Jimmy Eat World – Goodbye Sky Harbor

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Is tomorrow just a day like all the rest
How could you know just what you did?
So full of faith yet so full of doubt I ask
Time and time again you said don't be afraid
If you believe you can do it
The only voice I want to hear is yours
Again
I shall ask you this once again
And again
He said,
I am but one small instrument
Do you remember that?
So here I am above palm trees so straight and tall
You are smaller, getting smaller
But I still see you

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Lyrics submitted by *RollerQueen, edited by Mellow_Harsher

Track duration: 16:14

"Goodbye Sky Harbor" as written by James Christopher/burch Adkins

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Goodbye Sky Harbor song meanings
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123 Comments

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  • 0
    My Interpretation:Okay so this song is obviously about A Prayer for Owen Meany.

    But in relation to the length, it has absolutely nothing to do with slitting your wrists... It's the time it takes from take off to reach a cruising altitude out of Sky Harbour International, the time that it takes to truly leave the city. Leave behind everything there, and in this songs case, the time it takes to leave your past behind.
    Flag ctillson June 26, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song is so gripping live with the looping of jim's vocals and the xylophone and everything. they played it to perfection.
    Flag ofmodestmouseandmenon October 31, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:it's supposed to be based on the book A Prayer for Owen Meany. The kids a really religious kid who believes that he is an instument of god. The narrator was Owen's bestfriend and he had major doubts about religion but Owen removed that doubt. Owen believed that when he was a child he saw a vision of his death, told John(narrator) who kinda didn't believe him. Basiclly in the end Owen is a martyr and Johns faith is restored when everything Owen prophicized comes true. It was an ok book but not my fav. There is also a song by a punk band called Owen Meany that is pretty similar not in sound but lyrics.
    Flag belleslevres1117on September 07, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:beautiful song, i listen to it through the whole way every time...
    i love jimmy eat world even if they don't get the appreciation they deserve. anyone who has seen this song live knows how talented the band is..
    Flag SVTristanon November 15, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:the song is about one of the band members relating to the book a prayer for owen meany how I heard that the song is 16 minutes and 10 seconds because that was the bands flight number
    Flag teamgenuwineon September 14, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song means alot to me as i am from arizona and have been to Sky Harbor many times.The palm trees reference is because on both sides of the street driving to the airport terminal are palmtrees.
    Flag greatdisintegrationon July 24, 2009   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:I read somewhere that the length had something to do with the time it took for the plane to be out of sight or something.

    Like, from the last glimpse of who(or what) the person was saying goodbye to, to when they couldn't see them(it) anymore.
    Flag churchgrimon January 03, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Having heard the rumor that the song lasts just as long as it takes to reach start cruising after flying out of Sky Harbor Airport some years back, I tried it for myself a couple of months ago. It was a flight from PHX to SLC. I hit play just as the plane started accelerating down the runway.

    The lyrics coincided perfectly with the changes in scenery.

    "So here I am above palm trees so straight and tall.
    You are smaller, getting smaller.
    But I still see you."

    Those words came on as we made a bank, and I looked down the ground to and spotted some (small) palm trees.

    After 16:10, the song ended, and seven seconds later the pilot announced that we had reached cruising altitude.

    Well done, Mr. Adkins.
    Flag dovetailon February 25, 2008   Link
    • 3 Replies
  • 0
    General Comment:I've actually had a conversation with Jim Adkins about it and it's based on A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. Sky Harbour is the name of the airport in Phoenix, AZ.
    Flag Scampon August 24, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:There is 100% ZERO relevance in the length of the song. Jim (the singer/lyricist) himself said that the reason the song is so long is simply because they had extra tape and recording time left. (however, the neat part is that Zach played the whole thing live to tape... it's not looped... but it is sped up to twice speed! There was a half hour of tape left!)

    Sorry folks. Some interesting ideas, but it's meaningless. Case closed.
    Flag superficieson July 29, 2007   Link

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