-Nick Johnson: Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
-Nate Gangelhoff: Bass
-Jeff Matika: Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
-Dan Elston-Jones: Drums
Drains to the Mississippi
Banner Pilot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The leaves are shriveled up and dead
What started yellow
Has turned to gray, I turned you red
I was suffocating, so
I took a breath and let you go
You left me leaning, I spent the evening
I woke up to the rain and it won't be the same
And it won't be the same here without you
So goodbye and good luck, know it won't be the same
And it won't be the same and it won't be the same
Was kinda drunk that night, you know
And now I'm outside kicking stones
And getting drunk on grief, drunk and incomplete
Walking Carson Street alone
The summer heat, it grabbed me by
The neck and hung me out to dry
Dropping into cold, twist my fists in folds
Of my winter clothes
So where did August go?
The leaves are shriveled up and dead
What started yellow
Has turned to gray, I turned you red
I was suffocating, so
I took a breath and let you go
You left me leaning, I spent the evening
Pounding sand with pounding head
I woke up to the rain and it won't be the same
And it won't be the same here without you
So goodbye and good luck, know it won't be the same
And it won't be the same and it won't be the same
Was kinda drunk that night, you know
And now I'm outside kicking stones
And getting drunk on grief, drunk and incomplete
Walking Carson Street alone
The summer heat, it grabbed me by
The neck and hung me out to dry
Dropping into cold, twist my fists in folds
Of my winter clothes alone
I'm going home
To an empty room, to a cave on Orchard Road
Absurd fucking world
Feel like dropping dead, but I laugh instead, dumb guy, smart girl
The song "Drains to the Mississippi" by Banner Pilot is a melancholic piece about the end of summer and the subsequent loss of a loved one. The lyrics are written vividly, taking the listener on a journey through the singer's thoughts and emotions. The repetition of "where did August go?" is a nod to the fleeting nature of summer, which symbolizes the relationship that has come to an end.
The second verse speaks to the singer's emotional state after the breakup. He was suffocating and had to let his lover go, which left him feeling incomplete and drunk on grief. The line "I woke up to the rain and it won't be the same" suggests that the singer is starting to come to terms with the fact that things will never be the same between them. The last verse has the singer returning home to an empty room, emphasizing the feeling of loneliness and isolation.
Overall, "Drains to the Mississippi" is a poignant song about the end of something beautiful and the overwhelming feelings that come with it. It is a reminder that summer and relationships can be fleeting, leaving us with memories that persist long after they are gone.
Line by Line Meaning
So where did August go?
The summer has come to an end, and he wonders where the time went.
The leaves are shriveled up and dead
The fall has arrived and nature is changing.
What started yellow
The color of the leaves when they first started changing.
Has turned to gray, I turned you red
Things have lost their beauty, and the relationship has ended on a bad note.
I was suffocating, so
He felt trapped and needed to escape.
I took a breath and let you go
He decided to end the relationship.
You left me leaning, I spent the evening
He was left alone and feeling lost.
Pounding sand with pounding head
He's upset and restless, trying to forget the pain.
I woke up to the rain and it won't be the same
He wakes up to a new day knowing that the relationship is over and things have changed.
And it won't be the same here without you
He realizes he'll be alone without his partner.
So goodbye and good luck, know it won't be the same
He's saying goodbye to his partner and knows things won't be the same.
Was kinda drunk that night, you know
He was under the influence and not thinking clearly.
And now I'm outside kicking stones
He's restless and doesn't know what to do with himself.
And getting drunk on grief, drunk and incomplete
He's drowning in his sorrows and can't move on.
Walking Carson Street alone
He's walking the streets lost and alone.
The summer heat, it grabbed me by
The hot weather was overwhelming.
The neck and hung me out to dry
He felt drained and exhausted.
Dropping into cold, twist my fists in folds
The weather has changed, and he feels the cold biting at him.
Of my winter clothes alone
He's alone and slowly accepting the things he cannot change.
I'm going home
He's returning to his empty home.
To an empty room, to a cave on Orchard Road
He's going back to an empty space and feeling trapped.
Absurd fucking world
He's feeling disillusioned by the world.
Feel like dropping dead, but I laugh instead, dumb guy, smart girl
He feels like giving up, but ironically he finds the strength to laugh. Despite his pain, he understands that she was smart to leave him.
Contributed by Maya C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.