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Dead Faces Lyrics

And we have fun – we go laughing and running
down to the water, there by the sea
where the body just floats like a rowboat
and the moon’s like a harbor light lit in the sky.

And this picture’s got a woman who looks like you
and a guy who looks just like someone I’ve seen.
When it turns out, I hope that it turns out
I hope that it turns out the way that you dreamed.

Embarcadero train station’s empty,
and I just cannot believe how long it takes
to go all the way home through the city.
And everyone’s looking - at least, it’s nice to believe that everyone’s looking.

And this picture’s got a woman who looks like you,
and a guy who looks just like someone I’ve seen.
When it turns out, I hope that it turns out
I hope that it turns out the way that you dreamed.

Ghostly faces at my living-room window
aren’t scared of me because they know I can’t hurt them.
They press up and see, in the lamp-glow,
all of the hurt and the love inside of me.

It’s their final duty
to see right through me.
I tell them “twelve hours until the dawn,
but we’ve got to hold on.
Hold on to me,
because we’ll be running
down to the water this morning.”
Well, nobody waits for you to believe
in ghosts, lit by moonlight or dawning,
or in this picture of you and me.
Song Info
Submitted by
totoro On Apr 14, 2004
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3 Meanings

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Cover art for Dead Faces lyrics by Okkervil River

I'm surprised no one has commented on this song yet. I always see this one about a guy remembering the good times he had with a former girlfriend. As he remembers all of this, he perversely likes to believe everyone notices him ("nice to believe everyone's looking") even if she has moved on. The ghost imagery seems to be the way he's haunted by how things turned out, whether it's him getting depressed through another lonely night or simply memories he's powerless to change. Either way, as day breaks the cycle repeats. The last lines about nobody waiting punctuates that there's no chance of reconciliation and something about the way they are sung is powerful.

I like the chorus in this song, too. The picture is from when they were together and now they've both changed and life has taken them seperate ways. He hopes that wherever she ended up, it's what she wanted.

Cover art for Dead Faces lyrics by Okkervil River

Bautiful song.

To me this song is about a man who returns home after a long time of absence to find out that the woman he once was in love in is going to marry another man, some one he has seen around. Hence "the picture" (like a wedding picture?) with "awoman who looks like you and a guy who looks just like someone I’ve seen". Even though he still holds feelings for her he wishes her good luck for her future. "I hope that it turns out the way that you dreamed". "The ghostly faces" at his living room window resemble his memories and emotions connected to this beloved woman.

Just some of my thoughts...

Cover art for Dead Faces lyrics by Okkervil River

Beautiful song. Nice idea to combine ghosts with faces on a photography. At first I didn't like the middle eight, but it has grown.