"Coxcomb Red" as written by and Jason Molina....
And I wanted that heat so bad
I could taste the fire on your breath
And I wanted in your storm so bad
I could taste the lightning on your breath
I watched you hold the son in your arms while he bled to death
He grew so pale next to you
The world is so pale next to you
Your hair is coxcomb red, your eyes are viper black
Your hair is coxcomb red, your eyes are viper black
You said every road is a good road
Between the next road and your last road
Every love is your best love and every love is your last love
And every kiss is a goodbye
And every kiss is a goodbye
I watched you hold the son in your arms while he bled to death
He grew so pale next to you
The world is so pale next to you
Your hair is coxcomb red, your eyes are viper black
Your hair is coxcomb red, your eyes are viper black
Your hair is coxcomb red, your eyes are viper black
I could taste the fire on your breath
And I wanted in your storm so bad
I could taste the lightning on your breath
I watched you hold the son in your arms while he bled to death
He grew so pale next to you
The world is so pale next to you
Your hair is coxcomb red, your eyes are viper black
Your hair is coxcomb red, your eyes are viper black
You said every road is a good road
Between the next road and your last road
Every love is your best love and every love is your last love
And every kiss is a goodbye
And every kiss is a goodbye
I watched you hold the son in your arms while he bled to death
He grew so pale next to you
The world is so pale next to you
Your hair is coxcomb red, your eyes are viper black
Your hair is coxcomb red, your eyes are viper black
Your hair is coxcomb red, your eyes are viper black
Lyrics submitted by weezerific:cutlery, edited by rocky3048
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The first four lines speak to an immense almost physically painful wanting, that seems to have come to fruition via a kiss, as the narrator could "taste the lightning" on his love objects breath.
The next two lines serve to "Madonna-fy" the love object, or put this person on the same pedestal one would place the virgin Mary. In western cultures The Son often refers to Christ, which would be consistent with the Madonna imagery. The fact that the love object is brighter to the narrator than the light of the son of god (He grew so pale next to you) is the narrator placing his love object before his own god, or primary religious figure.
I agree with the idea that this love object, while beautiful with their vibrant red hair, is also somewhat dangerous and mysterious with their viper black eyes. The narrator submits himself to this dangerous beauty, accepting the danger if it must come. These stark colour contracts also serve to elevate the narrators lover over his pale god and the pale world.
The narrators lover goes on to speak in vague ambiguities, saying things like "every road is a good road, between the next road and your last road" but then "Every love is your best love and every love is your last love". This is an indication that this love object is incredibly fickle, or not permanently attached to any one person or situation. They blow in on the wind and out just as quickly on the breeze. Then they say "Every kiss is a goodbye". It is safe to assume that the kiss the narrator and love object had at the beginning of the song was a kiss that will bear no fruit.
"every love is your best love... every kiss is a goodbye"
as powerful of a line as it is I would hardly us it to define the meaning behind the song.
Rather, the chorus itself tells us all we need to know. this song (IMHO) is about a woman. A beautiful (coxcomb red) yet poisonous (viper black) woman. This woman has slighted our narrator obviously as evinced by the tone of the song. Yet the tone and supporting lyrics seem to support the notion that he has both learned something significant from this failed and traumatic relationship yet moved on nonetheless.
And although the narrator seems to have moved on he cannot seem to let go. it seems as if this was a recent love (tense based: "your hair is...your eyes are" as opposed to "your hair was...your eyes were"). The impression of this phantomesque succubus haunts him.
I cannot place my finger on it but this song delights and haunts me. The tone and lyrics are incredible. I am truly sad that such a singing/songwriting powerhouse has left us.
Things won't ever be the same since the loss of their child, so they part ways- but they will always love each other.
These are images burned into his mind that he can't forget, the first then last moments he spent with the woman he thought would become his family and grow old together with.
But life took them down a different road.
And every road is a good road.
I had a more clear idea of the song, until I read that it is "the son", than I do now. These interpretations are great, but what does the son represent if it's not literal; like the miscarriage idea? Is the son Jesus?