In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Lazy, you lazy poet, your words are reckless, and I can't feel it
But hey, hey, all the boys I have ever loved have been digital
I've been a guest, on a screen, or in a book!
I move 'em with my thumbs, I move them with my thumbs
I write his name in nothing, he whispers to the author
That I will be the only one
Escape! Escape! This time, for real!
We fool around in the service lane
He's the only friend I have who doesn't do cocaine
And all the boys I have ever loved have been confidential
Had a broken home, or a seedy past
So I know it's gonna last
And move him with your thumbs, I move him with my thumbs
He needs, he needs my guidance, he needs, he needs my time
Though I am not the only one
He swam! To the edge of the wall of the world!
Followed my voice, and he cried
Master! The answer is maybe... Maybe not... Maybe not...
Maybe not! I have goals!
Gotta fulfill the seven prophecies!
Gotta be a friend to grandmother!
Gotta rescue Michael from the White Witch!
Gotta find and kill my shadow self
Gotta dig up every secret seashell
You may have been made for love...
But I'm just made.
But hey, hey, all the boys I have ever loved have been digital
I've been a guest, on a screen, or in a book!
I move 'em with my thumbs, I move them with my thumbs
I write his name in nothing, he whispers to the author
That I will be the only one
Escape! Escape! This time, for real!
We fool around in the service lane
He's the only friend I have who doesn't do cocaine
And all the boys I have ever loved have been confidential
Had a broken home, or a seedy past
So I know it's gonna last
And move him with your thumbs, I move him with my thumbs
He needs, he needs my guidance, he needs, he needs my time
Though I am not the only one
He swam! To the edge of the wall of the world!
Followed my voice, and he cried
Master! The answer is maybe... Maybe not... Maybe not...
Maybe not! I have goals!
Gotta fulfill the seven prophecies!
Gotta be a friend to grandmother!
Gotta rescue Michael from the White Witch!
Gotta find and kill my shadow self
Gotta dig up every secret seashell
You may have been made for love...
But I'm just made.
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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I Can't Go To Sleep
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This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Blue
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“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
which games are the seven prophecies and grandmother bit from? i can tell narnia and zelda as the last three.
also - fantastic song. i was a little bit dissapointed with the new album but it's grown on me, surpassing my love for 'has a good home'.
youtube.com/watch
Seven prophecies is from Ocarina of Time. As there are seven sages in that game. "Gotta dig up every secret seashell" is from Link's Awakening on the original Game Boy. "My shadow self" is probably from Adventure of Link for the NES. As the last boss in that game isn't Ganon, but rather a shadow-self of Link.
"Gotta be a friend to Grandmother" refers to Zelda: Wind Waker. Link and his sister are raised by their grandmother, and when Link leaves home (and his sister is kidnapped), she becomes extremely depressed. If you visit her, she returns to her old self.
It's a struggle between reality and a fantasy world.
The narrator is in love with all these fictional characters. They are perfect; they live in sort of utopia compared to our harsh reality.
And yet, the narrator cannot be loved by the characters. He may control them (through pages and videogame controllers), but they will never care for him. The narrator may guide them and hope for their survival, yet these fictional characters are oblivious to the narrator. The "he whispers to the author" part seems to be a wish for recognition from the character.
These fictional lovers contrast greatly with the narrator's real world. All of the real people the narrator has ever loved was a bad influence.
And so the narrator laments; he will never find true love.
Is it seedy past or CD past in the 2nd verse
o i was totally wrong about that line. im just stupid. so we know owen likes to play final fantasy and zelda, i wonder what other games he's into
I think "find and kill my shadow self" refers to the original Prince of Persia by Jordan Mechner (the old platform version). You had to jump through a mirror in order to finish a certain level, which released a "shadow you" in the opposite direction, laeving the real you with only a tiny fraction of your life, which is fully restored when you start the following level. Then you kept running into your shadow self again, unexpectedly, at later levels, and it kept hindering your progress on purpose (e.g.: stepping on plates which made you fall) until you finally got a chance to get close again and kill it. When you finally get around to kill it, you're left with only a tiny fraction of your life, but it's fully restored the following level. It's a great game indeed.
The music even sounds like it could be in a Zelda game.
I think it's about being obsessed with fictional characters and they are so perfect and you wish they could be real and you could be with them, but even though you can control them, you are just a guest in their world. And if they were real and you told them your feelings, their response would be "Maybe not!"
I get that feeling a lot, about TV, books, movies... He's definitely talking about books and video games in this case.
I always thought it was "Of course!" instead of "I have goals!" I guess they both make sense. Listening to it again, it sounds more like "I have goals!"