These are not necessarily my favorite lyrics on the album. However, I often find myself thinking of them these days - especially when I get up in the morning.
"When the past is the present
And the future's no more When every tomorrow Is the same as before"
Every sunset paid attention to Not a starry night went to waste
Detroit 2000, Detroit 2003 1-2, Grand Rapids VFC 2004, Philly 2005, Grand Rapids 2006, Detroit 2006, Cleveland 2006, Lollapalooza 2007, Detroit Eddie Solo 2011, Detroit 2014, Chicago 2016 1-2, Chicago 2018 1-2, Ohana Encore 2021 1-2, Chicago Eddie/Earthlings 2022 1-2, Nashville 2022, St. Louis 2022
Seven O'Clock's lyrics are the strongest imo. Lots of great verses.
Agreed. Is it the third verse about the butterfly? That one is great.
Also, love the opening verse about waking up and leaving despondency on the bed
There are a few really great verses in that song. My favs are below.
"Freedom is as freedom does and freedom is a verb They giveth and they taketh and you fight to keep that what you've earned"
"Caught the butterfly, broke its wings then put it on display Stripped of all its beauty once it could not fly high away Still alive like a passer-by overdosed on gamma rays Another God's creation destined to be thrown away"
"Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse come forged the north and west Then there's Sitting Bullshit as our sitting president"
"His best days gone, hard to admit Throwing angry punches with nothing to hit Luminous thoughts were once all he had Fading lights, lost eloquence"
"Held by these thoughts They refuse to slip away Hangman in dreamland About to call your name"
Comes Then Goes is the most powerful song lyrically IMO.
Yep.
Two stand out as just stunning to me.
Divisions came and troubles multiplied incisions made by scalpel blades of time
and
Can I try one last time?
Could all use a savior from human behavior sometimes
And the kids are alright
The Queen of Collections took your time
Sadness comes 'cause some of it was mine
That song is by far the best EV solo I’ve heard and it’s so poignant now. It literally sounds like he’s on my patio singing it to my family around the fire pit.
Seattle 8-8-18 Chicago 8-18-18 Chicago 8-20-18 St. Louis 4-4-20 Denver 4-9-20 Denver 9-22-22 Noblesville 9-10-23 Vancouver 5-6-24 Seattle 5-30-24
Seven O' Clock: "Floodlight dreams go drifting past All the lives we could've had Distant loves floating above Close these eyes, they've seen enough"
Comes Then Goes: "Don't know where or when one of us left The other behind Divisions came and troubles multiplied Incisions made by scalpel blades of time"
Detroit 2000, Detroit 2003 1-2, Grand Rapids VFC 2004, Philly 2005, Grand Rapids 2006, Detroit 2006, Cleveland 2006, Lollapalooza 2007, Detroit Eddie Solo 2011, Detroit 2014, Chicago 2016 1-2, Chicago 2018 1-2, Ohana Encore 2021 1-2, Chicago Eddie/Earthlings 2022 1-2, Nashville 2022, St. Louis 2022
I love the "Kerouac sense of time" stanza in Quick Escape - the surreal nature of the lyrics mixed with the weight of the situation is to me brilliant imagery
^ I love that phrase too. There are many eloquent euphemisms for death on this album. Ed's vocabulary is sophisticated; his messages' wise. We could start a thread on words we have learned from the band. What was that word for large sea mammals? Leviathans.
I also love: Where there are dreams still being born.
Comments
i wish i wish i wish i wish, i guess it never stops
This fucked up situation calls for all hands, hands on deck
is the lyric thats been resonating the most with me over the past couple weeks.
To listen for a heartbeat, it's your own
It's alright to quiet up
To disappear in thin air, it's your own
i wish i wish i wish i wish, i guess it never stops
When every tomorrow
Is the same as before"
and
like images of angels in the snow
our courage melt away
it comes then goes
Cincinnati 2014
Greenville 2016
(Raleigh 2016)
Columbia 2016
Not a starry night went to waste
Detroit 2000, Detroit 2003 1-2, Grand Rapids VFC 2004, Philly 2005, Grand Rapids 2006, Detroit 2006, Cleveland 2006, Lollapalooza 2007, Detroit Eddie Solo 2011, Detroit 2014, Chicago 2016 1-2, Chicago 2018 1-2, Ohana Encore 2021 1-2, Chicago Eddie/Earthlings 2022 1-2, Nashville 2022, St. Louis 2022
Also, love the opening verse about waking up and leaving despondency on the bed
"Freedom is as freedom does and freedom is a verb
They giveth and they taketh and you fight to keep that what you've earned"
"Caught the butterfly, broke its wings then put it on display
Stripped of all its beauty once it could not fly high away
Still alive like a passer-by overdosed on gamma rays
Another God's creation destined to be thrown away"
"Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse come forged the north and west
Then there's Sitting Bullshit as our sitting president"
"His best days gone, hard to admit
Throwing angry punches with nothing to hit
Luminous thoughts were once all he had
Fading lights, lost eloquence"
"Held by these thoughts
They refuse to slip away
Hangman in dreamland
About to call your name"
i still love Step Back When the Spirit Comes.
incisions made by scalpel blades of time
and
That song is by far the best EV solo I’ve heard and it’s so poignant now. It literally sounds like he’s on my patio singing it to my family around the fire pit.
Chicago 8-18-18
Chicago 8-20-18
St. Louis 4-4-20
Denver 4-9-20
Denver 9-22-22
Noblesville 9-10-23
Vancouver 5-6-24
Seattle 5-30-24
EV
Chicago 2-9-22
Tempe 2-26-23
Perhaps that's what no one wants to see"
Living beneath a lion's paw
Knowing nothing can be tamed
Can be tamed
No, actually I do like that lyric it's very unique
SBWM - “this life I love is going way to fast”
Quick Escape - “and we think about the old days of green grass, sky and red wine, should’ve known, so fragile and avoided this one-way flight”
River Cross - “share the light won’t hold us down”
Detroit, Michigan 08-01-1992
Charleston, South Carolina 10-05-1996
East Lansing, Michigan 08-18-1998
Auburn Hills, Michigan 08-23-1998
Greenville, South Carolina 09-04-1998
Auburn Hills, Michigan 10-07-2000
Clarkston, Michigan 06-25-2003
Clarkston, Michigan 06-26-2003
Grand Rapids, Michigan 10-03-2004
Grand Rapids, Michigan 05-19-2006
Chicago, Illinois 08-05-2007
Detroit, Michigan 10-16-2014
Chicago, Illinois 09-07-2023
"Floodlight dreams go drifting past
All the lives we could've had
Distant loves floating above
Close these eyes, they've seen enough"
Comes Then Goes:
"Don't know where or when one of us left
The other behind
Divisions came and troubles multiplied
Incisions made by scalpel blades of time"
This life I love is going way too fast
Detroit 2000, Detroit 2003 1-2, Grand Rapids VFC 2004, Philly 2005, Grand Rapids 2006, Detroit 2006, Cleveland 2006, Lollapalooza 2007, Detroit Eddie Solo 2011, Detroit 2014, Chicago 2016 1-2, Chicago 2018 1-2, Ohana Encore 2021 1-2, Chicago Eddie/Earthlings 2022 1-2, Nashville 2022, St. Louis 2022
"Forgive every being,
the bad feelings
it's just me"
2008 Tampa - 2013 Buffalo - 2016 Tampa - 2016 Fenway II
Audioslave 2005 MSG
Can’t help but picture Forrest Gump every time.
I also love:
Where there are dreams still being born.