| The Handsome Family – The Giant of Illinois Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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To me this is one of the most beautiful and saddest songs I've ever heard. Aside from the literal connection to Robert Wadlow... the song strikes me as poetic in a way that I don't think I've experienced before. The first verse, a man so engrossed in his care for the lowest of birds (pigeons) that he does not even tend to his own pain. A penance of sorts. Dies in his duty, comforted so very deeply in the end by the eternal, who like a mother forgives him his sin. The second verse, a child, who meets a friend who leads him astray to commit a deep sin, to kill the most beautiful of birds. And even though they could have lived in indulgence after that, the child realizes what he did was wrong, but in realizing this, the eternal, who like a mother, comforts him and gives him his duty (to right his wrong). What I love about the song is how the first verse is actually the chronological future, and the second is the past, and how it just all ties in so nicely and so beautifully and sadly. And how much pain you feel for the swan. And how sometimes you live with something wrong you did for the rest of your life. But that there is a comfort that it can somehow be righted. |
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| Bon Iver – Brackett, WI Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| Thank you so much for clarifying and thank you for writing and playing such beautiful music! | |
| Bon Iver – Brackett, WI Lyrics | 16 years ago |
| I mean, *hear. | |
| Bon Iver – Brackett, WI Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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FUN to try to understand what he's actually singing! It's a pretty cryptic song. I don't understand where the whole "Slow bending axe" thing came from... I can't here the X sound when he says it. It sounds more like sh or s. Steam bending is a technique of wood bending for furniture (ie. a sitting swing)... and ash is an ideal type of wood often bent. I wouldn't be surprised if I was way off on this though. A pinion is another word for "wing" or "feather"... ie. a bird that might fly away. A twitch, may be an indication of restlessness. Again, a shot in the dark. I think there may be some juxtaposition between the "hot token" and the cold coined take of us. Tokens are usually a reminder of something, but are also in the form of a coin. Perhaps used in the "Business of sadness". Really I don't know. As for the last verse... I have no ideas on what he's talking about there! But I did listen to the sounds carefully (with my good earphones) and I heard this: An easy swing, had its time showing slow bended ash now it's a photo fit the swing hasn't had it and here we are rebuilding roads ride by roosting towns it's just like the love the one that's never been enough so I'm counting on your fingers cause you've reattached the twitch, and if you grow a pinion I will die along the ditches and every summer is a hot token to the cold coined take of us and every autumn singes with the business of sadness "fred had it wrong" they sing honey had it burned now the curve in the county is their reserve so I'm counting on your fingers cause you've reattached the twitch, and if you grow a pinion I will die along the ditches |
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| Midlake – kingfish pies Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I thought it was about sweatshops. and making kingfish pies. |
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| Handsome Furs – Hearts of Iron Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I saw these guys at a show in December 07, and the guy actually explained the story behind this song. He said it was about going through a divorce as a kid and he was living with his dad after and he made them breakfast... I think he explained it better than I can. hah. the lyrics go "Dad broke them all..." Referring to the eggs his dad made in the morning. I guess I read too deeply into it! |
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| Handsome Furs – Hearts of Iron Lyrics | 18 years ago |
| sorry listened to it again. The line in the second verse should be "WHEN that's a dream" | |
| Handsome Furs – Hearts of Iron Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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the first verse is about those birds that lay their egg in other birds' nests. And their egg hatches first among the other bird's eggs, and destroys them prematurely. But one of them survives. Not sure about the second verse exactly. But the person who wakes up and seems to be surrounded by these "iron" birds. And the last little bit, I suppose suggesting "we" are/have been the iron birds. Just an interpretation I suppose. |
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| Handsome Furs – Hearts of Iron Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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I am hearing this: "six eggs were gold and one was iron that broke them all and left you lying in bed in a bed of moss very very small who thought the sea could make her belly swell? in a bad dream you wake and pace the hall and spittin' golden seeds there's iron brothers and that's a dream nothing matters at all at all at all nothing matters at all at all at all la la la la la la la la when did we grow old in hearts of iron when did we grow old in hearts of iron (naked?) when did we grow old in hearts of iron when did we grow old in hearts of iron" |
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| Woven Hand – Story And Pictures Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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In the original version on the self-titled album there is also another verse in there before the second chorus, after "idle hands they rust": i could hear the daylight coming i could hear the darkness go out of sight and out of mind if only it was so Also in the last verse it is "rich in mercy and brotherly love" in this original version as well. |
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