In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
And the water takes hold
Fills his lungs and crushes his body
Dust floats through sun in water
As you draw close
Fall to me
He sees like his never seen before
I will carry you
True and Free
And the water carries him away
Now that you are here
You'll swim with me
Soon he ceases to be at all
I am clutching you
True
He sees like he's never seen before
He is light in water
Fills his lungs and crushes his body
Dust floats through sun in water
As you draw close
Fall to me
He sees like his never seen before
I will carry you
True and Free
And the water carries him away
Now that you are here
You'll swim with me
Soon he ceases to be at all
I am clutching you
True
He sees like he's never seen before
He is light in water
Lyrics submitted by Disposition_987
Carry Lyrics as written by Aaron Turner Aaron Harris
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Page
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I could be entirely wrong, but it seems these lyrics suggest some kind of trancidental experience in water. To me, it seems as though the subject is drowning, though it is not a painful or frightening experience. Rather they are changing, becoming a spiritual entity. At first I thought the narrative of this song was from the point of view of a female, a lover perhaps. However, I don't think that is the case. I think the narrative is from an omniscient perspective, though sometimes slips into the water's (itself) point of view.
The subject is obviously in the water, he is drowning "The water takes hold, Fills his lungs and crushes his body."
The next bit speaks of his departure from his current self in the water, leaving his burderns and becoming true and free. You almost get the feel the subject is englightened by this experience. "He sees like he's never seen before. I will carry you true and free."
The next bit is final stage of the experience. He dies, and he becomes unrestricted. The truth, freedom. "Soon he ceases to be at all"
The last two lines seem to me, the most profound. The use of current tense in "he sees like he never sees before" indicates that he is still 'alive'. (Another suggestion of a trancidental experience). It also shows that he percieves in an entirely new way, adding to the feeling of enlightenment. "He is light in water" emphasises this. He is a new being, he is unrestricted, true and free - he is light in water.
Sorry for the long post. This isn't based on anything I have read or heard, so it could be entirely wrong. This is simply what it means to me. PS: it would be good getting a few more ISIS fans to respond to a bit on this site.
i think viscus is definately on the right track.. here are some thoughts i had upon re-reading these lyrics however:
"And the water carries him away Now that you are here You'll swim with me Soon he ceases to be at all I am clutching you True"
to me this part of the lyrics implies that the song is about three people: him, his girlfriend, and her brother. It seems as if the narrator, so to speak, is rescuing this girl from her incestous past, and causing her brother to see her in a different light (as a beautiful woman, being loved, rather than some kind of a sex object for his own pleasure)
the line: "The water carries him away, now you're here with me" suggests that the narrator is re-assuring the woman that she is safe with him now ("you'll swim with me, soon he ceases to be at all, I am clutching you) and soon her brother will mean nothing to her.
The water that is talked about could be a metaphor for both the world as a sink or swim kind of place, or for emotional life which is similiar. when you look at the kind of things that life takes us through in a dreamlike way, and in a shortened or truncated view, our existence can appear very fluid.
just my interpretation
@mechanical_predator where do you get the brother aspect from?? And the incestuous past??<br /> <br /> I personally don't see any of that in the song, but each to their own
If every band was as insanely amazing as Isis, then the entire Earth would ascend to Heaven.
And Jesus would be there, rocking out.
I made an account just so that I could say that I fully agree with the post made above.<br /> <br /> F*** yes SteelRiverSavior. Absolutely<br />
That would be sweet. Sadly it won't happen. :(
Viewing the protagonist's death from the perspective of the sea.
@DoctorBrain I agree more so with this interpretation than others. The narrator appears to be the ocean and is welcoming the death of a man (in effect carrying them, hence the song's title).
I like how many different interpretations there are for what's going on lyrically, throughout this album. I've heard everything from experiencing the divine, to the subject being a sort of mediator in the creation of the world.
I think it's got just as much to do with what's beyond, as what's close and familiar to us. There's a lot of language indicating familiarity, with being able to "clutch", "carry", "hold", etc., or the desire for something like that. But, we're thinking so much about what's beyond our grasp, in terms of higher powers and such, as if everything in our world is easily attainable. It can be anything from an unattainable goal, to an unattainable person.
Also, the "depth" of emotions, if you catch my drift. If anything, Oceanic could even be seen as an exploration of the self!
Wow. Enough said.
He sees like he never sees before He is light in water
Therein lies the meaning... Freedom , knowledge
His only escape and only true love was once the woman but when he found out about her and her brother he finds clarity in the state of drowning.
@walruspancakes how? where? nothing in the song suggests anything remotely like this too me.
fantastic song
I completely agree SteelRiverSavior. Absolutely.
As for the song, I very much enjoyed reading Viscus' explanation. I think that is extremely interesting and well thought out.
My original interpretation was at how the narrator is the "truth." And how humans are constantly being stifled by the throws, twists, and turns in life.
"And the water takes hold Fills his lungs and crushes his body"
Constantly the soul is being torn from its original purpose. Man constantly becomes overwhelmed by the influences that conquer every day life.
"Dust floats through sun and water" is a line that adds on to this. The dust representing the mystery of life and how we can't seem to find the "truth."
Then, the narrator says that you truly can see through the dust. That the truth is there, waiting for you.
"And the water carries him away Now that you are here You'll swim with me"
These three lines represent to me that the negative influences are still there, pushing him away from the truth. But now that he had a glimpse of the truth, he will go against the current and swim with it (the truth).
"He sees like he never sees before He is light in water"
The last lines to me mean: he sees the truth. The light is so bright, that even through dust floating in water, he is able to see what is important in life. Forever.
... FFFFOOOORREEEEVVVVEERRRRRR (:P Gotta love the Sandlot)