Older brother, restless soul, lie down
Lie for a while with your ear against the earth
And you’ll hear your sister sleep talking
Say, “Your hair is long but not long enough to reach
Home to me
But your beard
Someday might be”
And she woke up in a cold sweat on the floor
Next to a family portrait drawn when you were four
And beside a jar of two cent coins that are no good no more
She’ll lay it aside
Older father, weary soul, you’ll drive
Back to the home you made on the mountainside
With that ugly, terrible thing
Those papers for divorce
And a lonely ring
A lonely ring
Sit on your porch
And pluck your strings
Oh, and you’ll find somebody you can blame
And you’ll follow the creek that runs out into the sea
And you’ll find the peace of the Lord.
Grandfather, weary* soul, you’ll fly
Over your life once more before you die
Since our grandma passed away
You’ve waited for forever and a day
Just to die
And someday soon
You will die
It was the only woman you ever loved
That got burnt by the sun too often when she was young
And the cancer spread and it ran into her body and her blood
And there’s nothing you can do about it now
Simple lyrics, yet so much emotion.
Magnificent.
You can hear it in his voice, too, that’s the most magnificent thing.
Amazing! Middle East is the band of the year…
[…] might well be it (this or The Sound of Arrows). Brittle, beautiful and tinged with melancholic lyrics offset by a literally joyous chorus, ‘Blood’ is a […]
This song shows so much emotion.
It really does prove that you don’t need intense guitar riffs and complex lyrics to make a good song.
I agree, The Middle East is the band of the year :)
I adore them.
[…] might well be it (this or The Sound of Arrows). Brittle, beautiful and tinged with melancholic lyrics offset by a literally joyous chorus, ‘Blood’ is a […]
Hi, Just when on the second verse where it sais ‘ Grandfather gentle soul ‘ ive listened to it over and over again cause im absessed with it, im pretty sure it sais grandfather weary soul, but im not sure i love what youve done and im not trying to be really picky. i really love this song, thanks again for the lyrics :)
You’re right of course – on the recording it’s weary – but I have some live recordings where he says gentle, so my theory is that actually Jordan said it wrong in the studio… Shrug.
It’s amazing.. so much love, and also so much information.
Actually I really like this song.
Hey not sure if you’re adjusting corrections as you go, but I’m pretty sure about a few of these. Worth a thought, I’m not trying to say you did a bad job, just trying to add to it.
1. And she* woke* up with a cold sweat…
2. Next to a fairy* portrait drawn…
3. Grandfather, weary* soul, you’ll fly…
4. Oh* And you’ll find somebody you can blame… (the “Oh” seems to be enunciated enough to be included in the lyrics)
5.
Just to die
* Someday soon *(no and)
You will die
btw great job on the website.
‘fairy portrait’
I guess it does make more sense.
Who has family portraits drawn anyway?
Jordan, can you give us the lyrics to the songs on the original release? :< I lost the original case.
I'll try find it again.
I think it’s just Jordan mumbling the word family…
Drawn by a kid…
I don’t think it’s fairy. because I think family portrait is referring to childhood memories of how the family use to be.
This is as good as I think I can do, I hope there’s no typos:
Older brother, restless soul, lie down
Lie for a while with your ear against the earth
And you’ll hear your sister sleep talking
Say, “Your hair is long but not long enough to reach
Home to me
But your beard
Someday might be”
And she woke up in a cold sweat on the floor
Next to a fairy portrait drawn when you were four
And beside a jar of two cent coins that are no good no more
She’ll lay it aside
Older father, weary soul, you’ll drive
Back to the home you made on the mountainside
With that ugly, terrible thing
Those papers for divorce
And a lonely ring
A lonely ring
Sit on your porch
And pluck your strings
Oh, And you’ll find somebody you can blame
And you’ll follow the creek that runs out into the sea
And you’ll find the peace of the Lord.
Grandfather, weary soul, you’ll fly
Over your life once more before you die
Since our grandma passed away
You’ve waited for forever and a day
Just to die
And someday soon
You will die
It was the only woman you ever loved
That got burnt by the sun too often when she was young
And the cancer spread and it ran into her body and her blood
And there’s nothing you can do about it now
Updated.
I know it’s wrong but i always sing ‘cancer spread already to her body and her blood..’
Hello again, so after watching them play some more, it is actually “family portrait” like you originally put… but knowing Jordan, I wouldn’t put it past him to have changed the words or sang it differently. In the recording it definitely sounds like fairy portrait, but he definitely sings “family” now. I’ll have to ask next time I get a chance. So with the other changes, this would be the final-
Older brother, restless soul, lie down
Lie for a while with your ear against the earth
And you’ll hear your sister sleep talking
Say your hair is long but not long enough to reach
Home to me
But your beard
Someday might be
And she woke up in a cold sweat on the floor
Next to a family portrait drawn when you were four
And beside a jar of two cent coins that are no good no more
She’ll lay it aside
Older father, weary soul, you’ll drive
Back to the home you made on the mountainside
With that ugly, terrible thing
Those papers for divorce
And a lonely ring
A lonely ring
Sit on your porch
And pluck your strings
Oh, And you’ll find somebody you can blame
And you’ll follow the creek that runs out into the sea
And you’ll find the peace of the Lord.
Grandfather, weary soul, you’ll fly
Over your life once more before you die
Since our grandma passed away
You’ve waited for forever and a day
Just to die
And someday soon
You will die
It was the only woman you ever loved
That got burnt by the sun too often when she was young
And the cancer spread and it ran into her body and her blood
And there’s nothing you can do about it now
[…] Pps, I like to think they all got the lyrics from here… […]
Beautiful lyrics if only I could write like that!
I hope you never have to ever write like that.
[…] Lyrics: Blood […]
Could someone please tell me.. is there a middle east song where the lyrics actually have something to do with love or happiness.. I really love them and their sound and I want so badly to have something from them for my wedding .. but all songs seem to be able very sad things (it does make fantastic songs though).. Thanks,
Jessica.. jessica.hazell@hotmail.com
Nice
I remember hearing this song two years ago and fell in love with all of their music. I stopped listening to them for a long time and I mean like a year or so. Hearing their music especially blood makes me so nostalgic but in a good way. I love this band and hope they get back together. I really enjoyed their music.
Reblogged this on dani pedroso and things and commented:
Sometimes things seem fucked up. And then music speaks to the darkness and I feel alright.