I have snipped your wingspan,
My precious captive swan.
Here, all clipped of kickstand
Your spirit won't last long.

Don't you lift a finger.
Don't you snap and jaw.
Limber limbs akimbo,
Restful rubbing raw

Oh my own true love!
Oh my own true love!
Can you hear me love?
Can you hear me love?

Don't hold out for rescue.
None can hear your call,
Till I have wrest and wrecked you
Behind these fortress walls.

Oh my own true love!
Oh my own true love!
Can you hear me love?
Can you hear me love?


Lyrics submitted by MarcelLionheart

Margaret In Captivity Lyrics as written by Colin Meloy

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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Margaret in Captivity song meanings
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9 Comments

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  • +4
    General Comment

    "don't you snap and jaw" = don't you get smart and talk back to me now that I've kidnapped you fair and square, honestly, woman, you'd think you had a mind of your own instead of just being an object to be sexed and fought over.

    Kitronaon September 12, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    As a pop song this wouldn't work at all, but as a piece on the album I think it does just fine. In particular, this (along w/ "The Wanting Comes In Waves/Repaid") highlight Colin's vocal talent: it's hard to distill a whole character into a manner of singing, but you can very clearly hear the rake coming through and this song.

    I am a little weirded out by the reference to kickstands, though - it smacks as anachronistic, but I probably shouldn't be complaining about that when he sets the story near three landmarks that are not really anywhere near each other.

    larrynivenon April 09, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    In "won't want for love" when Margaret looking for William. William yells "Oh my own true love, Can you hear me love?" same as here: William looking for Margaret and this time Margaret yells "Oh my own true love, Can you hear me love?"

    anfalason May 14, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    not my favorite song on the album but always good to hear maragaret sing!

    carolinda583on April 01, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Loooooooove Colin's voice in this one... love how his voice kind of "breaks" on "raw" and "long." Really cool vocal trick I wish I could pull off... Michael Stipe of R.E.M. is good at it, too. :P

    SkylinePigeonon May 06, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song kinda makes me nervous. Along with "Having clamped her innocent fingers in fetters", I think that, rather than just restrain her (fetters=cuffs), the Rake beat her so severely that she was too weak to struggle. Literally all she could do was call for help. Argh.

    "Clipped of kickstand"... while the feel of the songs make me think that the Rake broke her fingers/legs so she can't run away, a kickstand is basically just a support. Translation: I have taken you far from any support/protection, and you're at my mercy.

    Yubi Shineson August 09, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Of course the rake beat the hell out of her he killed his own three children completely dispassionately. As for Rake=William theories they still hold no water in the entire course of events. By saying Rake is William you ignore that the Rake crossed the Annan Water in The Crossing and William crossed in Annan Water...it would be pretty but it doesn't hold up

    witeshadoon November 30, 2009   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation

    I think this song goes really well with the novel, Girl of the Limberlost by Gene-Stratton Porter. I wonder if the Decemberists were inspired by it?

    I have snipped your wingspan My precious captive swan

    Goes really well with the book since the heroine hunts rare moths to pay for school

    Limber Limbs akimbo....

    Ok, this part just goes really good since the title has 'Limberlost' in it.

    The only detail I noticed was that there is a character in the book named Margaret.

    queercaton July 08, 2011   Link
  • -1
    My Interpretation

    i think the guy that raped her has captured her again and so she is willing him to save her, for she knows before too long, she is going to be pregnant again

    elementofdreamson June 07, 2009   Link

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