| Vampire Weekend – Hannah Hunt Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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I think that on the surface this is about a relationship going through change for the worse, but I think there are hidden meanings. Why might the name Hannah Hunt be chosen? I have two possible explanantions, which are not mutually exclusive. 1.) The name Hannah has biblical significance. In the Book of Samuel, Hannah is unable to conceive with her husband, so she prays "with great weeping". She asks god to give her a son, and in return she would give the son to priests. In this sense, the first verse "A gardener told me some plants move, but I could not believe it Til me and Hannah Hunt saw crawling vines and weeping willows" Hannah realizes things can change, and "weeps" while praying to god. Potentially the protagonist here is her husband, who is largely unaware. The second verse: "A man of faith said hidden eyes could see what I was thinking I just smiled and told him that was only true of Hannah" In the Book of Samuel, Eli the High Priest heard Hannah pray and told her that her prayers would be answered. Eli in this case is the man of faith with hidden eyes. "Freezing beaches" and "kindling for the fire" later could also reference Hannah's fertility. On top of all that, I think that the more obvious interpretation of a fleeting love could be applied in this religious context. Hannah in this case is his relationship with religion. In this case, the protagonist and his relationship with religion start off steady, but once he learns more about the world (plants moving) he gets suspicious, and starts to beleive a little bit less (doesn't believe God can see what he is thinking). But at this point the protagonist doesn't fully oppose the idea of religion. "We got our own sense of time" could be referencing the difference between the known age of the earth vs. catholosisms take on the matter. I"n Santa Barbara, Hannah cried, 'I miss those freezing beaches.' I walked into town to buy some kindling for the fire Hannah tore the New York Times up into pieces" Tries to make his relationship with religion better, but then Hannah tearing the New York Times into pieces could symbolize religion's take on new information and science. This idea enrages the protagonist, after which point he flips out in his emotional verse, now confident in his beliefs. |
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| Vampire Weekend – Hannah Hunt Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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I agree totally with your interpretation of the flow of the song, but I'd like to add a potential metaphor: The "New York Times" that were mentioned towards the end might also mean the times him and Hannah spent in New York prior to the changes that occurred. This would mean Hannah is now trying to forget the past. that's my two cents anyway |
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| Vampire Weekend – Obvious Bicycle Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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You being up some interesting points. I agree think the line: "From a house you didn't build you can't control" has some sort of political importance, whether that be the white house or the house of representatives (maybe referencing a difference between house majority and presidential affiliation, and thus a lack of control) or the country itself (maybe he's referencing the viewpoint that many of the US's founding principles are not in line with those of today). I never thought about the direct reference of Bush leaving the white house, and though your thoughts makes sense, I can't imagine a song being written about such a specific topic. I think displeasure with government in general is a more likely topic. Also, I think this is a great introduction to the album. You get the slow, build-up sort of feeling. I think the repetition of the word listen is emphasized to get the listener to think critically and REALLY listen, both to the album, and what's going on in the news. |
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