(Well
sometimes
I think that you
meet someone
you
give and you give
and you give until there's nothing left
no matter what
it's never
ever going to be good enough for them)

Drove up to the river with the barrel in the back of the trunk,
the grilled cheese that Karen ??? hung out in front.
Mr. Merle and Johnny Cash swear I'm leaving at once,
punched the gas the leaves all laugh,
the wind wheezes and coughs.

The water wash sprays off, pinpricked my lips.
Wet wood framed moonlight, barely barrel of slits.
Came too far to watch it drift off now I can,
let my ship slide along right off that cliff,
right off the cliff,
right off the cliff.

Could have set you to rest,
I could have told you that I loved you to death.
Make a million memories, you talk in wasted breath.
Wave my hat and beat my chest while listening 'til it hits,
you love the mess, I'll give you one that you never forget.

A man of letters knows the best of broken needs and frayed respects,
the promise catch a cloud of breath and foggy ?inuit/inward? scent
Hands that get and hands that beg and hands that always forget,
count on tips but never ever can you count on the catch.
Count on the catch,
count on the catch.

My little ship drifts with the leaves and water spraying across the lips,
Mr. Moon's good work blue earthmen kissed,
two ships soft hiss in the sparkling mist,
that old lift in your falling chest just before the hit.
I never thought it'd come to this my parents never taught me to drift,
something I learned watching bridges burn down to sticks,
there's nothing left but a mess of splinters flailing limbs,
the water sounds just like the record's end.
Just like the record's end.
Just like the record's end.

There's no big bang there's no big mess,
there's no big parade no big cheques.
There's no big bang there's no big mess,
there's no big parade no big cheques.
There's no big bang there's no big mess,
there's no big parade no big cheques.
There's no big bang there's no big mess,
there's no big parade no big cheques.
There's no big bang there's no big mess,
there's no big parade no big cheques.
There's no big bang there's no big mess,
there's no big parade no big cheques.
There's no big bang there's no big mess,
there's no big bang there's no big mess,
there's no big bang there's no big mess,
there's no big bang there's no big mess,
there's no big bang there's no...



Lyrics submitted by SecondFig

Track duration: 04:20


Barrel Jumping (A Man of Letters) song meanings
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8 Comments

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  • 0
    My Opinion:This song is so full of emotion, it's hard not to be drawn into.
    Flag Meghindon May 29, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Someone please transcribe these lyrics from the album liner notes.
    Flag RaygunShaunon May 09, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is beautiful, incredibly vivid in description, and open to being interpreted a number of ways. I see it on the surface as a description of a man killing himself by going over the falls in a barrel, but also as a metaphor for the death of a relationship that is seen as one-sided.

    in regards to the end of the song:

    there's nothing left but a mess of splinters, flailing limbs,
    the water sounds just like the record's end.
    Just like the record's end.
    Just like the record's end.

    There's no big bang there's no big mess,
    there's no big parade no big cheques.

    It's not about him coming to terms with his death/the death of the relationship, or learning to live with things, just a description of the end. Quiet, insignificant, unnoticed by the outside world. All that's left in the end is a small mess that gets swept away in the swirling waters.

    Flag supersaladon October 03, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I can't say I agree ManifestO (but I want too)...
    This song just reminds me of getting everything BACK to nothing. Big bang could be taken to reference creation as well as destruction/suicide or even just plain emotion. Without it? This 'nothing'.
    Maybe...
    Else maybe just having to feel NOTHING for a while, in order to get over something big, something painful, something you never thought you could get over.
    I don't know.
    Just
    damn incredible song. One of my favourite songs ever, at the moment (things may change with time, I have only recently started listening to this band) but I just love how they sound, and how their music effects my moods/reflects them.

    Could have set you to rest,

    I could have told you that I loved you to death.

    Make a million memories, you talk in wasted breath.
    Wave my hat and beat my chest while listening 'til it hits,
    you love the mess, I'll give you one that you never forget.

    Flag Wheretofindyouon September 10, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:'I could have told you that I loved you to death.
    Make a million memories, you talk in wasted breath.
    Wave my hat and beat my chest while listening 'til it hits,
    you love the mess, I'll give you one that you never forget.'

    A song to not kill yourself to.
    Flag Manifest0on August 10, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:songz brilliant
    Flag Dasuitekillaon October 29, 2009   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:One change I would make to this for certain would be to the line
    "Your lovliness"

    I really think it goes
    "You love the mess? I'll give you one that you'll never forget."

    As in a mess of himself after riding a barrel off of Niagara Falls.

    In the end, he survives the fall (no big bang, no big mess), which I think mimics thinking you'll never get over someone, and then slowly learning to live with things.
    Flag thomhaleon November 20, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:My favourite song on The Mighty Ocean, I just love how resigned and weary he sounds...

    I'm not at all sure, but it sounds like he's describing going over a waterfall in a barrel - as a way out, an end. A love gone wrong that he's escaping...?
    Flag SecondFigon October 01, 2008   Link

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