The contract's a joke, but when you see smoke You run toward the fire 'cause you must They all called your name when the crash finally came Then left you to pick up the dust I saw you walking in silence down to the bridge But nothing went over the side So I guess to someone with your heritage Withdrawal, like consent, is implied And it's true - no one else will do what you do Volunteers of America, I'm calling you What makes you feel you're less than ideal If you can't get over it all? That walk-away clause can't be just because You're mad at the Cross on the wall Oh, and the last time I saw you, with that hole in your side I had to put my hand in to believe Oh, but I couldn't meet those elephant eyes And you couldn't take time to grieve And it's true - no one else will do what you do Volunteers of America, I'm calling you With your thousand-yard stare and your caretaker's hair I guess we're not sleeping again You're up there online, building your shrine A go-to solution that then Come tomorrow, you'll tear down again So bring out your poor, your washed on the shore Your refuse, your teeming depressed You take them all in, 'cause that's where you've been A person who has to say "yes" And every Sunday and Wednesday you pay homage to The naked and martyred and dead Where every crypt tells the story, the story of you Where bodies aren't bodies, they're bread And it's true - no one else will do what you do Volunteers of America, I'm calling you
Is that Susanna Hoffs (the female guitarist/singer shown in the video)? She's always had that "beauty lit from within" quality about her and still has it.
Verse 1: Ted Leo] The contract's a joke But when you see smoke You run toward the fire 'cause you must They all called your name when the crash finally came Then left you to pick up the dust I saw you walking in silence down to the bridge But nothing went over the side So I guess to someone with your heritage Withdrawal, like consent, is implied [Chorus: Aimee Mann & Ted Leo] And it's true - no one else will do what you do Volunteers of America, I'm calling you [Verse 2: Aimee Mann] What makes you feel you're less than ideal If you can't get over it all? That walk-away clause can't be just because You're mad at the cross on the wall Oh, and the last time I saw you, with hole in your side I had to put my hand in to believe Oh, but I couldn't meet those elephant eyes And you couldn't take time to grieve [Chorus: Aimee Mann & Ted Leo] And it's true - no one else will do what you do Volunteers of America, I'm calling you [Bridge: Aimee Mann & Ted Leo] With your thousand-yard stare And your caretaker's hair I guess we're not sleeping again You're up there online, building your shrine A go-to solution that then Come tomorrow, you'll tear down again [Verse 2: Ted Leo & Aimee Mann] So bring out your poor Your washed on the shore Your refuse, your teeming depressed You take them all in, 'cause that's where you've been A person who has to say "yes" And every Sunday and Wednesday You pay homage to the naked and martyred and dead Where every crypt tells the story, the story of you Where bodies aren't bodies, they're bread [Chorus: Aimee Mann & Ted Leo] x2 And it's true - no one else will do what you do Volunteers of America, I'm calling you SHARE THE LYRICS “VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA” TRACK INFO Produced ByPaul Bryan Written ByTed Leo & Aimee Mann Release Date2014 NEXT UP Pay For It THE BOTH  The Both (2014)THE BOTH 1. The Gambler 2. Milwaukee 3. No Sir 4. Volunteers of America 5. Pay For It 6. You Can't Help Me Now 7. The Prisoner 8. Hummingbird 9. Honesty Is No Excuse 10. Bedtime Stories 11. The Inevitable Shove
Kind of random thoughts about a snapshot of a zeitgeist? Maybe? It feels like it's telling the truth about something, but I'm damned if I know what that is
I’ve wondered the same thing, my best guess is that it’s about self-styled martyr types but kinda jumps around describing different particular ones. I’m not confident in that interpretation at all but it’s the only thing I can get out of all of it together
The first section seems to be about firefighters (maybe on 9/11?) The second part has a lot of religious imagery, which continues into the third segment, which seems to be more about food banks and other public-facing charities. It could all be some sort of metaphor I haven’t figured out yet, though.
i'm sort of curious what exactly this 6-year-old comment means by the lyrics feeling "coded", because I think perhaps that might be a word I've been looking for when describing how I feel about such things. But I also think it's worth pointing out that one's 'immersion' in the lyrics is pretty subjective... we desire for music to 'speak to us' internally in a meaningful way and we generally term such things as 'poetic', but aside from literally processing the words as our ears hear them, the quality of that 'dialogue' depends on the singer to feel and then say something meaningful, but also upon the listener to hear and then feel something meaningful. And it's apparent that there's not a 1:1 relationship between what everyone considers meaningful.
Rebecca Sugar... Thank you for showing me that this exists. Fantastic!
Came here to exactly say the same ❤
THIS SONG IS CERTIFIED UNDERRATED
Thanks to the Steven Universe movie I found you guys, I'm so thankful!!! Awesome music!!!!
Independent together!!!!!
WE COUUUULDDD FLYYY
Outstanding Uncle Ed content!!
The contract's a joke,
but when you see smoke
You run toward the fire
'cause you must
They all called your name when the
crash finally came
Then left you to pick up the dust
I saw you walking in silence
down to the bridge
But nothing went over the side
So I guess to someone with your heritage
Withdrawal, like consent, is implied
And it's true - no one else will
do what you do
Volunteers of America, I'm calling you
What makes you feel you're less than ideal
If you can't get over it all?
That walk-away clause
can't be just because
You're mad at the Cross on the wall
Oh, and the last time I saw you, with
that hole in your side
I had to put my hand in to believe
Oh, but I couldn't meet
those elephant eyes
And you couldn't take time to grieve
And it's true - no one else
will do what you do
Volunteers of America, I'm calling you
With your thousand-yard stare
and your caretaker's hair
I guess we're not sleeping again
You're up there online,
building your shrine
A go-to solution that then
Come tomorrow, you'll tear down again
So bring out your poor,
your washed on the shore
Your refuse, your teeming depressed
You take them all in, 'cause that's
where you've been
A person who has to say "yes"
And every Sunday and Wednesday
you pay homage to
The naked and martyred and dead
Where every crypt tells the story,
the story of you
Where bodies aren't bodies, they're bread
And it's true - no one else
will do what you do
Volunteers of America, I'm calling you
so this is why opal and steg sounded good, THEYRE A DUO IRL
Late to the party but I love the Both!!!
Mahalo for sharing. :-)
This song is so dark, it's the "Born in the U.S.A." of its geenration.
Love this band!
She is such a great Musician singer song writer remember seeing her in a local club 1980 something
Is that Susanna Hoffs (the female guitarist/singer shown in the video)? She's always had that "beauty lit from within" quality about her and still has it.
Yes and and London May from Samhain in the mock band with her.
yeah!!!!
I didn’t notice it was her until she did the arm thing 😂 bangles signature move
My fav !!!!
Aimee can dance too!!!
Every crypt tells a story, the story of you, where bodies aren't bodies they're bread
Posies feeling here 150%
gringopig A little "frosting on the beater."
Here cuz of cbb. Cbb bump!!!
Verse 1: Ted Leo]
The contract's a joke
But when you see smoke
You run toward the fire 'cause you must
They all called your name when the crash finally came
Then left you to pick up the dust
I saw you walking in silence down to the bridge
But nothing went over the side
So I guess to someone with your heritage
Withdrawal, like consent, is implied
[Chorus: Aimee Mann & Ted Leo]
And it's true - no one else will do what you do
Volunteers of America, I'm calling you
[Verse 2: Aimee Mann]
What makes you feel you're less than ideal
If you can't get over it all?
That walk-away clause can't be just because
You're mad at the cross on the wall
Oh, and the last time I saw you, with hole in your side
I had to put my hand in to believe
Oh, but I couldn't meet those elephant eyes
And you couldn't take time to grieve
[Chorus: Aimee Mann & Ted Leo]
And it's true - no one else will do what you do
Volunteers of America, I'm calling you
[Bridge: Aimee Mann & Ted Leo]
With your thousand-yard stare
And your caretaker's hair
I guess we're not sleeping again
You're up there online, building your shrine
A go-to solution that then
Come tomorrow, you'll tear down again
[Verse 2: Ted Leo & Aimee Mann]
So bring out your poor
Your washed on the shore
Your refuse, your teeming depressed
You take them all in, 'cause that's where you've been
A person who has to say "yes"
And every Sunday and Wednesday
You pay homage to the naked and martyred and dead
Where every crypt tells the story, the story of you
Where bodies aren't bodies, they're bread
[Chorus: Aimee Mann & Ted Leo] x2
And it's true - no one else will do what you do
Volunteers of America, I'm calling you
SHARE THE LYRICS
“VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA” TRACK INFO
Produced ByPaul Bryan
Written ByTed Leo & Aimee Mann
Release Date2014
NEXT UP
Pay For It
THE BOTH

The Both (2014)THE BOTH
1. The Gambler
2. Milwaukee
3. No Sir
4. Volunteers of America
5. Pay For It
6. You Can't Help Me Now
7. The Prisoner
8. Hummingbird
9. Honesty Is No Excuse
10. Bedtime Stories
11. The Inevitable Shove
oh hell thats russ tumblyn
Voluntaryism ftw
Someone please explain what this song is about
Kind of random thoughts about a snapshot of a zeitgeist? Maybe? It feels like it's telling the truth about something, but I'm damned if I know what that is
I’ve wondered the same thing, my best guess is that it’s about self-styled martyr types but kinda jumps around describing different particular ones. I’m not confident in that interpretation at all but it’s the only thing I can get out of all of it together
9/11 first responders getting fucked over by the larger society, and Catholic faith encouraging them to hold it all in.
The first section seems to be about firefighters (maybe on 9/11?) The second part has a lot of religious imagery, which continues into the third segment, which seems to be more about food banks and other public-facing charities. It could all be some sort of metaphor I haven’t figured out yet, though.
missed opportunity on aimee and susanna hoffs making out while drunk in a wedding. dammit!
Amy makes alot of references to the Cross and Jesus Wonder if she believes in Christ
She seems to a little, but the references are because many first responders (particularly NYC on 9/11) were Catholic.
The lyrics don't register poetic so much as coded.
It's about Jesus, they're singing to Jesus.
@@tetsjin42 Doesn't feel that way to me, but OK. Maybe that's what makes it a great song.
i'm sort of curious what exactly this 6-year-old comment means by the lyrics feeling "coded", because I think perhaps that might be a word I've been looking for when describing how I feel about such things.
But I also think it's worth pointing out that one's 'immersion' in the lyrics is pretty subjective... we desire for music to 'speak to us' internally in a meaningful way and we generally term such things as 'poetic', but aside from literally processing the words as our ears hear them, the quality of that 'dialogue' depends on the singer to feel and then say something meaningful, but also upon the listener to hear and then feel something meaningful. And it's apparent that there's not a 1:1 relationship between what everyone considers meaningful.