warm bodies I sense

are not machines that can only make money

past perfect tense

words for a feeling and all I've discovered

I'll be along son

with medicine supposed to designed to

make you high

I'll be along son

with words for a feeling and all I've discovered

old bad eyes

old bad eyes

old bad eyes

on loneliness comes

go see the foreman go see the profiteer

on loneliness drives

we're takin' our time movin' shit for

this holy slime

old, bad eyes

old, bad eyes

old, bad eyes, almighty fear

the shepherd won't leave me alone

he's in my face and I

the shepherd of my days

and I want you here by my heart

and my head, I can't start till I'm dead



Lyrics submitted by H-bomb, edited by EllyListens

Track duration: 06:44

"Pillar of Davidson" as written by Edward Joel Kowalczyk, Chad David Taylor, Patrick Dahlheimer, Chad Alan Gracey

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Pillar Of Davidson song meanings
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27 Comments

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  • 0
    Song Meaning:Ed is originally from York, PA where Catepillar and Harley Davidson are based, hence "Pillar of Davidson". The factory workers worked extremely hard for next to nothing in a town that was blue collared and economically depressed with very few opportunities to advance. Many residences stayed because they had no other skills that to work at these two plants.
    Flag TVJTelecason May 09, 2013   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation:Ed spins a cryptic ballad of contempt for religion,the establishment, perhaps even the state of human consciousness. I find this has been a theme of the whole album. His meaning is abstract but his intensity is centered.
    Flag sp4i6on March 10, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I always thought the first 2 lines were about prostitutes
    Flag Twizzler81on December 03, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General Comment:(oops...posted this as a reply, but meant to do so as an original post)

    I love this song and believe that it does have religious overtones, and much of it was probably left somewhat elliptical on purpose. Not to act like a 7th grader, but has anyone thought of the possibility that "Locking horns with the stallion" and "Pillar of Davidson feeling [too] hard to go down" might refer to the subject's struggle with sexual urges getting in the way of spirituality, as the subject falls "deeper in love" with the divine, he tries to be honorable "hold my head up" but then feels "cheaper than all the souls he will walk upon" when he cannot successfully conquer his libido...? Maybe I misread it... but I'm loving the discourse! I'm glad I stumbled upon this site.
    Flag ajPratheron June 13, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Tugit hit the nail on the head. This is an anthem for 9 to 5 workers in the town where these guys grew up. See the video on youtube at youtube.com/… They describe the song's significance there.
    Flag ontoicon March 29, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I have no idea what this song means. I really don't. I'm not sure I really want to. Everyone's all on about "working for the man", spending your life doing the same thing over and over again (factory work) and. And I guess if the writer says that's what it is, than so it is... but I just don't get that.

    I mean, I get part of it, "Warm bodies are not machines that can only make money", yeah. But then there's all this talk about the shepherd, who is that? Shepherd makes me think of a religious tone there... but I just don't know.

    The song is beautiful and amazing either way... it gives me goosebumps. I love it.
    Flag Desaparecidaon February 18, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Freaking beautiful song.
    Flag steve82c_my_AIM_snon October 22, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I love this song, it has like a sad tone to it. It means to me like, tomtoro said, a religious meaning as to our lives and how we try all our lives to serve God and do what he wants us to do to love him and make it to heaven, and so that he can save us, or like how we need to die to basically be close to him and have him literally in our hearts and soul and how that can interpreted in a way to how we work and slave everyday for the man and and feel used and lose our souls and need and want Jesus/God in our lives/heart to help us feel not lonely and in the end finally be with him and free and peaceful from our lives daily grind in both a physical, mental and spiritual ways. Also how Jesus is sort of in a grind everyday to keep himself up and not give up and help us not give up to the darkness and the devil with our souls and when we kneel to talk to Jesus/God we are trying to and working hard to stay strong in all parts of our lives and not give in and not feel lonely or sad or desperate. This song is a great song to listen to after a hard, long, desperate day and helps me feel that there are others who joining me in the struggle of life and refuse to go down no matter how much they are being slaved or pushed. it also makes me think of being back home in PA since I'm not currently living there now.
    Flag SADBOYon August 24, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Ed has said in concert before that this song is about the factory workers in their hometown who are tired of basically killing themselves each day for next to nothing.
    Flag beau99on August 08, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"I'll be along son with words for a feeling and all I've discovered...

    old, bad eyes"

    This is all he has after years of working for the man. Told to "go see the Foreman", which is a person who runs projects in construction and other lines of work who makes sure money is spent correctly and deadlines are met.

    "The shepard won't leave me alone- he's in my face and I"

    This is probably talking about the boss man...

    "the shepherd of my days
    and I want you here by my heart and my head,
    I can't start till I'm dead"

    The above seems to me like a reference to God as another "shepard of days" whom he wants in his heart and in his head, but he will not be able to until he's dead and he goes to heaven.

    "cheaper than all souls he will walk upon"

    That is a beautiful line, because it could mean either Shepard, tho more than likely illudes to both, namely the boss man.

    Wonderful song. Throwing Copper has many many religous tones to it. Almost every other song has something to do with religion. The song doesn't have to be about the factories OR about religion, as in most of their songs it's about life and religion.
    Flag Strypeon February 26, 2008   Link

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