Bell X1 – Ribs of a Broken Umbrella

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  Lyric Correction:She was only just a girl in a picture
  but he thought if I could only make her smile
  bhen she'd be mine
  He'd folded it, re-folded it so many times,
  He'd already lost some of her to the creases
  precious pieces
  He wondered how close he's ever been to her
  in this ebb and flow of the distance between us
  maybe she got the same bus
  and he left a trail of string wherever he went
  When he was sleepin', he tied it to his toe
  if she crossed it, then he'd know
  
  But he knew
  that all was unravelling
  and he was bare
  stripped of his skin
  like the ribs of a broken umbrella
  sticking out of a bin
  
  He'd pull his collar up against the wind,
  Against those who said that trying was the first step to failing
  Oh he was railing
  and filled with newfound purpose and pride,
  He'd make something out of this heady glow
  Now where would she go?
  
  But what do I know?
  Cos all is unravelling
  and he was bare
  stripped of his skin
  like the ribs of a broken umbrella
  sticking out of a bin
  
  But he knew how to fix it, dear Liza, dear Liza
  with time's great elixir, dear Liza, dear Liza
  
  She was only just a girl in a picture,
  But he thought if I could only make her smile
  then she'd be mine
  Oh the thought of being faced with her
  gave him the fear and sometimes in the morning a tent
  Oh Lord give him strength
  
  Cos he knew
  that all was unravelling
  and he was bare
  stripped of his skin
  Like the ribs of a broken umbrella
  sticking out of the bin

  Flag niteflite01on February 20, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:And the broken umbrella about which Paul sings is how he envisages the body of an old man, with it's broken spans being compared to bones.

  Flag niteflite01on June 30, 2011   Link

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  Song Meaning:I saw them on their acoustic tour, they were just incredible, and Paul said this song was about this Polish guy they met in a pub in New York. He'd moved to New York years ago to set up a new life, and , his sweetheart was supposed to follow, but she never didmand obviously there was no way of finding out why in those days, so he lived his life in New York without her and all he had of her was a very old creased picture.

  Flag newjerseysuccesstoryon May 09, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:It's definately "Dear Liza, dear Liza", and "sometimes in the morning a tent". It's not the first time Noonan has slipped in a sly reference to having an erection; in 'Slowset', he mentions having risen to the occassion while dancing with a girl!

  Flag TheMightyDukeon September 23, 2009   Link

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    Thanks for the pointing out the sexual connotations :D, always knew Paul would draw somethings from Damien from their time in Juniper (or is it the other way around?)...definitely very characteristic of Paul's wittiness in songwriting.

    Flag Skylarkinon January 04, 2010  
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  General Comment:Just a quick correction: its not 'the lies, the lies' its 'dear Liza, dear Liza' taken from the song Theres a hole in my bucket. And its not 'sometimes in the morning intent', its 'sometimes in the morning A tent'
  
  At least I'm pretty sure thats right :)

  Flag connywonnyon May 11, 2009   Link

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