City and Colour – Body in a Box

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There's a funeral procession on the highway
Traffic screeches to a halt
There's people searching for a better way
To live their lives, oh

Johnny lived a good life, you'll hear them say
As tears of sadness soak the ground
The reaper crept in, took his breath away
In the middle of the night, oh

We celebrate the lives of the dead
It's like a man's best party, only happens when he dies
We gather 'round to pay our respects
While their souls are still searching for the light
Searching for the light

So please don't come to me on my dying day
Just let me go in peace
With all the things that I forgot to say
Racing through my mind, oh

And don't you bury me six feet under ground
Just burn my body in a box
And let my ashes blow with the wind
Out into the night sky

We celebrate the lives of the dead
It's like a man's best party, only happens when he dies
We gather 'round to pay our respects
While their souls are still searching for the light
Searching for the light

Searching for the light, oh
Searching for the light

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Lyrics submitted by glab20

Track duration: 04:14

"Body In a Box" as written by Dallas Green

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


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16 Comments

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  • 0
    Song Meaning:This song is simply what Dallas thinks about death. Pure and simple. In my opinion, the most important message it carries is to celebrate life and not dwell on the sadness of death. Fantastic song, fantastic album.
    Flag Rysamon January 14, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:some parts of this song are kind of poetic, but the chorus of this bugs the SHIT out of me. i don't know if he meant it to be profound, or what, but it is just lazy songwriting. "we celebrate the lives of the dead / it's like a man's best party / only happens when he dies." really? that's the line we're going with? it seems like something a kid wrote. it doesn't go with the rest of the song. i like city and colour, and i like the idea of this song. but this chorus, to me, is just lazy and a poor, poor choice. and actually, in my opinion, there's quite a bit of that lazy songwriting on this record. (or even in this song: "tears of sadness soak the ground" is not a line you'd fine in any published short story or poem anthology.) just because you have a mellifluous melody and a good voice doesn't excuse lazy corner-cutting, in my opinion. maybe i sound harsh. i do like city and colour, and dallas green. i just think a lot of songwriters gets complacent with being "good enough." oh well.
    Flag tinto1123on October 27, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I honestly hate this song. Funerals depress me. It's sort of too upbeat for one of those sad songs. I love City and Colour to death, but this is my opinion.
    Flag GreenEyesAlwayson December 05, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I would never ever want to be buried in a box at this juncture. No way. But if I died as a teen and I was not mutilated in a brutal event, then I could see how it would be difficult for my parents to cremate me, yeah.

    But for me? Now? Like Neil Young's mom Rassy said.... Burn me up and fling me in the goddamn garbage. Er something like that. Who gives a rip! Snort my ashes for fuck's sake.
    Flag SaraAmericaon February 24, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:We celebrate the lives of the dead, It's like a man's best party, Only happens when he dies...... to me this song means that others really start to get appreciated when there gone......

    Flag Shmookus92on February 24, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:maybe about how he doesn't want to be buried? song kinda creeps me out. good though.
    Flag heysunshinee09on August 14, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I always thought this was kind of about the way he wanted to get buried!
    when he sings
    "Just burn my body in a box
    And let my ashes
    Blow with the wind
    Out into the night sky"
    i really love that. i think that's the way i'd like to be buried as well.

    The topic and this song are both very unique.

    Such a good song, I love the harmonica parts,
    someone really special to me taught me how to play it once,
    and now I can't listen to the song without bringing back memories.

    Flag speaksofton June 26, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I i agree with fava.folk music is usaly aboute a simple message and this song is clearly aboute how he whants to get buried and all that stuff........hi mom!
    Flag NOVATARDon December 12, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:youtube.com/…
    @ 4:00. i totally agree with everything he says about the uneasiness of funerals. but i also see it as a very respectable way to let go. watch all parts of the interview, the link up there is part 3.

    Flag frannyb3anon October 15, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:My favourite song on the album. It reminds me that I'm alive.
    Flag Wambson September 05, 2008   Link

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