Bones
Christians and Lions Lyrics
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with a sack full of matches,
I'm gonna burn all the letters I've wrote.
Don't worry, darling,
I ain't brave enough to catch it,
this fire that's licking my hopes.
Besides, if I went up
like a soaked rolling paper,
And what's the use of a good, strong noose
when your problem's too much hanging around?
So I walked back crashing,
my pockets full of ash in
the latesummer moon's holy glow.
that loved me to death on the banks
of every river,
where every breath in brought me home.
'Cause if home's where hearts is
beating like a bird's wing,
then I've many homes and I should:
said a man who wasn't homeless,
"I'm always just traveling/
taking walks around my neighborhood."
Wisdom: it comes
but age don't unlock it.
You've got to spend all the passion you've found.
With more change in their heads
than in all of their pockets,
some can show you the way to slow down.
Sometimes we all need to slow down.
The lyrics in "Bones" by Christians and Lions talk about the burning of all letters that the singer has written, indicating that they want to leave their past behind. However, they are not brave enough to catch the fire that encapsulates their hopes. The use of "a soaked rolling paper" is a metaphor for the singer's fragility and how they feel like they could burn out at any moment. The line "what's the use of a good, strong noose when your problem's too much hanging around?" suggests that the singer is tired of their problems and wants to move on from them.
The second verse talks about the singer's walk back while crashing and their pockets filled with ash in the moon's glow. The singer speaks about the riverbanks, which served as a source of comfort to them in the past. The line "if home's where the heart is beating like a bird's wing, then I've many homes, and I should," talks about how the singer has many places that they consider to be home. The song ends with the line, "sometimes we all need to slow down," which suggests that the singer needs to take a break from their problems.
Overall, the song speaks about the singer's desire to leave their problems behind and move on. The lyrics use metaphors to describe the singer's fragility and how they feel like they could burn out at any moment. However, there is an underlying message of hope, and the song suggests that taking a break from our problems can help us slow down and find wisdom.
Line by Line Meaning
Over the tracks, with a sack full of matches, I'm gonna burn all the letters I've wrote.
I want to destroy all the letters I've written, represented by the image of burning them with matches.
Don't worry, darling, I ain't brave enough to catch it, this fire that's licking my hopes.
Don't worry about me, I'm not actually going to let myself be destroyed by this fire that's consuming my hope.
Besides, if I went up like a soaked rolling paper, I'd still be fast-burning-out.
Even if I were to go up in flames, I wouldn't be able to sustain it for long.
And what's the use of a good, strong noose when your problem's too much hanging around?
A strong solution isn't useful when the underlying problem is still present.
So I walked back crashing, my pockets full of ash in the latesummer moon's holy glow.
I returned, feeling defeated and with nothing to show for my efforts.
that loved me to death on the banks of every river, where every breath in brought me home.
The beauty and peace of nature has always been a comfort and escape for me.
'Cause if home's where hearts is beating like a bird's wing, then I've many homes and I should: said a man who wasn't homeless, 'I'm always just traveling/taking walks around my neighborhood.'
Home is not a physical place, but rather a feeling of love and belonging that can be found in many different locations and experiences. One person expressed this sentiment as always being on a journey, even in his own neighborhood.
Wisdom: it comes but age don't unlock it. You've got to spend all the passion you've found.
Wisdom isn't just a product of age or experience, but comes from actively engaging with life and pursuing one's passions.
With more change in their heads than in all of their pockets, some can show you the way to slow down.
Even those with very little material resources can have valuable insights to share about living a slower, more meaningful life.
Sometimes we all need to slow down.
It's important to take breaks and slow down from the frenetic pace of life in order to appreciate the beauty and simplicity around us.
Contributed by Caden K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.