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The Lumineers in Lawrence: “Big Parade”

The Lumineers in Lawrence: “Big Parade”

Last updated on: September 25, 2012 at 8:23 am by Tim Suttle

The Lumineers in Lawrence: “Big Parade” 2012-09-25T08:23:06-06:00 Tim Suttle

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I went and saw The Lumineers at Liberty Hall in Lawrence last night. It was a great show. If you don’t know their stuff, I highly recommend becoming acquainted. Ever since last night I’ve been pondering what they do live, and I realized that I’ve never really seen anything like it. A Lumineers concert feels like a sing-along at the end of a variety show, something off the Grand Ole Opry if they let the carpet-baggers and hippies take the stage. Every song is sung with a shout and a resplendent sense of jubilation which somehow manages to escape postmodern angst I hear in the current spate of acoustic musicians. There is hardly a hint of rock and roll in their music – which was refreshing. They draw from the era before the Beatles or even Elvis, reaching back to country and gospel. Most of all, it seems the words matter and the crowd knew how to sing along.

My favorite song of the night was “Big Parade,” which is lyrically amazing. Here are the words and a video of the same arrangement they performed last night.

Big Parade

Lovely girl won’t you stay, won’t you stay, stay with me
All my life I was blind, I was blind, now I see
Lovely girl won’t you stay, won’t you stay, stay with me
All my life I was blind, I was blind, now I see

[Verse]
Fleet of black, fleet of black limousines
These tinted machines, here comes the cavalcade

With the armored cars, armored cars like berettas
Flags on antennaes designed to keep me safe, keep me safe

[Chorus]
And oh my my oh hey hey
Here he comes, the candidate
Blue eyed boy, united states
Vote for him, the candidate

[Verse]
Diamonds cut, diamonds cut for the carrots
Plaster of paris, the floats fill up the street

And the beauty queens, beauty queens with the white gloves
All sick from the night clubs, they wave with pageantry, pageantry

[Chorus]
Oh my my oh hey hey
Here it comes, the big parade
Marching bands and barricades
Make way, for the big parade

[Bridge]

[Verse]
Canvas covered, canvas covered in resin
The violent men who dance the blood ballet
And the bookies say, bookies say it’s the 3rd round
Oh when louie will go down, if he don’t there’s hell to pay, and hell to raise

[Chorus]
And oh my my oh hey hey
Here he comes, the welterweight
Take a dive, for goodness sake
Or say goodbye to the welterweight

[Verse]
Catholic priest, catholic priest in a crisis
He’s torn between romance and jesus, who will win the civil war

And he says I’m in love, I’m in love with a woman
Yea this is my confession, I’m leaving I can’t a priest anymore, anymore

[Chorus]
And oh my my oh hey hey
There he goes, the man of faith

Left the church for a fiance
Let him love, the man of faith

[Bridge]

[Verse]
T.v. cameras, t.v. cameras and stage hands
American bandstand, electric guitars

And he’s singin songs, singin songs for the lonely
All the girls with the room keys, they know all his words by heart, by heart and they all sing

[Interlude]
Lovely girl won’t you stay, won’t you stay, stay with me
All my life I was blind, I was blind, now I see
Lovely girl won’t you stay, won’t you stay, stay with me
All my life I was blind, I was blind, now I see

Lovely girl won’t you stay, oh oh ohoh

[Chorus]
Oh my my oh hey hey
Here she comes by saving grace
Burn the car and save the plates
She’s arrived, my saving grace

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