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Start tearing the old man down
Run past the heather and down to the old road
Start turning the grain into the ground Roll a new leaf over
In the middle of the night, there's an old man treading around in the gathered
rain
Well mister, if you're going to walk on water
Could you drop a line my way?
Omaha Somewhere in middle America
Get right to the heart of matters
It's the heart that matters more
I think you better turn your ticket in
And get your money back at the door
Start threading a needle
Brush past the shuttle that slides through the cold room
Start turning the wool across the wire Roll a new life over
In the middle of the night, there's an old man threading his toes through a
bucket of rain
Hey mister, you don't want to walk on water
Because you're going to just walk all over me
Omaha Somewhere in middle America
Get right to the heart of the matters
It's the heart that matters more
I think you better turn your ticket in
And get your money back at the door
Start running the banner down
Drop past the color come up through the summer rain
Start turning the girl into the ground Roll a new love over
In the middle of the day, there's a young man rolling around in the earth and
rain
Hey Mister, if you're going to walk on water
You know you're only going to walk all over me.
Omaha Somewhere in middle America
Get right to the heart of matters
It's the heart that matters more
I think you better turn your ticket in
And get your money back at the door
Run past the heather and down to the old road
Start turning the grain into the ground Roll a new leaf over
In the middle of the night, there's an old man treading around in the gathered
rain
Well mister, if you're going to walk on water
Could you drop a line my way?
Omaha Somewhere in middle America
Get right to the heart of matters
It's the heart that matters more
I think you better turn your ticket in
And get your money back at the door
Start threading a needle
Brush past the shuttle that slides through the cold room
Start turning the wool across the wire Roll a new life over
In the middle of the night, there's an old man threading his toes through a
bucket of rain
Hey mister, you don't want to walk on water
Because you're going to just walk all over me
Omaha Somewhere in middle America
Get right to the heart of the matters
It's the heart that matters more
I think you better turn your ticket in
And get your money back at the door
Start running the banner down
Drop past the color come up through the summer rain
Start turning the girl into the ground Roll a new love over
In the middle of the day, there's a young man rolling around in the earth and
rain
Hey Mister, if you're going to walk on water
You know you're only going to walk all over me.
Omaha Somewhere in middle America
Get right to the heart of matters
It's the heart that matters more
I think you better turn your ticket in
And get your money back at the door
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I read alot of comments where people say its about change, but that is the change.
To me the whole,
"Hey mister if your gonna walk on water, wont you drop a ling my way"
"Hey mister you don't wanna walk on water, your only gonna walk all over me"
It means that there is proof and faith people need. He doesnt want to accept it, but its there and he feels it, but he doesnt want to believe it.
its what i get from it, there are alot of references about starting over.
He said that people try to read to much into the song meanings and they are usually much simpler than what people initially think. For instance, 'Omaha' is just about about how circular life is and how it turns people over the way the seasons turn over. Somehow life just bulldozes people.
This song speaks wonders to me. It indirectly confronts the fear of wasting life on a monotonous, everyday job, as paralleled by the various descriptions of setting up a mill—a factory, essentially a machine—in a town in “Middle America.” Each verse advances these steps of constructing a mill, almost lamenting on the process of carrying out a strenuous task in order to begin the same cycle of production over and over again. The chorus echoes sentiments concerning this fear, with the feeling that the “heart” matters more than the “heart of matters” (the mill and life), showing a lack of connection between the speaker and society—detachment. As evidenced in the chorus, the speaker feels that the spectator (listener) should go somewhere else, because there is nothing of worth to be seen by his accomplishments—“turn your ticket in and get your money back at the door.” As each verse compounds on the previous one with the building of a mill, so is the idiom “turn a new leaf over” expanded to cover various topics. In the first verse the speaker feels that he is doing what others before him have done countless times, as he “tear[s] the old man down” so he can feel that he is on the forefront of his occupation. When he rolls a new leaf over, he is actually not doing anything of the sort, just repeating history; likewise, when he says to “roll a new life over,” he is doing the same. The speaker also feels that he is failing with relationships, when he “turns [his] girl into the ground” and “roll[s] a new love over.” Other themes are present in this song, such as the theme of inferiority and fear of trying. This is exemplified through the repetition of the speaker fearing old and young men “walk[ing] all over [him].” He feels that no matter what he does, he will still be outdone by others that are seemingly “walk[ing] on water.” This also is a reference to God, and the speaker feeling inferior to him. This recurring use of water and rain is transformed in the third verse with the line “come up through the summer rain,” signifying an epiphany, a redemption of sorts that is later finished at the end of the song. There, the speaker concedes his fight with life and his conflicts, and accepts his fate—coming home, accepting his ordeal.
Due to his perception of the other guy as being perfect, walking on water (at least to the girls), his responses change over time, from curiosity and a desire to understand, to an indignant attitude.
He feels the other guy is taking his opportunity from him. The attitude sinks as the song progresses. First he just wants to know the other guys secret; how does he do it (drop a line my way)?
Then it becomes more spiteful, the other guy not only seems to have it figured out, but he's now impeding his progress (You're only going to walk all over me).
It's full of references to starting over, that it's happened to him again and again. Not necessarily the same other guy every time, but he finds himself in the same situation again and again. I always thought the song had an angry tone to the lyrics, if not the music. If you've ever heard the original demo of the song on "Flying Demos", you would understand. It's electric guitar driven and the anger and spite just flows off it. More edge in his voice on that one.
"It's the heart that matters more"
The other guy is fake. He's not completely genuine, and the narrator sees it, but the girl doesn't. The narrator feels that he is being honest and genuine, but it's just not working, and he wishes that the girls would see that. It's whats in his heart that matters.
I think the "walking on water" references self-righteous people. "Hey mister, you don't want to walk on water you're only going to walk all over me" Like they try so hard to be God, they walk all over every one around them who are just trying to do the right thing.
1."Walk on Water" term used to describe mixing drugs with water to inject.
2. "If you're gonna walk on water, could you drop a line my way?" Self explanatory for "since you are getting high can I have a line of those drugs". lol
3. "getting right to the heart of matters. Cause its the heart that matters most." This has more than one meaning. Injecting drugs will put them straight to your heart but also talking from the heart here.
4."Start threading a needle" Poetic for using a hypodermic needle.
4a. "Roll the wool over the wire" refers to the cotton used in ones cooker.
5. "Roll a new life over" This is where the young man in the story's life has gone out of control as Injecting drugs is surely a new way of life for him.
6. "Start running the banner down, Drop past the color, come up through the summer rain." When a person shoots up they get tracks "banner". In order to mainline drugs one must first "drop past the color" meaning get into a vein; the color is red. Then "come up through the summer rain" meaning when you are in the vein you then pull back some of the "color" or blood into the needle and this means you are in the vein and your drugs will go directly into your bloodstream.
7."Turn the girl into the ground" Well, "Girl" is symbolic for Heroin. Heroin is feminine for Hero. Turning it into ground is slamming the shot home. Very sick.
I listened to this song for years and when I finally understood the lyrics I cried very hard because of the fact I understood them all to well. I have since been clean and sober for a few years but this is honestly what the song means. Duritz is the Best!
First post, I look forward to postiing a lot more!.
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