St. Peter's Bones
Girlyman Lyrics


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Growing tired, barely walking
Walking over this sweet grave
Winds grew bolder, bruised my shoulder
Not much left to say

Sweet and spare now, holy sparrow
Singing softly outside
When it's colder, we'll feel older
Not much left to hide

We are breathing, we are seething
We are hardly underway
We have high hopes like the old popes
Even St. Peter's bones decay

In the old times, we made up rhymes
To sing ourselves to sleep at night
It was wild means, singing horse dreams
Did nothing wrong and nothing right

We are breathing, we are seething
We are hardly underway
We have high hopes like the old popes
Even St. Peter's bones decay

Making wishes like wine
Losing sleep and losing time
Maybe silver or green
The world alive, the world unseen

We are breathing, we are seething
We are hardly underway




We have high hopes like the old popes
Even St. Peter's bones decay

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Girlyman's song "St. Peter's Bones" convey a sense of weariness and vulnerability, as the singer reflects on their own mortality and the passage of time. The opening lines paint a picture of physical exhaustion, with the singer described as "barely walking" and facing the elements alone. The reference to a "sweet grave" suggests that death itself may be a peaceful release from the struggles of life.


As the song progresses, the tone becomes more contemplative, with a focus on the beauty of nature and the fleeting nature of human existence. The "holy sparrow" singing outside provides a contrasting image to the rough winds and the singer's own fatigue. The line "we have high hopes like the old popes" speaks to the universal human desire for fulfillment and purpose, even in the face of mortality. And yet, the final line of the chorus reminds us that even the bones of St. Peter, the first pope, have decayed over time.


The final verse of the song brings in a sense of searching or striving, whether through the metaphor of "making wishes like wine" or through the idea of exploring the world both seen and unseen. The repetition of the chorus reinforces the idea that, no matter what we do or achieve, we are all subject to the same unavoidable fate. Despite this, the song has an undercurrent of hopefulness and appreciates the present moment, even as we move inexorably towards the future.


Line by Line Meaning

Growing tired, barely walking
I am exhausted and struggling to move forward


Walking over this sweet grave
I am walking over a grave that is dear to me


Winds grew bolder, bruised my shoulder
The winds have become stronger and hurt my shoulder


Not much left to say
There doesn't seem to be much left to talk about


Sweet and spare now, holy sparrow
It is peaceful and quiet, with a holy sparrow singing nearby


Singing softly outside
The sparrow is singing a gentle tune outside


When it's colder, we'll feel older
As it gets colder, we will feel the weight of our age


Not much left to hide
We have nothing left to keep secret


We are breathing, we are seething
We are alive and feeling strong emotions


We are hardly underway
Our journey has just begun


We have high hopes like the old popes
We have ambitious goals, like the popes of old


Even St. Peter's bones decay
Even the most revered things eventually break down and crumble


In the old times, we made up rhymes
In times past, we created poems and songs


To sing ourselves to sleep at night
To help us fall asleep at night


It was wild means, singing horse dreams
Our methods were unconventional, as we sang about dreams of horses


Did nothing wrong and nothing right
We didn't do anything particularly noteworthy, either good or bad


Making wishes like wine
We are making many wishes, almost drunkenly


Losing sleep and losing time
We are anxious and restless, wasting time


Maybe silver or green
Our wishes could be for wealth or nature


The world alive, the world unseen
The world is vibrant and full of life, but there are still things we can't see or understand




Contributed by Mila K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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