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A Spindle, a Darkness, a Fever, and a Necklace Lyrics
"So long everything!" he shouted
Then he ran next door to Margot's house
"I'm moving," he said
"Where?" asked Margot
"Two weeks away," he said
"Mitchell, where is that?" asked Margot
"It's everywhere I will be after I walk for two weeks," said Mitchell, "I have lived in the same place for a long time, it is time for me to go someplace else"
"No," said Margot, "You have only lived next door for fifteen years"
"Sixteen," said Mitchell
"Fifteen, sixteen. What's the difference?" said Margot, "I want you to stay next door forever"
"I can't," said Mitchell, " I do not want to go wake up in the same old bed and eat breakfast in the same old kitchen. Every room in my house is the same old room, because I have lived there too long"
You turn on a spindle
You are so much looser now
But you’re not explaining how
You gained such new repose
I touch the clasp of your locket
With its picture held
Some secret you wouldn’t tell
But let it choke your neck
So we imagine a darkness
Where all shapes divide
Solids changing into light
With a burst of heat so bright
Well fine, don’t you do what I want you to
Don’t degrade yourself the way I do
Because you don’t depend on all the shit
That I use to make my moods improve
"And you look at me and think, same old face, same old tail, same old scales, same old walk, same old talk," said Margot
"No," said Mitchell, "I like your face, tail, scales, walk and talk. I like you"
"I like, like, like you"
"I like, like, like you too," said Mitchell
He walked through the door
"I must pack," he said
Near a sea of pianos
There were waves of chords
That crashed against the shore
In one huge and useless roar
And there were girls bringing water
Like a dream they came
To cool the fever of my brain
And soothe my burning throat
And they made me a necklace
Hanging beads of sweat
On a string of my regrets
And placed it around my neck
And they were singing
"Don’t you do what you’ve wanted to
Yeah, don’t destroy yourself
Like those cowards do
And maybe the sun keeps coming up
Because it has gotten used to you
And your constant need for proof"
Then he ran next door to Margot's house
"I'm moving," he said
"Where?" asked Margot
"Two weeks away," he said
"Mitchell, where is that?" asked Margot
"It's everywhere I will be after I walk for two weeks," said Mitchell, "I have lived in the same place for a long time, it is time for me to go someplace else"
"No," said Margot, "You have only lived next door for fifteen years"
"Sixteen," said Mitchell
"Fifteen, sixteen. What's the difference?" said Margot, "I want you to stay next door forever"
"I can't," said Mitchell, " I do not want to go wake up in the same old bed and eat breakfast in the same old kitchen. Every room in my house is the same old room, because I have lived there too long"
You are so much looser now
But you’re not explaining how
You gained such new repose
I touch the clasp of your locket
With its picture held
Some secret you wouldn’t tell
But let it choke your neck
So we imagine a darkness
Where all shapes divide
Solids changing into light
With a burst of heat so bright
Well fine, don’t you do what I want you to
Don’t degrade yourself the way I do
Because you don’t depend on all the shit
That I use to make my moods improve
"No," said Mitchell, "I like your face, tail, scales, walk and talk. I like you"
"I like, like, like you"
"I like, like, like you too," said Mitchell
He walked through the door
"I must pack," he said
There were waves of chords
That crashed against the shore
In one huge and useless roar
And there were girls bringing water
Like a dream they came
To cool the fever of my brain
And soothe my burning throat
And they made me a necklace
Hanging beads of sweat
On a string of my regrets
And placed it around my neck
And they were singing
"Don’t you do what you’ve wanted to
Yeah, don’t destroy yourself
Like those cowards do
And maybe the sun keeps coming up
Because it has gotten used to you
And your constant need for proof"
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"Don’t degrade yourself the way I do because you don’t depend on all the shit that I use to make my moods improve."
another personal favorite.
I love the line "And they made me a nacklance, hanging beads of sweat on a string of my regrets, and placed it round my neck. . ." It is like they are making something beautiful out of all the bad things that have happened to him. I love Fevers and Mirrors. There is so much imagery in it.
@popnoir @popnoir i had the same reaction about that part of the song. And later thought a bit more about it and correlated it to the line earlier in the song that talk about the locket. " a secret that she would tell, but she let it choke her neck" or something like that. So yes they are making something beautiful out of the bad. But it also he is implying that this things are the things that choke him. Or make it hard for him to get by day to day. Let me know what your thoughts are .
@popnoir @popnoir i had the same reaction about that part of the song. And later thought a bit more about it and correlated it to the line earlier in the song that talk about the locket. " a secret that she would tell, but she let it choke her neck" or something like that. So yes they are making something beautiful out of the bad. But it also he is implying that this things are the things that choke him. Or make it hard for him to get by day to day. Let me know what your thoughts are .
Every album Conor makes you can see him becoming more and more great. I can not wait for the new one "Lifted or The Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground", Hopefully this time around the world will recognize one of the greatest songwriters of our time.
eeeeeeee i love this song so much... it always makes me want to cry, but i love it anyway
the beggining to this song with the girl reading is pure genius.
this is such a beautiful song...conor sings with so much emotion that its hard for me to listen to this song when im extremely depressed. my favorite part is when he sings "and placed it round my neck and they were singing..." his voice really gets to me during the word "neck." i think this is my favorite bright eyes song.
conor helps teach kids who speak english as a second language. good kid.
15..16 what's the difference? i want you to stay next door forever... i wish my margot said that to me
Does anyone know what book the child is reading during this song? Id really like to find it. thanks
@near_at_hand In case you were still wondering, I found the answer to your question!! The title of this book is "MItchell's Moving" by Marjorie Weinman. I know you posted this about 13 years ago, but hey, it was a good question, and now you have the answer.
@near_at_hand In case you were still wondering, I found the answer to your question!! The title of this book is "MItchell's Moving" by Marjorie Weinman. I know you posted this about 13 years ago, but hey, it was a good question, and now you have the answer.
@near_at_hand Mitchell is moving is a truly great book. Sweet and funny
@near_at_hand Mitchell is moving is a truly great book. Sweet and funny