This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Take my sword from the slaughter.
Melt it down into vapor, and my armor too.
I hear hot blood flap and flutter
from your temple to shoulder,
and all through you.
When you hold on to me it isn't easy.
When you hold on to me it isn't fair.
But when there's no key you find me there.
Find me there, find me there.
I'm turning white, I'm leaves of paper.
Turn my hands from this labor and lift me through.
When you hold onto me it isn't easy,
but you should hold on to me, it isn't fair,
but when there's no key you find me there.
Find me there, find me there.
And kids get lost, lambs out wandering.
And bigger, blacker things come calling
from outside a tiny garden
somebody once laid their hearts on.
And kids get lost, and kids get broken.
And their diaries get found and opened.
And their legs get led astray,
and then they lie inside some secret place
where the sun looks in the open ceiling.
And kids grow up, and kids stop feeling
kids, and feel adults, and face away.
But in last love dreams,
the lost and passed out of this world are softly sighing.
They're trying to decide if they should leave the things that keep them crying.
And some will rise and keep on living with open eyes, with minds forgiven.
The river's flowing is arrested and resumed after they've blessed it
over and over and over, and over and over and over, and over again. x4
It's over. x4
Melt it down into vapor, and my armor too.
I hear hot blood flap and flutter
from your temple to shoulder,
and all through you.
When you hold on to me it isn't easy.
When you hold on to me it isn't fair.
But when there's no key you find me there.
Find me there, find me there.
I'm turning white, I'm leaves of paper.
Turn my hands from this labor and lift me through.
When you hold onto me it isn't easy,
but you should hold on to me, it isn't fair,
but when there's no key you find me there.
Find me there, find me there.
And kids get lost, lambs out wandering.
And bigger, blacker things come calling
from outside a tiny garden
somebody once laid their hearts on.
And kids get lost, and kids get broken.
And their diaries get found and opened.
And their legs get led astray,
and then they lie inside some secret place
where the sun looks in the open ceiling.
And kids grow up, and kids stop feeling
kids, and feel adults, and face away.
But in last love dreams,
the lost and passed out of this world are softly sighing.
They're trying to decide if they should leave the things that keep them crying.
And some will rise and keep on living with open eyes, with minds forgiven.
The river's flowing is arrested and resumed after they've blessed it
over and over and over, and over and over and over, and over again. x4
It's over. x4
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why hast this song no comments?! it is quite possibly the most rockin' okkervil river song ever.
this song is really nice, his little stream of consciousness at the end is amazing
I love this song, and find it a perfect (albeit puzzling) coda to the Black Sheep Boy saga. I'm going to post a bit of the Pitchfork review of this, in the hopes of shedding some light...
"He repeats the lyrics from "Missing Children", but in a different context-- not merely with a faster tempo, but also with a more foreboding gravity that has accrued meaning and significance over these seven songs. This recurrence completes a small cycle that begins with "Missing Children", as well as a larger cycle that encompasses the entire Black Sheep Boy project, one that laments the loss of possibilities as lambs become lost rams and children become "numb" adults. Okkervil River end "Last Love Song for Now" singing "over and over and over and over" until Sheff declares, "It's over." Whether that's the band's victory cry or an admission of defeat is undeterminable."
I only disagree with the last sentence - I think the "over and over" repetition is triumphant; the death of the BSB cathartic. We've left the things that keep us crying, and faced away from the self-destruction and nihilism. The missing children have become found adults.
I do not hear either victory or defeat in his voice or this song. I see a statement of fact.
When you hold onto me it isn’t easy, but you should hold on to me. It isn’t fair, but when there’s no key you find me there.
My current state of mind.