| The Decemberists – Cutting Stone Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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The only reference to a cutting stone I can find is Hippocrates' proscription to physicians in ancient Greece not to “cut for stone,” or to do more harm by cutting into a patient. As I read through the lyrics, I wonder if the cutting stone is knowledge? In a way, it can "cut through" wire, wood and bone. You'll always have it and you can teach others so you can "Cut my cutting stone in two." You'd do this especially after reflecting over all the works you've accomplished. Knowledge may be the wrong idea exactly, but it seems like something mental, exterior to the person. "Whether wild or whether won" could be different ways of learning. You just understood it intuitively (wild) or you learn it through effort (won). "Cutting stone fear me none" could be anthropomorphizing knowledge, a call for it to not escape you. "I'll cut you down, my cutting stone" is questioning what you know, cutting down what doesn't or hasn't worked. It could also be doubt in one's own understanding. Only new knowledge can cut down old knowledge. The child is abandoned, he raises the child and his knowledge "did the rest" as in took care of them. Now this is where I kind of want a word other than knowledge. It kind of works, but wisdom would be better. The suitor weeps and he consoles him. Again, cold knowledge doesn't feel quite right, but wisdom could. It could also be some philosophy that helps the suitor. I could be wrong but it seems to fit. |
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| The Decemberists – Rusalka, Rusalka/Wild Rushes Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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I get a slightly different vibe between the two sides of this song. In the first, the thing that strikes me is the line "As I lulled and lingered, the ring slipped my finger". Why does a man usually wear a ring that would be significant in this case? He's married. His attitude is different than in wild rushes. He's happy to "die" for his new "bride". My simple interpretation is a man unhappy in marriage, who is happy to die. I'm not sure death is literal here though. It might just mean the end of what his life was if you want to have an open interpretation. In wild rushes, the young man is foolish. He doesn't know what's about to happen. He doesn't know what he's getting into. In this case, if you want a more open interpretation, it ends a simple childlike state, he can't undo what happens, be that pregnancy or disease or maybe just emotional harm from a terrible relationship. Actually, this may not even be in reference to sexual temptation at all. It could be any alluring idea or situation that will cause ruin in the end. There are promises made to the young man, but the subject using to tempt him (sex) is in theory never delivered. That means that whomever or whatever is tempting him has no intention of giving him what he wants. Traditionally this situation is warning young men not to sin. In this case "the sin is sweeter" is explicitly referenced but I doubt Colin would mean it in the traditional sense. I have to imagine sin here is meaning indulgence that leads to harm. |
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| The Decemberists – Rox in the Box Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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"On the wrong side of the lee" A Lee is a silver mine, and silver is sometimes mined from granite so my guess is this is a silver mine. I'm not sure what it means to be on the "wrong side" of a silver mine would be. Entering from the wrong entrance? On the management's bad side? One side had an accident and you're on the wrong side? |
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