Older Chests
Damien Rice Lyrics

Older chests reveal themselves
As we grow old, our past experiences and emotions become more evident and we reveal our true selves.

Like a crack in a wall
Our true selves are like a small crack in a wall which grows in size and becomes more noticeable over time.

Starting small, and grow in time
The small crack in the wall representing our true selves starts small but becomes bigger over time.

And we always seem to need the help
We are always in need of someone else's help to face our true selves and deal with our emotions.

Of someone else
The help we need to face our true selves and deal with our emotions can only be provided by someone else.

To mend that shelf
We need someone else to fix our broken selves in the same way we would fix a broken shelf.

Too many books
We have too much knowledge and too many emotions that we can't handle on our own.

Read me your favorite line
Share your emotions and knowledge with me by reading your favorite part of a book.

Papa went to other lands
The artist's father went on a journey to discover himself and find others who understand him.

And he found someone who understands
The artist's father found someone who can relate to him and understand his emotions and experiences.

The ticking, and the western man's need to cry
The ticking represents time passing by and the western man's need to express his emotions by crying.

He came back the other day, you know
The artist's father returned home recently.

Some things in life may change
Life is constantly changing and evolving.

And some things
However, some things remain the same despite the changes in life.

They stay the same
These unchanging things can represent the constant passage of time or a person's true self.

Like time, there's always time
Time is always present and constantly moving forward.

On my mind
The passage of time is always on the artist's mind and he is constantly thinking about it.

So pass me by, I'll be fine
Despite the constant passage of time, the singer will be fine and can handle the changes in life.

Just give me time
The singer just needs time to process his emotions and experiences.

Older gents sit on the fence
Older men sit on the sidelines and observe the changes happening around them.

With their cap in hand
These older men are respectful and humble in their observation of the changes happening around them.

Looking grand
Despite their humble observation, these older men still have a sense of pride and dignity about themselves.

They watch their city change
These older men watch as their city changes and evolves over time.

Children scream, or so it seems,
Through the eyes of these older men, it appears as if children are louder and more chaotic than ever before.

Louder than before
The level of noise and motion in the children's behavior has increased from the past, as observed by these older men.

Out of doors, and into stores with bigger names
Children spending less time outside and instead, getting lost in large chain stores which have replaced smaller, local, family-run stores.

Mama tried to wash their faces
The singer's mother attempted to restore the children's innocence and purity, yet failed.

But these kids they lost their graces
These children have become rowdy and no longer demonstrate good manners or respect.

And daddy lost at the races too many times
The father has lost numerous times due to his addiction to gambling at the races.

She broke down the other day, yeah you know
The singer's mother emotionally broke down recently.

But some things they stay the same
Despite the rapid changes happening around them, some things, such as emotions and values, remain consistent.