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I think I'll go home and mull this over
Before I cram it down my throat
At long last it's crashed, the colossal mass
Has broken up into bits in my moat
Lift the mattress off the floor
Walk the cramps off
Go meander in the cold
Hail to your dark skin
Hiding the fact you're dead again
Underneath the power lines seeking shade
Far above our heads are the icy heights
That contain all reason
It's a luscious mix of words and tricks
That let us bet when we know we should fold
On rocks I dreamt of where we'd stepped
And the whole mess of roads we're now on
Hold your glass up, hold it in
Never betray the way you've always known it is
One day I'll be wondering how
I got so old just wondering how
I never got cold wearing nothing in the snow
This is way beyond my remote concern
Of being condescending
All these squawking birds won't quit
Building nothing, laying bricks
Before I cram it down my throat
At long last it's crashed, the colossal mass
Has broken up into bits in my moat
Lift the mattress off the floor
Walk the cramps off
Go meander in the cold
Hail to your dark skin
Hiding the fact you're dead again
Underneath the power lines seeking shade
Far above our heads are the icy heights
That contain all reason
It's a luscious mix of words and tricks
That let us bet when we know we should fold
On rocks I dreamt of where we'd stepped
And the whole mess of roads we're now on
Hold your glass up, hold it in
Never betray the way you've always known it is
One day I'll be wondering how
I got so old just wondering how
I never got cold wearing nothing in the snow
This is way beyond my remote concern
Of being condescending
All these squawking birds won't quit
Building nothing, laying bricks
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i wish you a lot of strength, take care of yourself there, in Milwaukee.)
Roll the mattress off the floor
Walk the cramps off
Go meander in the cold
Hail to your dark skin
Hiding the fact you're dead again
Underneath the power lines seeking shade
Far above our heads are the icy heights
That contain all reason
This whole section gives me a strong visual of someone homeless. Maybe they've made mistakes and they can't help but curse what they've become.
It's a luscious mix of words and tricks
That let us bet when you know we should fold
On rocks I dreamt of where we'd stepped
And the whole mess of roads we're not on
Perhaps this is reflecting on what got them where they are now.
Other stanzas and lines, like:
Hold your glass up, hold it in
Never betray the way you've always known it is
Seem to reflect on someone who does their best to ignore these sorts of problems and people.
This is way beyond my remote concern
Of being condescending
They don't want to be condescending, but they don't want anything to do with the homeless and less fortunate at all. Because it's out of the norm. You don't see other people doing anything, so why should you? After all, Caring is Creepy.
But they can't help but think about it, they have issues getting it out of their head.
I think I'll go home and mull this over
Before I cram it down my throat
At long last it's crashed, the colossal mass
Has broken up into bits in my moat
It makes me wonder if Mr. Mercer feels this way.
Of course, I haven't quite been able to figure in the chorus, so take this with a large pinch of salt.
homelessness.
literally?
homelessness of the soul, the heart. this song is heartbreak. not being denied foodstamps, or welfare, or housing.
you gotta be some undergrad with silly, yet sincere notions at trying so hard to see 'things differently from a socialistic humanistic pov'.
you dissed me mamma so back at you. you goofball.
eyzovblu
because it was easier to give me music than attention, he made me songlists, one after another, and caring is creepy was featured.
i was very preoccupied with my anger at his rejection of me and IF i had understood these lyrics i might have taken drastic measures to find oblivion, permanently.
this song is touched the way 'waiting for a superman' is touched,the way so much 'sparklehorse' is touched, the way 'ashes of american flags' is touched. touched by genius, courage, vulnerability, sheer wordsmith savvy...the kind borne of jagged blinding insight into our vicious natures.
for me, songs like this are 'church'. i can listen again and again, OCD style.
why analyze it for all of you smart folk out there who have said many things i totally agree with?
the only thing i'd like to share is how i believe i share a smidgin of what inspired the first verse:
my guy walked out of our flat to spend cash we couldn't afford on a hotel room just to get away from my neediness to talk things over.
3am. i'm amped on adrenalin and sorrow and maybe more than those two things. seated at this monitor. he leaves dramatically. my cat and i both look at each other. i sit, paralyzed. i know if i move i might fly into bits or crumble into dust. Decimate. so i hold space. mull it over.
i know damn well it's gonna find it's way down my throat.
or somewhere in my body.
it's the eye of the hurricane perceived and drawing near.
it's love.
it's violent
it's creepy
we crave it and it is, like it or not, almighty.
james mercer--agent of change.
Lift the mattress off the floor "ROLL the mattress-not 'lift"
Walk the cramps off
Go meander in the cold
Hail to your dark skin
Hiding the fact you're dead again
Undeneath the power lines seeking shade CORRECTION: undeRneath the ..... (R was missing)
Far above our heads are the icy heights
That contain all reason
It's a luscious mix of words and tricks
That let us bet when you know we should fold
On rocks I dreamt of where we'd stepped
And the whole mess of roads we're not on (i swear he's singing "we're NOW on"
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
"One day I'll be wondering how
I got so old just wondering how
I never got cold wearing nothing in the snow"
The speaker is getting old wondering about something that doesn't matter and then getting even older wondering how he got so old.
the feeling of your "caring" being unwanted by the object of your affection
he feels "creepy" that he still cares for the one who does not care back...not to the stalker level but he feels creepy nonetheless...very self aware