Ribbons And Leaves
Graham Coxon Lyrics


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In an old house, in an old street
You found me and a tv
There was no bed, there were no chairs
There was no roof, there were no stairs

Ribbons and leaves and time in the tin
Behind the wall in the kitchen
Life, I love you

Got your old cap and tabcoo tin
And the torn shirt that you died in
How we prayed for you to come on home
My solider, my dead prince

Ribbons and leaves and time in the tin
Behind the wall in the kitchen
Medals and glass, a life in the bin
Behind the walls that you lived in





Life, I love you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Graham Coxon's song "Ribbons And Leaves" describe a scene inside an old abandoned house on a street corner, where the singer is located with a TV and no furniture. The absence of standard home elements, such as stairs, rooms, and roof, creates a ghostly, eerie ambience that hints at the idea that the place itself is slowly disintegrating into the abandoned state.


The second verse of the song goes into the feelings of the singer, who reminisces about a lost loved one. The singer refers to the person as a "soldier, my dead prince," likely indicating that the person had passed away in a military capacity. The singer refers to objects like a "cap" and "tobacco tin," which seem to imply that the soldier was someone from the past. The line "how we prayed for you to come on home" hints that the individual passed away in a far-off place while fighting, and the singer is still grappling with the difficult emotions of loss.


In conclusion, "Ribbons And Leaves" by Graham Coxon is a poignant and meaningful song about nostalgia, hope, and grief that showcases the singer's ability to move listeners with his emotional storytelling.


Line by Line Meaning

In an old house, in an old street
I was found living in an ancient house situated in a deserted street


You found me and a tv
You discovered me accompanied by a television


There was no bed, there were no chairs
There were no available seats or resting place for me


There was no roof, there were no stairs
There was an absence of a roof and staircase in the dwelling I was found in


Ribbons and leaves and time in the tin
There were ribbons and leaves stored inside a container for safekeeping purposes over a long period of time


Behind the wall in the kitchen
These ribbons and leaves had been stored behind a kitchen wall


Life, I love you
I have a deep affection for life


Got your old cap and tabcoo tin
I now possess your old cap and tobacco container


And the torn shirt that you died in
I have the torn garment that you were wearing when you passed away


How we prayed for you to come on home
We prayed eagerly for your safe return to us


My solider, my dead prince
You were my dedicated soldier and now forever, my departed prince


Medals and glass, a life in the bin
Remnants such as medals and broken glass represent a life now disposed of


Behind the walls that you lived in
These remnants and memories are hidden within the walls that once housed you




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GRAHAM COXON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Lauren Burckhard

Graham Coxon’s solo work is so criminally underrated. Goddamn...

tyronerodgers

Beautiful song

ideletemyelf

This sucks man. Not the song, it's of course great. But the fact that at this time you cannot find this album to buy ANYWHERE.. It sucks that I'm reaching that age where all my favorite music is going out of print and the powers that be don't see fit to keeping them around. It sucks that someone will look for this entire brilliant fucking album and not be able to find it. Even worse some Graham Coxon fan out there won't ever know the complete awesomeness of the entire album or the other album Kiss Of The Morning, which is my favorite and that you cannot find anymore. Frankly I'm depressed. Fuck.

albarnz

honestly it’s awful

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