In his own words (from his myspace page):
“For me it’s all about the SONG. I remember watching my father sitting at our dining room table for hours and hours with his pencil and pad crafting his songs; spending the time to find the perfect word, the perfect chord, the perfect melody. That really made an impression on me. When I write a song it really is a kind of science, an operation; but it isn’t mathematical or calculated, it is alive and breathing and moving. At the risk of sounding like a hippie on a soapbox, music is still powerful and holy and sacred to me. You can turn it into a product and a business, but you can’t start it that way. To me the genesis of a song has to be honest and unassuming. I truly believe that God hands me these gifts and it is my job to translate them as honestly as I can. You have to let a song be what it is. We can’t lose that. When I write songs, I like to focus on the fact that we are all the same and we are all just searching for answers and trying to make sense of everything. It's about exploring life and celebrating truth when you find it.”
Babylon
Sean McConnell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're a rusty coin in the wishing well
We're the only lie that you couldn't sell
Babylon
We're a sad parade cemetary road
Where a thin black veil and a pine box rose
Where a last amen and a cold ride home
Babylon
Look at what we've come too
Oh, Babylon
Tell me where to run to
Now that you're gone
Where did we go wrong?
Babylon
We're a magic spell that nobody spoke
We're a blindfold kill taking one last smoke
We're a damn punchline to a stupid joke
Babylon
Yeah
Yeah
Babylon
Look at what we've come too
Oh, Babylon
Tell me where to run to
Now that you're gone
Where did we go wrong?
Babylon
Oh yeah
Did you turn around to watch it crumble
Do you ever go through the rubble
Try to find out where the hell it went wrong?
Babylon
Look at what we've come too
Oh, Babylon
Tell me where to run to
Now that you're gone
Where did we go wrong?
Babylon
Oh, did you turn around to watch it crumble
Do you ever go through the rubble
Well I bet that's just too much trouble
For you Babylon
Do you ever stop to think about me
Tell me how you even breath without me
I don't know how to go on without you
Babylon
Babylon
The song "Babylon" by Sean McConnell is a soulful and reflective ballad that uses powerful imagery to describe the downfall of a once-great city or society. The lyrics paint a picture of a place that is now in ruins, where hope has been lost, and where the inhabitants are struggling to understand what went wrong.
In the first verse, the lyrics describe the city as "a tattered flag where the mighty fell" and "a rusty coin in the wishing well." The use of these metaphors suggests that the city was once a symbol of strength and prosperity, but has now lost its power and is no longer able to grant the wishes of its people. The second verse describes a funeral procession, where a "thin black veil and a pine box rose" and where the mourners say a "last amen" before taking a "cold ride home." This imagery evokes feelings of sadness, finality, and loss.
The chorus of the song is a powerful plea for answers, with the repeated line "Babylon, tell me where to run to, now that you're gone, where did we go wrong?" The use of the name Babylon, which is an ancient city that has come to symbolize the heights of civilization and the depths of decay and decline, adds to the complex and layered meaning of the lyrics. Overall, the song is a poignant exploration of the human condition and the struggle to understand and come to terms with our own failures and shortcomings.
Line by Line Meaning
We're a tattered flag where the mighty fell
We're a symbol of defeat and failure.
We're a rusty coin in the wishing well
We're something that's lost its value and purpose.
We're the only lie that you couldn't sell
We're something that's so false that not even the best salesman could convince someone of our authenticity.
We're a sad parade cemetery road
We're a place of mourning and grief where death is a constant presence.
Where a thin black veil and a pine box rose
We're a bleak and somber place where death is present in the form of a funeral.
Where a last amen and a cold ride home
We're a final goodbye and a long journey to process the loss.
We're a magic spell that nobody spoke
We're a hidden and mysterious force that cannot be explained or understood.
We're a blindfold kill taking one last smoke
We're moments of recklessness and self-destruction before an inevitable end.
We're a damn punchline to a stupid joke
We're an outcome so absurd and ridiculous that it seems like a cruel joke.
Babylon
The source of all these bleak and negative experiences.
Look at what we've come too
Reflecting on the current state of affairs and being dismayed by it.
Tell me where to run to
Asking for guidance or a solution to the problems caused by Babylon.
Now that you're gone
After realizing that Babylon has caused more harm than good and needs to be left behind.
Where did we go wrong?
Questioning how things got so bad and how to avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future.
Oh, did you turn around to watch it crumble
Wondering if someone was aware of the negative consequences of Babylon but didn't try to stop it.
Do you ever go through the rubble
Checking for remnants of what was once there and trying to start over.
Well I bet that's just too much trouble
Being resigned to the fact that rebuilding and fixing what's left is too difficult and unlikely.
For you Babylon
Implying that Babylon is responsible for the trouble and shouldn't avoid the need to fix it.
Do you ever stop to think about me
Asking if Babylon is capable of acknowledging the damage done to those affected by it.
Tell me how you even breath without me
Questioning how Babylon can function and exist without exploiting and hurting others.
I don't know how to go on without you
Feeling unsure about the future without Babylon, despite knowing that it has caused harm.
Babylon
Reiterating that all of these experiences are the result of Babylon's negative influence.
Writer(s): SEAN MCCONNELL
Contributed by Austin I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.