Streets of Laredo are a seven-piece indie folk outfit formed by siblings Da… Read Full Bio ↴Streets of Laredo are a seven-piece indie folk outfit formed by siblings Daniel, Dave, and Sarahjane Gibson in Auckland, New Zealand. After playing just one hometown show, the Gibsons took a leap of faith and in 2012 they relocated to Brooklyn, New York, where they expanded their lineup to include fellow Kiwi Thom Darlow and local Brooklyners Sean McMahon and Andrew McGovern. Straddling the ever blurring lines between indie folk and pop, they rely on big group harmonies and an Americana-inspired sound full of stomping percussion, acoustic and electric guitars, harmonica, horns, and other assorted instruments, putting them in a similar league with acts like Edward Sharpe, the Delta Spirit, and the Lumineers. A trip back to Auckland yielded a pair of EPs that they released in 2014, packaged together under the title Volume I & II. ~ Timothy Monger, Rovi

Silly Bones
Streets of Laredo Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

La-la-la-la—la—la
Ooo—o—oo

I wanna break down all my silly bones
And laugh at the pieces
I wanna take out all the ones I broke
So I can make meaning

Shaky souls
Get along with silly bones
Opposites
Don't attract silly bones

La-la-la-la-la—la
I got silly bones
Ooo—o—oo
La-la-la-la-la—la
I got silly bones
Ooo—o—oo

I wanna dry out all my silly bones
Like an old sailor
I'm a scuba diver floating in the sea
I woke without a sinker

We are friendly foe
Out of joint silly bones
Shaky hands
Jittering a heap of bones

La-la-la-la-la—la
I got silly bones
Ooo—o—oo
And you're scared of it
La-la-la-la-la—la
You can hear them now
Ooo—o—oo
When they're rattling

I wanna kick around all my silly bones
For my own amusement
I wanna take down all the ones I know
So I can feel some friction

Shaky souls
Get along with silly bones
Opposites
Don't attract silly bones

La-la-la-la-la—la
Well I got silly bones
Ooo—o—oo
And you're scared of it
La-la-la-la-la—la
You can hear it now
Ooo—o—oo
When they're rattling
La-la-la-la-la—la
I got silly bones
Ooo—o—oo
And you're scared of it
La-la-la-la-la—la
You can hear them now
Ooo—o—oo
When they're rattling

I wanna break down
I wanna break down
I wanna break down
Whoo!
Let it out!

La-la-la-la-la—la
Well I got silly bones
Ooo—o—oo
And you're scared of it
La-la-la-la-la—la
Well you can hear it now
Ooo—o—oo
Cause they're rattling
La-la-la-la-la—la
I got silly bones
Ooo—o—oo
La-la-la-la-la—la

I got silly bones
Ooo—o—oo

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Streets of Laredo's Silly Bones are about embracing one's vulnerabilities and imperfections. The singer talks about wanting to break down their silly bones and laugh at the pieces as a way to find meaning in their pain. They want to take out all the bones they broke and dry them out like an old sailor. The intention here is to confront their weaknesses and find solace in accepting them rather than trying to hide them.

The song suggests that shaky souls get along with silly bones, implying that those who are unsteady or feel out of place can relate to being imperfect. The line "We are friendly foe" suggests that we can be our own worst enemy, but by accepting our flaws, we can find peace within ourselves. In contrast, the lyrics state that opposites don't attract silly bones, implying that those who are too perfect or rigid may not be able to relate to or accept the imperfections of others.

In the final verse, the singer talks about wanting to kick around their silly bones for their own amusement, implying a newfound sense of empowerment in accepting their vulnerabilities. The song ends with a cathartic release, as the singer sings, "I wanna break down, let it out!" This sentiment can be interpreted as a call to embrace one's vulnerability fully and let go of any shame or fear associated with imperfections.

Line by Line Meaning

I wanna break down all my silly bones
I want to break down all the parts of myself that seem foolish or inadequate.

And laugh at the pieces
So that I can find joy in the process.

I wanna take out all the ones I broke
I want to remove the parts of myself that have been damaged or affected by past experiences.

So I can make meaning
In order to gain more understanding or significance from my life.

Shaky souls
People who are uncertain or unsteady in their beliefs or actions.

Get along with silly bones
Tend to have a kinship with those who are willing to be vulnerable and expose their weaknesses.

Opposites
People with very different personalities or belief systems.

Don't attract silly bones
Tend to shy away from those who are willing to be vulnerable and expose their weaknesses.

I got silly bones
I am willing to be vulnerable and expose my weaknesses.

I wanna dry out all my silly bones
I want to remove any remaining foolishness or immaturity from myself.

Like an old sailor
In the same tough and experienced manner as an old sea captain.

I'm a scuba diver floating in the sea
I am someone who is free to explore different aspects of life and feelings.

I woke without a sinker
I am free and unattached to anything that might weigh me down or keep me from experiencing certain emotions.

We are friendly foe
We are friends, but we also compete with each other.

Out of joint silly bones
Vulnerable or exposed weaknesses.

Shaky hands
Uncertainty or nervousness in one's actions.

Jittering a heap of bones
Nervously moving around a pile of vulnerabilities.

And you're scared of it
Others might be afraid of my vulnerability and willingness to expose my weaknesses.

You can hear them now
Others can now hear my vulnerabilities and weaknesses.

When they're rattling
When these weaknesses and vulnerabilities are exposed.

I wanna kick around all my silly bones
I want to play around with my vulnerabilities and weaknesses.

For my own amusement
To bring myself some kind of entertainment or pleasure.

I wanna take down all the ones I know
I want to remove any remaining weaknesses or vulnerabilities that I am aware of.

So I can feel some friction
I want to experience and feel emotions or situations that bring tension or discomfort.

I wanna break down
I want to concretely address and dismantle any remaining insecurities or weaknesses.

Whoo!
Expressing excitement and enthusiasm.

Let it out!
Encouraging oneself to fully express and deal with vulnerabilities and weaknesses.

Writer(s): Daniel Gibson, David Matthew Gibson, Cameron John Deyell, Sarah Gibson

Contributed by Natalie O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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