Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Charlie boy, don't go to war,
First born in '44
Kennedy made him believe
We could do much more
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
And Lillian, don't hang your head,
Love should make you feel good
In uniform you raised a man,
Who volunteered to stand
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Play the bugle, play the taps
Make your mothers proud
Raise your rifles to the sky, boys
Fire that volley loud
News was bad on Upland Ave.,
Metuchen mourn our loss
Sons rebelled, while fathers yelled,
And mothers clutched the cross
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Play the bugle, play the taps
Make your fathers proud
Raise your rifles to the sky, boys
Fire that volley loud
First born in '44
Kennedy made him believe
We could do much more
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
And Lillian, don't hang your head,
Love should make you feel good
In uniform you raised a man,
Who volunteered to stand
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Play the bugle, play the taps
Make your mothers proud
Raise your rifles to the sky, boys
Fire that volley loud
News was bad on Upland Ave.,
Metuchen mourn our loss
Sons rebelled, while fathers yelled,
And mothers clutched the cross
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Play the bugle, play the taps
Make your fathers proud
Raise your rifles to the sky, boys
Fire that volley loud
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
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“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
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Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Page
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There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
After a bit of searching I believe this to be about a member of Wesleys family, the lead singer. There was a 2ndLT Charles John Schultz USMC killed in Vietnam, born 1944 as the lyrics said and from Metuchen as the song suggets. All seems abit of a coincidence. I think this is the meaning for this.
This is an incredibly beautiful song, and these lyrics are so full of empathy, wisdom, and humanity. Thanks jrhmasters and schultzee for your insights on the details that inspired it. I was wondering how this young artist could have had such a personal connection to the Vietnam War. He sounds like Bruce Springsteen or Woody Guthrie, with all of their social and political awareness, even though he is a generation removed from Vietnam. It is profound the way he describes the family divisions opened up by that war - years later it would tear up my stepmother's family over the draft. But the soldier mourned here was a volunteer, likely an early casualty. Kennedy's promise to pay any price for liberty was indeed costly. It ended badly, discredited, in Vietnam. But Charlie offered his service - and his great sacrifice - in earnest. The song makes my heart swell; there is no condemnation, only understanding for all sides. It makes the loss palpable, and it is full of love and big-hearted patriotism.
The song is about my older brother, Charles Joseph Schultz, 2Lt. in the Marine Corps who volunteered to join the Corps despite having been accepted to graduate school at the U. of Michigan School of Natural Resources, after he had graduated from Muhlenburg College in Allentown, Pa. Charlie was in Nam for 30 days when he was killed in an ambush in Quang Tri province in a night firefight when he was walking "point." Charlie was a devotee of John F. Kennedy and thought it was his duty to go to war as his "country needed him." Lillian was our mother, Charlie her first born in '44, and Upland Ave. is where we lived in Metuchen, N.J. Wes is Charlie's nephew by my brother, Mike, who was a psychologist until his death from cancer in 2007. I can see Mike in Wes' face and hear him in his songs. Charlie did not have to go to Nam or even into the service as he would have been deferred for grad school had he chosen to do that. To this day, I wish he had. But he did what he thought was right and gave his all, that "last full measure of devotion," Lincoln spoke of at Gettysburg. Would that it had been in a cause as worthwhile as that war. But Charlie was and is a hero as are all those men who served their country, right or wrong, in Vietnam. Not many days go by when I don't think of him and miss him.
Wow, what an honor to have Wes' family give us an inside look at the true meaning of Charlie Boy. I loved this song from the first moment I heard it. It was so touching to me as my Uncle fought as a Marine in Nam as well, and he was one of the few from his platoon to make it home alive. I am so very sorry for your loss. My Uncle still often speaks of the tragedy he witnessed there and the effects it took on him as a young boy who needed his Mother's permission and signature to enlist. He was driven by the pride to serve his Country proudly, and it sounds like Charlie was from the same make as my Uncle. I am so sorry for your family's loss, you never forget the memories. Godspeed Charlie and thank you for your honor in serving our Country.
Charlie is a warfighter of some sort be it soldier or Marine. He has gone to war and died. His mother, Lilian, is reassured because she raised an honorable man.
When a small town or neighborhood loses one of its sons, the town comes together. The women turn to religion. Especially the Catholics. Men are naturally angry.
In a military Burial, bugles play "Taps" right after a 21 gun salute. 7 men fire three volleys and go to present arms. Taps is played to close the ceremony.
jrhmasters was right. This is a song about Charlie Schultz, Wesley's uncle. He went to the Vietnam war and was killed in combat.
Sooo Charlie is a soldier in the Vietnam War, Lillian is his mother.
The chorus is encouragement to Charlie, from his mother or just people or whatever.
the "News was bad..." chorus is about getting bad news about the war--either CHarlie is dead or theyre losing the war, etc. Upland Ave. is a street is Metuchen, NJ...maybe they live there? Sons rebelled--hippies Fathers yelled--people didnt like hippies, but didnt like the dying either... Mothers...--women prayed for it all to end...
THats just what im guessing!!!!!!
@mermy96 I live in Ramsey, NJ where the lumineers are from and there is and Upland Road in town. Maybe they changed the lyrics to rhyme. I'm actually here because the name caught my ear and I immediately thought of Upland Rd, so checked to see if there might be a correlation, and with this, there very well might be.
After a bit of searching I believe this to be about a member of Wesleys family, the lead singer. There was a 2ndLT Charles John Schultz USMC killed in Vietnam, born 1944 as the lyrics said and from Metuchen as the song suggets. All seems abit of a coincidence. I think this is the meaning for this.
so is Lillian another family member?