Shadows on my wall
They creep and crawl in burning white
They dream of waterfalls
Catching slow bright streams of light.

And life can be so weird
Bucket full of fear
But it's alright
I'm on an isle

And I've still got time to fly away
Shadows in my dreams
They're painting scenes of time with you
I'm hoping all these things

And the strength they bring will pull me through
And life can be so weird
Bucket full of fear
But it's alright

I'm on an isle
And I've still got time to fly away.


Lyrics submitted by mrtrout, edited by JezLucas

Bucket Lyrics as written by Jan Berry Don Altfeld

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Bucket song meanings
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11 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment

    This is a good song... it's the only post aeroplane song in circulation... I was jus really reading the lyrics and I think it might have to do with the apprehension you get before you ask a girl out, to marry you, to sleep with you.... one of those. I get that from the bucket full of fear and the "painting scenes of time with you" So anyway, go download this song. Peace.

    purplehaze8xon April 27, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I'm 99.9% sure this is not a post-aeroplane song. I think it appeared on one of Jeff's early cassette tapes. The only post-aeroplane song that I know of is "Little Birds". Either way, this is still a great song.

    wingedfeetxcon June 18, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    VERY early NMH (Beauty for the guitar version, untitled demo #1 for the organ).

    About depression, paranoia, those weird days every once iin a while (more frequent for Jeff; read his interviews).

    Cynothoglyson May 16, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Jeff once had a dream about monks carrying buckets or something, read it in the 33 1/3 book written about In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, so I'm pretty sure it's based on that.

    KingJelleon December 29, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i'm fairly certain this is not post aeroplane but it is my absolute favorite nmh song and that's saying a lot because sometimes i think they have somehow found a way to continuously occupy my head

    also are you sure it's "i'm on an isle" because it sounds more like i'm only nine or something. but i am probably wrong

    kforockstaron February 11, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Do the differn't versions have different lyrics? because if not these lyrics are incredibly innacurate.

    Amazing song anyway.

    tomStrangeloveon February 12, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Bucket is 100% not released after AeroPlane. I read a short story about a little boys facination witht the spirt that would crawl across his room every few nights. The Golden spirt would dive from one end to another dissapering in a matter of seconds. The little boy eventually found out the spirt was really the light of cars passing by his window making a light amongst the dark shadows. This song reminds me of that story and the same passing of cars i can remeber from when i was little.

    dolberton June 17, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    You can tell by the grainy quality of the song that it is quite pre-aeroplane. And this song seems to come from a schizophrenic or just someone who is very depressed. He seems very confused and relunctant to go on with life.

    languidagonon June 22, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The 'grainy quality' of the song doesn't prove anything except that it was recorded badly. But yes, this is early; 1992 to be exact.

    neutralmilkhotel.org/disco1-nmh.htm Pretty much the Bible for NMH releases. =P

    PureSophiston July 14, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The lyrics are different for the organ version. And another funny thing about this song is that it is the same chord progression as glycerin by bush.

    This song was actually one of Jeff's least favorites, he said in an interview that he felt that it was always incomplete, and that the way he recorded it was very different than the way he normally would, so he felt it didn't shine as well as it could have. (i don't remember where i got that, it was either of the NMH.org site or the 33 1/3 book)

    The song has to do with how he felt alone and alienated when he moved to Seattle, and when his other friends migrated to new locations. This was about the time when he was living in a closet and he often saw "ghosts", and he had the dream about monks with buckets. So it was a mix of different inspirations.

    twoXhededXboyon December 31, 2007   Link

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