You are a waterfall
Waiting inside a well
You are a wrecking ball
Before the building fell
And every lightning rod
Has got to watch the storm cloud come.

And I've heard of pious men
And I've heard of dirty fiends
But you don't often hear
Of us ones in between
And I've heard of creatures
Who eat their babies;
And I wonder if they stop
To think about the taste.

I saw the sun go down
Outside of Arkansas;
And I saw the sun come up
Somewhere in Illinois.
And in the darkness
I taught myself to hate.
But where were you, oh where were you?
And where the fuck did the sun go?

And I am a creature.
And I am survivin'.
And I want to be alone
But I want your body.
So when you eat me,
Mother and baby,
Oh baby, mother me,
Before you eat me.

And you should always pass
When you get the inside lane.
Don't pull your hair out;
I won't pull my hair out.
For I have never seen the sun
That did not bury his fears in the side of the world.
And the day is done.

You are a waterfall
Waiting inside a well
You are a wrecking ball
Before the building fell
And I will mutter like a lover
Who speaks in tongues, oh he speaks in tongues.
Oh I speak in tongues.

(She's your mother; she's got a lovely tongue.)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Sunset Rubdown's "Us Ones In Between" can be interpreted in many ways. At its core, the song seems to be about feeling lost and caught between different worlds, unable to find a sense of belonging. The opening lines compare the singer to a waterfall waiting inside a well and a wrecking ball before a building falls, suggesting a sense of potential that has yet to be realized or unleashed. The reference to lightning rods watching storm clouds come could be a metaphor for someone always anticipating chaos or danger.

The second verse introduces the idea of the "us ones in between," a group of people who don't fit neatly into either extreme of good or evil. The reference to creatures who eat their babies is a disturbing image that suggests a world in which even the most extreme actions might be rationalized. The singer seems to feel alone and disconnected from others, particularly in the lines "But where were you, oh where were you? / And where the fuck did the sun go?" This could be interpreted as a cry for help or a feeling of abandonment.

The third verse brings a sense of acceptance or resignation to the song. The singer acknowledges their own survival and primal desires, even as they crave connection with others. The repetition of the line "mother and baby" could be a reference to birth or creation, as well as the cyclical nature of life and death. The final lines of the song suggest a sense of unity or understanding, as the singer and the listener share a common experience of speaking in tongues.

Line by Line Meaning

You are a waterfall
You have many emotions and feelings inside you that are rushing out like a waterfall.

Waiting inside a well
These emotions and feelings have been inside you for a long time, just waiting to come out.

You are a wrecking ball
You're powerful and destructive like a wrecking ball, destroying everything in your path.

Before the building fell
This destruction happens before it's too late, before everything crumbles down.

And every lightning rod
Everyone has to be prepared for the worst, ready for the storms ahead.

Has got to watch the storm cloud come.
You never know when the storm is going to come, but you always have to be prepared.

And I've heard of pious men
I've heard about good men.

And I've heard of dirty fiends
I've heard about terrible people.

But you don't often hear
But you don't hear enough about people like us.

Of us ones in between
People who are caught between good and bad, light and dark.

And I've heard of creatures
I've heard about strange animals.

Who eat their babies;
Animals that do odd and awful things.

And I wonder if they stop
I wonder if they ever pause and think.

To think about the taste.
Whether they consider how their actions affect others or not.

I saw the sun go down
I watched the sunset.

Outside of Arkansas;
It happened outside of Arkansas.

And I saw the sun come up
I saw the sunrise.

Somewhere in Illinois.
It happened somewhere in Illinois.

And in the darkness
During dark times.

I taught myself to hate.
I learned how to hate on my own.

But where were you, oh where were you?
Where were you during these difficult times?

And where the fuck did the sun go?
Why did everything go dark?

And I am a creature.
I am a living being.

And I am survivin'.
I am surviving.

And I want to be alone
I desire solitude and independence.

But I want your body.
But I still want to be close to you.

So when you eat me,
So when I am gone from this world.

Mother and baby,
When I am gone, I hope you remember me.

Oh baby, mother me,
Please remember me in a loving way.

Before you eat me.
Before I am gone for good.

And you should always pass
You should always let others go first.

When you get the inside lane.
When you have an advantage.

Don't pull your hair out;
Don't get too anxious or worried.

I won't pull my hair out.
I won't get too worked up either.

For I have never seen the sun
I have never seen true light or happiness.

That did not bury his fears in the side of the world.
Everything has its ups and downs, and even happy times have fears underneath.

And the day is done.
The day has come to an end.

And I will mutter like a lover
I will speak softly and quietly like a passionate lover.

Who speaks in tongues, oh he speaks in tongues.
I will speak in unintelligible, nonsensical sounds.

Oh I speak in tongues.
My words may not make sense, but they come from a deep place in my heart and soul.

(She's your mother; she's got a lovely tongue.)
This line is not part of the lyrics.

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