuls of magazines for you, I?ll bring 'em over
So hang your holiday rainbow lights in the garden
Hang your holiday rainbow lights in the garden
And I?ll, I?ll bring a nice icy drink to you
Let me come over, I can waste your time, I'm bored
Invite me to the war, every night of the summer
And we?ll play G.I. blood, G.I. blood
We?ll stand by the pool, we?ll throw out our golden arms
Darlin', can you tie my string? Killers are callin' on me
My angel face is fallin', feathers are fallin' on my feet
Darlin', can you tie my string? Killers are callin' on me
Stay near your, stay near your television, set it up outside
And hang your holiday rainbow lights in the garden
Hang your holiday rainbow lights in the garden
And I?ll, I?ll bring a nice icy drink to you
Let me come over, I can waste your time, I'm bored
Invite me to the war, every night of the summer
And we?ll play G.I. blood, G.I. blood
We?ll stand by the pool, we?ll through out our golden arms
Darlin', can you tie my string? Killers are callin' on me
My angel face is fallin', feathers are fallin' on my feet
My angel face is fallin', feathers are fallin' on my feet
Darlin', can you tie my string? Killers are callin' on me
Darlin', can you tie my string? Killers are callin' on me
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!
I had thought the narrator of the song was saying he wanted to play "G.I. Blues," as in play the movie, the album, or the song... or maybe that he wants to play at the action that takes place in the movie, where the narrator, as a "fighter" with no one to "fight" would rather be a "singer" and pursue a girl instead.
The rest of the song seems to support that the narrator is trying to get away from the "fight" and that he just wants to spend time with his girl in a summer garden with magazines, lights, and icy drinks. The "can you tie my string" line seems to be him asking her to keep him safe... like tying a little kid's shoe string. Making it safe and secure. She needs to do this because the "killers" are calling on him to bring him back to the fight.... which would make him less "angelic"... less innocent.
In the context of the album this seems to indicate that the narrator might act like a fighter or a "boxer," but that in reality he's just looking for a sanctuary to spend time with the woman he loves. This reading depends a lot on the line actually being "G.I. Blues," so if it's not, then I guess this is all just a rather larger coincidence.
Does anyone else think that there is a striking continuity between albums in this band?
killers are callin on me
my angel face is fallin
feathers are fallin on my feet
darling can you tie my string
killers are callin on me"
This guy's going to war, or he's dying in some way. He wants to be married before he goes, that much is obvious, even the blackbirds (Karen) feathers are falling out. Even the symbols of death are dying.
killers are callin on me
my angel face is fallin
feathers are fallin on my feet
darling can you tie my string
killers are callin on me"
This guy's going to war, or he's dying in some way. He wants to be married before he goes, that much is obvious, even the blackbirds (Karen) feathers are falling out. Even the symbols of death are dying.
I take it that "the magazines" are not printed magazines but rather gun/weapon magazines. In terms of the metaphor I take it as a picture of the ammunition that he's been stockpiling to add to his arsenal for the war/argument they are engaged in.
Also I believe the line is neither "golden arms" or "gold medals" but rather "good news." This would make sense of the title of the song since "Gospel = Good News" and it sounds to me like what he is saying. They stand by the pool and throw out their good news. They're giving up any hope that this relationship can end well.
"we'll throw out our golden arms"
Obviously there are a selection of themes within Boxer: relationships, responsibility, western culture, modernity/post-modernity, appearance/reality. Berninger's monologue wrestles through the internal questions, anxieties and emotions the band’s character feels attempting to make sense of our Western normatives and behaviours. As we saunter along the album's route we realise that, assuming you are of a similar inclination to Berninger, we are fated to pretend (to steal from MGMT). To be truly free spirited is impossible. Perhaps to some the recent war on terror is a good metaphor for these struggles. Whilst my psyche prefers to look at The National's songs from an individual perspective, one cannot help but dock one's cap to the world policing, empire building themes. After all without every individual performing actions in a certain way, we would have no geopolitics.
Anyway I divulge. Gospel, like Slow Show and Apartment Story is clearly about love. Unabashed love. Whether we like it or not, the comfort of a partner we carry with us through life's charade appears to be, for Berninger, the most pure and wonderful tonic. It is such a beautiful song it makes by senses soar, almost bringing tears. The 'magazines' line lets us in to how well meaning the character wants to be. A simple action without the pomp and circumstance of so many of the image laden performances the youth are supposed to pull off with merry gusto these days. In my experience tonnes of magazines are usually brought to someone who is ill, cause they aren’t up for doing much else.
So perhaps we have love as the healer in Gospel, rather like the actions of the main protagonist in the book from which the song title is taken. The angel wings malting, the killers calling, for me again, are the demons and destructive influences of adulthood and ego, coming from within ourselves and from others. With someone to rely on these mental wounds can he healed, we can feel better and more free. Berninger clearly longs for a return to childlike playful humanity, and Gospel aims to take us there, holiday rainbow lights and all.