There's a saltwater film on the jar of your ashes:
I threw them to sea but a
Gust blew them backwards and the sting in my eyes
That you then inflicted was par for the course just as when you were living.

It's no stretch to say you were not quite a father but a donor of seeds to a
Poor single mother that would raise us alone,
We'd never see the money that
Went down your throat
Through the hole in your belly.

Thirteen years old in the suburbs of Denver
Standing in line for Thanksgiving dinner at the catholic church. the servers
Wore crosses
To shield from the sufferance plauging the others.
Styrofoam plates, cafeteria
Tables charity reeks of cheap wine and pity
And I'm thinking of you. I do every year
When we count all our blessings
And wonder what we're doing here.

You're a disgrace to the concept of family
The priest won't divulge that fact in his homily and I'll stand up and scream
If the mourning remain quiet,
You can deck out a lie in a suit but I won't buy it.

I won't join in the procession that's speaking their peace.
Using five dollar words while praising his integrity.
And just cause he's gone it doesn't change the fact:
He was a bastard in life thus a bastard in death.



Lyrics submitted by jephque, edited by JamesO

Track duration: 05:24

"Styrofoam Plates" as written by Christopher Walla, Benjamin Gibbard, Nicholas Harmer

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Styrofoam Plates song meanings
Add your thoughts

114 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    Song Meaning:youtube.com/…

    Ben tells us what the song is about in this video, plus theres a professionally recorded version - pretty cool
    Flag markrochmanon June 19, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Such a sad song of hate and bitterness for a worthless father. You'll get hooked on listening from start to finish. A really emotional and heavy song.
    Flag olenon April 28, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I've heard the song is about a father of a friend of his; I would be willing to guess the guy died from gastric(stomach) cancer caused by being an alcoholic hence "we never saw the money
    That went down your throat through the hole in your belly"; he spent all of their money on alcohol, which in turn killed him via the cancerous hole in his stomach.
    Flag mojoe64on September 15, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I've heard the song is about a father of a friend of his; I would be willing to guess the guy died from gastric(stomach) cancer caused by being an alcoholic hence "we never saw the money
    That went down your throat through the hole in your belly"; he spent all of their money on alcohol, which in turn killed him via the cancerous hole in his stomach.
    Flag mojoe64on September 15, 2010   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:In Drive well, Sleep carefully Ben talks about this song he says it's about a friend of his invited him to his friends fathers wedding. Ben didn't really want to go due to the fact that he knew that the father was a bastard in life. but Ben went anyway and found people praising the father with five dollor words, when in all reality this guy was a dick.
    Flag gforrestgon June 11, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:One day I'll play this at my father's funeral.
    Flag Wehrmachton April 10, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this is song is a TRUE story. watch the DVD sleep well, drive carefully. ben says he had a friend with a shitty dad and he went to the funeral and he wrote these lyrics on the way back from the funeral.
    Flag laserbeakon December 13, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:anyone reminded of The Big Lebowski by the first couple lines? ;)

    honestly, greats song though.
    Flag tylor386on October 18, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:favorite song.
    there are no words great enough to sayl the song is....wow
    Flag MirroredALiceCullenon August 31, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:so amazing "we never saw the money
    That went down your throat through the hole in your belly"- favorite line, just awesome.
    Flag MirroredALiceCullenon August 31, 2009   Link

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!

Back to top
explain