Old Old Song
Family Battlegrounds: An Echoing Anthem of Strife and Silence
Lyrics
i'll sing you a song that starts out descriptive
I'll present a song that begins with a description.
and locates a time and a place
It establishes a specific time and place.
like a dinner table where a whole family
Describes a family gathered at a dinner table for grace.
is just sitting down to say grace
An old song that slowly unfolds.
an old old song that moves into action
Action begins in the narrative.
taking its sweet sweet time
The song takes its time to progress.
and waits until we all say amen
Repetition of "amen" in a rhyming pattern.
again and again in rhyme
The ritual is repeated with each verse.
it's the story of a father and a mother
The narrative involves parental conflict.
who battle each other over nothin'
Parents argue over trivial matters.
with a couple of kids trying to figure
Children attempt to understand the situation.
which way the plot's spinning
The direction of the story is unclear.
who's winning and who is bluffing
Focus on who is winning or pretending.
it's a story as common as a penny, son
A common, unremarkable story.
it ain't really worth anything to anyone
The story lacks significant value.
poor little sore little song
Describes the song as insignificant and painful.
that aches like a muscle each time that it moves
Compares the song's pain to aching muscles.
sad little song that you play
Emphasizes the sadness of the song.
and you play and you play
Repetition of playing the sad song.
and you play 'til you lose
Playing until the point of defeat.
while history is outside writing a recipe book
Contrasts personal pain with historical events.
for every earthly pain
History documents earthly suffering.
this song is inside finger painting dark swirls
The song expresses dark, repetitive emotions.
again and again and they all look the same
Finger painting imagery symbolizing repetition.
'cause what if you come home from school one day
Imagines a scenario of returning home to family conflict.
and you find your whole family's at war
The family is in a state of war.
and there's this ominous silence just waiting to be broken
Describes an eerie silence, anticipating disruption.
and there's secret places for hiding underneath the floorboards
Secret hiding places amid tension.
and everyone seems to be bracing
Fear and preparation for the next bomb.
for the subharmonic thunder of the next bomb
Everyone braces for an impending explosion.
and everyone seems to be waiting for the cops to bust in
Anticipation of law enforcement intrusion.
with their guns drawn
Police expected with drawn guns.
at the bleak light of dawn
At the bleak light of dawn, a critical moment.
it's a story as common as a penny, son
Reiteration of the story's commonplace nature.
i don't think it's worth anything to anyone
Expresses doubt about the story's value.
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