This song is obviously about death and acceptance.
"And I could never tell as a kid
What that window door went to
Only told to stay away
I almost had an accident at age 6
When I found the key in the attic"
An early incident in the protagonists life, he describes his curiosity as a child.
"And now the smell of these wood frames
Is the only sense I've left"
The protagonist has passed on.
"So as you pull me from the bed
Tell me I look stunning and cadaverous"
The protagonist is being moved from the bed where he died.
"And since you are my friend
I would ask that you lower me down slow"
(into the ground)
"And tell the man in the black cloak
He doesn't need to trouble his good soul
With those latin conjugations"
The priest doesn't need to read passages at the ceremony etc.
"And if it's all the same to them
You should tell your gathering friends
Please not to purse their faces grim
On such a lovely sunday"
Tell the people at the funeral not to feel sad the protagonist has passed away and ruin a nice day.
"Don't fix my smile, life is long enough"
Fixing his smile refers to when a body is staged to look peaceful and at rest at an open casket ceremony. He says not to do that, because they don't have to. He truly is at peace already.
"We will put this flesh into the ground again"
The protagonist is being buried.
This is such a beautiful song, and one that I hope will be played at my funeral one day.
This song is obviously about death and acceptance.
"And I could never tell as a kid What that window door went to Only told to stay away I almost had an accident at age 6 When I found the key in the attic"
An early incident in the protagonists life, he describes his curiosity as a child.
"And now the smell of these wood frames Is the only sense I've left"
The protagonist has passed on.
"So as you pull me from the bed Tell me I look stunning and cadaverous"
The protagonist is being moved from the bed where he died.
"And since you are my friend I would ask that you lower me down slow"
(into the ground)
"And tell the man in the black cloak He doesn't need to trouble his good soul With those latin conjugations"
The priest doesn't need to read passages at the ceremony etc.
"And if it's all the same to them You should tell your gathering friends Please not to purse their faces grim On such a lovely sunday"
Tell the people at the funeral not to feel sad the protagonist has passed away and ruin a nice day.
"Don't fix my smile, life is long enough"
Fixing his smile refers to when a body is staged to look peaceful and at rest at an open casket ceremony. He says not to do that, because they don't have to. He truly is at peace already.
"We will put this flesh into the ground again"
The protagonist is being buried.
This is such a beautiful song, and one that I hope will be played at my funeral one day.