submissions
| The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love 3 (Revenge!) Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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I don't know; the demonic children's chorus works too well in this one.
I like the less literal interpretation some of you have. It makes a lot of sense that the children represent the Rake's conscience and not actual ghost/zombie kids. The one thing that makes me stick to a literal interpretation, however, is the creepy carnival music. It seems to take the song beyond happening on the mind of the Rake and suggests something far more evil. |
submissions
| The Decemberists – Isn't It a Lovely Night? Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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Exactly. And for further evidence, I would imagine that if the baby were born, the narrators would specify a gender. Since they don't, it's likely that the baby is still int he womb. |
submissions
| The Decemberists – Won't Want for Love (Margaret in the Taiga) Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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You're misinterpreting the phrase "I won't want for love." Margaret doesn't mean that she does not want William's love, but that a child's love alone won't quell her need to be with William. She is seeking William out in the Taiga so that she 'won't want for love.'
And as for the narrator confusion...yes. Colin voices two different characters. The Rake refers to himself as the narrator in The Rake's Song because, you know, the song is a first person account of The Rake's past. |
submissions
| The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle the Thistles Undone) Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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The maidens aren't paid around to sit there, heh. The line is meant to highlight Margaret's longing for William. While all of the other maidens can do idle things to pass the time, Margaret is unable to do anything except think of William.
And I disagree with your notion that Margaret was raped. There's little to imply that that is the case, and Margaret willingly seeking William out suggests otherwise. |
submissions
| The Decemberists – Isn't It a Lovely Night? Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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To Kiko21: I don't think that the child is actually born by the end of the album. I interpret the whole thing as occuring over little more than a day (save for the few months between HoL 1 and Margaret going back to the Taiga). After all, William only asks for one night with his love. |
submissions
| The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned) Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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It's a bit tougher to figure out the context of this track, but my take is that after The Rake is haunted/killed by his children, Margaret and William escape back to the river. They try to cross, but the Annan Water sinks their boat. It could be that they were truly trying to return to the Taiga, but I like to think that since William made the deal with Annan Water to let him cross but not return, Margaret agreed to perish with him in the river. She would rather be with him in death than let him be taken by the Queen of the Taiga. |
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