submissions
| The Decemberists – The Island: Come and See; The Landlord's Daughter; You'll Not Feel the Drowning Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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I do not think you'll find a coherent meaning to fit all three sections of the song. Like several of my comments have said in other decemberists songs (and maybe im just taking the easy way out), I think it's chock full of emotionally suggestive material rather than logical sense-making stuff. There's a definite movement from forboding to menace to a twisted love/regret sorta thing, and i appreciate it as is with that. Decemberists albums really are albums and not some compilation of songs; they always seem to head in a path when you listen through them. The Island takes me alot of places and works really well in conjunction with the rest of the album. That's what I grab from it. |
submissions
| The Decemberists – The Mariner's Revenge Song Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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I love getting into the delightful (if immoral) satisfaction of exacting revenge sorta thing, as most people probably do from this song. To unfortunately cut out alot of the fun of the song, it really does advise against revenge. The mariner is in the whale too, and though he might not get tortured, he's going to be slowly and lovingly digested, which ain't much better. There's the whole part about living on the street, wrapped up in his grief, and his rejected chance at a new, spiritual start, what with being taken in by a priory. You kinda have to realize how much the poor kid has given up in order to finally carry out his (and his insane mother's) revenge. |
submissions
| The Decemberists – The Infanta Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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I think the speaker is sarcastic about much of this, but he does feel genuinely sorry for the innocent little babe who is about to get wrapped up in this life of materialism, jealousy, and scandal. |
submissions
| The Decemberists – Summersong Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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I never thought the death imagery was quite literal. death like, eh, quickly killing off the days of summer, summer's own death, things (like the romance) coming to an end in general. Slipping into a grave, slipping to sleep, all of that indicates a kind of peacefulness and sense of eternity, which will strike anyone who has laid in the embrace of a romantic interest (or maybe just me) as pretty familiar. I agree with an earlier comment: the song is like "Summer Nights" in Grease, with that sweet, sad rememberance of a summer romance.
I must disagree with anyone who thinks that the decemberists are losing their lyrical edge. There was a great deal of complex, intellectual word choice in songs like "coccoon" on previous albums that now seems to be disappearing. Such words screamed, "hello, look at me! I am deep!" And they were deep, of course. But this. The contrasting imagery of vitality, radiance, drowning, and death explored in this song, the close correlation of love and destruction that only successfully gets explored by the best of poets. There is ALOT at work here.
Decemberists lyrics aren't becoming weaker. They're becoming more subtle. |
submissions
| The Decemberists – Sons and Daughters Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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first thing- if you listen closely, you can hear him saying, "they" before "fade away." uncharacteristically bad enunciation from colin meloy.
This amaaaaazing song (i arranged it for an a capella group i'm in by the way. we havent learned it yet though.) seems pretty tragically idealistic. But maybe not. At any rate, it's promising a new life and a new world, and this time, THIS TIME, finally escaping all sorts of hardship and vice. really creating a paradise. I can't tell if it's an unfortunate lie parents might tell their children (almost seems like sending them off to war to die) or a real glimpse at a new eden. I would suggest listening to songs like "upon this tidal wave of young blood" by clap your hands say yeah and "california one/youth and beauty brigade" by you-know-who in conjunction with this song. Maybe while simultaneously reading the last few pages of The Great Gatsby. |
submissions
| The Decemberists – Song for Myla Goldberg Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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Definitely don't find a coherent meaning myself. But the words kinda take you somewhere emotionally regardless, huh? I think it has to do with youthful insecurities, daydreams, and wanting to grow up quicker than you ought to. The sing-songiness of the lyrics really seems to support the general silly, young, idyllic atmosphere. |
submissions
| The Decemberists – Shiny Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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the guy certainly seems disgusted with the girl by the end of it. Seems to me she's not so much on the fidelity thing. I still need to figure out the killing jar bit.
As far as the shinyness goes, I think... shiny is sort of in reference to naivete. Like shiny-eyed and innocent. Also, I reckon someone's shiny eyes would appear beautiful, entrancing, interesting, etc. So he's basically contemptuously asking her, how, through all her teasing and lying and experience with men, she is able to maintain the facade, even in her eyes, of not being jaded and such. |
submissions
| The Decemberists – Red Right Ankle Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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Clearly, the song makes a sort of universal sense that everyone can apply what they want to it. It is definitely a song that can change your life for the better.
For me, it seems about family. Specifically, it seems to be for a mother. The boys loving the subject of the song in the past tense, combined with the skin shedding, suggests to me that the subject has passed away. So the song is a musical eulogy in which the speaker is one of the sons who tries to summarize the story of his mother's life honestly yet lovingly, exploring her patience and love for her sons (he now seems to regret how he used to hurt her), her (and many family's) desire to keep family secrets private, and of course, the natural, inevitable bond of family members. Beautiful. |
submissions
| The Decemberists – Odalisque Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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I read sylvia plath's poem "lady lazarus" in english class and it really struck me with its parallels to this song. I suggest looking it up somewhere. Plenty of nazi references, feeling objectified/violated by men, mentions being wrapped in linen if memory serves.
"Railroad cul de sac:" the end of the line of a railroad train basically. Nazi concentration camps? dunno.
I don't personally think the song is intended to have a coherent story or meaning. I think it introduces disturbing, emotionally suggestive imagery to sort of take the soul on a little ride. |
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