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.
Mr. Henry and the muscle man
Gave her shoes on a night there was no room to stand
Like a letter in a stolen purse
She was bored of her weight, she was bored of her words
The daughter of a soldier told the fallen priest
"It's a cold, cold place in the arms of a thief"
And reaching out to touch the steering wheel
She said, "Leave me alone but just don't leave me here, all right?"
Aye, all right
Mr. Henry and another guy gave her gold
On a night that it fell from the sky
And like a body when the buzzard came
She was bored of her look, she was bored of her name
The daughter of a lawyer told the fallen priest
"It's a cold, cold place in the arms of a thief"
And dabbing at the arrow in her heel
She said, "Leave me alone but just don't leave me here, all right?"
Aye, all right
Mr. Henry was a dying man with advice
In a tongue that she didn't understand
Like the water when the sea got rough
She was bored with the breeze, she was bored of her luck
The winner and the loser told the fallen priest
"It's a cold, cold place in the arms of a thief"
And holding everything he made her steal
She said, "Leave me alone but just don't leave me here, all right?"
Aye, all right
Gave her shoes on a night there was no room to stand
Like a letter in a stolen purse
She was bored of her weight, she was bored of her words
The daughter of a soldier told the fallen priest
"It's a cold, cold place in the arms of a thief"
And reaching out to touch the steering wheel
She said, "Leave me alone but just don't leave me here, all right?"
Aye, all right
Mr. Henry and another guy gave her gold
On a night that it fell from the sky
And like a body when the buzzard came
She was bored of her look, she was bored of her name
The daughter of a lawyer told the fallen priest
"It's a cold, cold place in the arms of a thief"
And dabbing at the arrow in her heel
She said, "Leave me alone but just don't leave me here, all right?"
Aye, all right
Mr. Henry was a dying man with advice
In a tongue that she didn't understand
Like the water when the sea got rough
She was bored with the breeze, she was bored of her luck
The winner and the loser told the fallen priest
"It's a cold, cold place in the arms of a thief"
And holding everything he made her steal
She said, "Leave me alone but just don't leave me here, all right?"
Aye, all right
Lyrics submitted by Gonzalesaurus, edited by 372jdno, Cadwaladr, Mellow_Harsher
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
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Holiday
Bee Gees
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.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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."
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I'm pretty sure that the line "tapping at the air with her heel" is actually "dabbing at the arrow in her heel". The 'arrow in her heel' refers to the weak spot (prostitution) that will eventually cause her downfall/death. (famous reference from The Iliad by Homer)
A few other lyric websites use this revision of that line. If you listen to the song, it sounds more like it.
I'm surprised more people haven't commented on this song! It's absolutley amazing! If I ever saw Iron and Wine live I would probably pee my pants from happiness!
This is about a girl who works for Mr.Henry. He takes care of her, but sells her to others for money, he also abuses her himself. The muscle man, the fallen preist, and another guy, are all consumers. Lines like, "Reaching out to touch the steering wheel", "tapping at the air with her heel", "holding everything he made her steal", Mr. Henry and another guy gave her gold On a night that it fell from the sky are all metaphors showing the sexual abuse. When the girl says, "Leave me alone but just dont leave me here, alright?" she meens leave me alone, but dont abandon me. As in he is the one that takes care of her. She is probably a runaway, or it could be that he is her father but i doubt it. If anyone needs an explination for anyline, post it because i will tell you...:P
I was just looking up the ;yrics when i scrolled down and saw that one guys expination so i decided to straighen it out :O
the song seems to be about the novel by william faulkner, Sanctuary, in which Temple Drake, the daughter of a judge, is kidnapped, and held for ransom by bootleggers; the words "leave me alone but don't leave me here" are pretty much verbatim from the novel; someone above commented that it sounded like she had been raped; this stands pretty well in context with the novel as well.
This song has been in my head all day... for some reason what came to head was that of a girl who had been raped or been forced into having sex. But she was telling whoever had done this to her leave me alone, but don't leave me out here. I got the impression that she was saying at least take me the hell home.
But coming to read the lyrics... it's a story about a girl who grew up in a cold household, her father has a changing face from a soldier to a lawyer, my guess is during the soldier years and the government doesn't take care of their veterans a lot of times... he would teach his kids how to steal. I'd imagine her father's changing faces made her into someone who changes faces but doesn't like doing it. When he transitions from soldier to lawyer, to her it's the same thing. He's lying, cheating and stealing and she's tired of it. She's bored of that life.
She's planning to leave, she meets an older man in town who wants a change of pace from the town they've grown up in. He's a somewhat religious man, but he's fallen from the graces of God. She tells him all the reasons why they could leave, giving her side of the story. She tells him when you go, you can leave me alone but just don't leave me here. So indeed he takes her away, he never leaves her alone, even though all the places they go she might mess around carelessly with someone else, he just never leaves her behind. She doesn't quite understand him, but he quite understands her, even in his dying breath he just doesn't want to leave her behind.
This is about a girl who works for Mr.Henry. He takes care of her, but sells her to others for money, he also abuses her himself. The muscle man, the fallen preist, and another guy, are all consumers. Lines like, "Reaching out to touch the steering wheel", "tapping at the air with her heel", "holding everything he made her steal", Mr. Henry and another guy gave her gold <br /> On a night that it fell from the sky<br /> are all metaphors showing the sexual abuse. When the girl says, "Leave me alone but just dont leave me here, alright?" she meens leave me alone, but dont abandon me. As in he is the one that takes care of her. She is probably a runaway, or it could be that he is her father but i doubt it. If anyone needs an explination for anyline, post it because i will tell you...:P<br />
is this what you thought the first time? and howd you get all that other stuff from thiss :P?
i don't understand what the lines with Mr. Henry are supposed to mean, any ideas anyone?
@gotexas In each verse Mr. Henry gives her something that seems valuable but turns out to be useless: shoes when there was no room to stand, gold when it was falling from the sky everywhere, advice in a language she couldn't understand.
This song sounds like it belongs on The Shepherd's Dog. I wonder if that was the original plan?
Yeah they made 16 songs for the Shepherd's dog, two of which (Arms of a thief and serpent Charmer) came as a bonus to the pre-order.
The last paragraph actually starts with, Mr. Henry was a dying man with advice in a tongue she didn't understand.
NOT Mr. Henry was a dying man with a vice and a tongue...
i always believed Mr Henry was gay (why he's a fallen priest) and the other guys are his various lovers.
and every time he said "she was bored of her , she was bored of her" i hear born.
i think it's about a girl who was abused & didn't have the best home life & this older gay man is trying to help her, but cant really.
he gave her shoes on a night when there was nowhere to stand (what good is that) and gold when it fell from the sky (it would have no value then) and advice she couldn't understand.
What a jerk Mr. H is for giving her all these useless things...