Lyrical Interpretation: Throwing Copper Options

[Distance to Me]

Alright, I'm gonna start off by saying I'm sort of a lyrical nerd, I love me some lyrics and I love interpreting them. In fact, Ed has inspired me to writing poetry, which I've finished in the top 10 in some national contests for, and eventually I got around to pulling together a band which I sing, play guitar, and write for (I suck at singing though).

Anyway, basically just write down what a song means to you, whether it's through the lyrics or through the music. I could drone on and on about a song like They Stood Up For Love, so I'll try to contain myself.

[Distance to Me]

Here we go...

1. The Dam at Otter Creek: The Dam at Otter Creek for me is about doing something wrong (like killing someone), and the guilt keeps building up until the guy snaps and freaks out (the water backed up... this is where sadness breathes... etc). I think the music reflects this as well, as the instruments keep rising until the freak out at the end. I'm not sure what the outro is about, with all the whispering. Maybe the person singing the song apologizes, and then he's at peace? I don't know.

2. Selling the Drama: Well, this is one of Ed's more straight up ones I guess. I think it's pretty much reflecting on how everyone has their own choices that they can make and no one else should put their beliefs on others and kill each other and what not.

3. I Alone: I suppose this could just be a really obsessive love song, but I'm sure there's more to it. In Pillar of Davidson, he talks about "old, bad eyes," which I believe has to do with a preacher spreading his lies. So when someone like himself is the only one who actually loves something, and not just uses it as a manipulative force, he is measured by his "eyes," rather than spreading his beliefs on others, like the preacher.

4. Iris: The lyrics are pretty confusing, but I think it's a love song of sorts. He's taking advantage of some girl who is pretty skanky, and he pretends he doesn't love her (the armies I've created), and he does things like this in a hope that she might love him, or something (until I take their flags).

5. Lightning Crashes: I think it's been pretty much confirmed by the band that this song is about the friend of theirs who was an organ donor, and about the life she passes on to others. Beautiful lyrics.

6. Top: The lyrics to this song are absolutely stellar. I love them. I believe it's a song about seeing through the emptiness of many controlling forces (politicians, religion, science, love, you name it) and how Ed is coming to grips with what he does and does not believe.

7. All Over You: More awesome lyrics. The lyrics are vaguely reminiscent of Iris, it could either be about loving a whore, a gay relationship, or how empty religion is. The "I've often tried to hold the sun, the sea, the fields, the tide" line is absolute badass and very powerful. I mean, who hasn't? Everyone has tried to hold these things, and no one can. Love it.

8. Shit Towne: pretty self-explanatory.

9. T.B.D.: T.B.D. stands for Tibetan Book of the Dead, right? Well, when I first heard the song, I didn't know anything about the Book of the Dead (I still don't) so I thought it stood for "To Be Decided," and it was more of a song about an atheist dying and having no idea exactly what will happen to him, but he doesn't need a book to tell him what happens. He's gonna die anyway, after all.

10. Stage: Stage is a tribute to the struggles of Kurt Cobain and his love with that bitch (do I even need to name her? Come on, she's been around. Every guy knows her personally).

11. Waitress: A simply put, but none the less genius message. Though many may not agree with it.

12. Pillar of Davidson: I love these lyrics. Pillar of DAVID'S SON. It parallels working in a factory (it is a factory from their hometown right?) with the repetitive bullshit that a preacher with "old, bad eyes" throws up. The shepherd is in his face, and perhaps people want to meet him, but only after they're dead. The outro I believe is about coming to grips with his atheism (who are often mistaken for devil worshipers by dumb asses) by locking horns with the stallion (that would be the devil, a stallion with horns), or maybe it's about him dying, I don't know.

13. White, Discussion: Some more awesome lyrics. I believe it's about how we're killing each other, killing the planet, and while we do this we argue and go insane and how people are content talking about this bullshit (some people are even known to get erections), and then, in the end, we will look back on where all the talking got us, and then we'll cry. Cuz' we're dead.