I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Scarecrow, you ruined me.
Now I've caught my hands in the death machine.
They fed my children to the lions;
they made me watch it on the television.
Scarecrow, with your blackbird wives,
I was promised you'd come and save my life.
They chased me down with the farmer's son,
bashed our brains out with an oil drum.
The cross-eyed map of the afterlife is knitting tiny neck ties...
But scarecrow, I'm still alive.
Who sewed me back together to watch the whole world writhe?
Watch me stumble on the cobblestones.
Mothers, grab your children, here comes the town drunk.
Scarecrow, they took my wife.
They tied her to an oak in a field of rye.
They flood the field with kerosene;
as the moths ate the flames their faces beamed.
The bald-eyed map of the afterlife is knitting tiny neck ties..
And the Graveyard Ship flies over us.
The celebrity host walks the plank.
The verse of the day is, "Baby heads planted in the ground don't make baby trees. Thank you, goodnight."
Scarecrow, did you hear about the priest
they found jerking off in the confession booth?
His collar spinning like a top
he looked so pathetic crying to the cops.
Scarecrow, did you hear about the man who locked his daughter
in the basement for 12 years?
They dragged her out of the house to the hungry audience.
The cross-eyed map of the afterlife is knitting tiny neck ties.
The bald-eyed map of the afterlife is knitting tiny noose ties.
The wild-eyed map of the afterlife is knitting tiny death lies.
Now I've caught my hands in the death machine.
They fed my children to the lions;
they made me watch it on the television.
Scarecrow, with your blackbird wives,
I was promised you'd come and save my life.
They chased me down with the farmer's son,
bashed our brains out with an oil drum.
The cross-eyed map of the afterlife is knitting tiny neck ties...
But scarecrow, I'm still alive.
Who sewed me back together to watch the whole world writhe?
Watch me stumble on the cobblestones.
Mothers, grab your children, here comes the town drunk.
Scarecrow, they took my wife.
They tied her to an oak in a field of rye.
They flood the field with kerosene;
as the moths ate the flames their faces beamed.
The bald-eyed map of the afterlife is knitting tiny neck ties..
And the Graveyard Ship flies over us.
The celebrity host walks the plank.
The verse of the day is, "Baby heads planted in the ground don't make baby trees. Thank you, goodnight."
Scarecrow, did you hear about the priest
they found jerking off in the confession booth?
His collar spinning like a top
he looked so pathetic crying to the cops.
Scarecrow, did you hear about the man who locked his daughter
in the basement for 12 years?
They dragged her out of the house to the hungry audience.
The cross-eyed map of the afterlife is knitting tiny neck ties.
The bald-eyed map of the afterlife is knitting tiny noose ties.
The wild-eyed map of the afterlife is knitting tiny death lies.
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Magical
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Blue
Ed Sheeran
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“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
The scarecrow is clearly a reference symbolically to christ for two reasons. the first being that a scarecrow is a lifeless figure held up usually by two perpendicular planks of wood, so it's physical appearance is similar to that of jesus' lifeless corpse hanging on the cross. the second, and more significant reason can be seen when you consider the purpose of a scarecrow. scarecrows are used as a decoy for a farmer, in an effort to scare crows away from crops. it creates a false since of danger, similar to the concepts of christianity. christianity is one of the few religions that believe in the concept of heaven and hell. the fear of hell serves as a motivation for christians to live moral lives. the writers (jonny and jordan) are dismissing the concept of heaven and hell. the first line of the song "scarecrow you ruined me. now i've caught my hands in the death machine" could be interpreted as saying "jesus, you lied to me. i've done what you've asked of me and my only reward is suffering and death. i agree with the previous interpretation of the "black bird wives" symbolizing the clergy specifically nuns, since they dress in black penguin like robes. "i was promised you'd come and save my life" is another reference to salvation. however, i don't think that the scarecrow symbolizes jesus the actual person, but rather the modern accepted christian interpretation of who jesus was, and his teachings. which are often miss-interpreted. for instance the belief that jesus condemns all homosexuals to eternal damnation, a belief shared by many christians. the scarecrow represents this widespread misconception of jesus. this can be seen in the line "they chased me down with the farmer's son, bashed our brains out with an oil drum," the significant part to note is that the protagonist in the song runs off with the farmer's son. "they" (society) hunts them both down and kills them. the farmer's son is the true jesus. the farmer symbolizes god, which would make his son jesus. the statement that the writer is trying to make here is that it's human nature to be hateful, and since the real jesus only preached love, society prosecutes him and his followers.
i also agree that the "cross-eyed map of the afterlife" symbolizes the bible. the bible attempts to explain the afterlife, and how to reach salvation, similar to how a map shows you the way to where you want to go. it's cross-eyed because jonny and jordan are saying that the bible is inaccurate and distorted. i like the idea above that the "tiny neck-ties" are suppose to be nooses, but i don't think that that's exactly what they meant to convey. neck ties are worn as formal wear, in a way they symbolize social superiority. people wear ties to church, because it makes them feel like they're showing respect to god, but the idea that god cares about the clothing that you're wearing is a very narrow view of the nature of god. in actuality people wear formal wear to church, and in general, because they want to show other people that they are superior. what they're saying by "knitting tiny neckties" is that the bible in today's world is breeding social norms that are irrelevant in the eyes of god.
as far as the idea that the song is about the medias perverted presentation of other people's suffering, and the public's lack of empathy, kind of misses the mark. it is a reoccurring theme in the song, but it's not what the song is about. the reason the blood brothers have all this "feeding children to lions, and dragging daughters out of the basement to the audience" business in the song is because 1. almost all of the blood brothers' songs focus on the ills of society, and 2. because the protagonist in the song is angry at the scarecrow (jesus) for letting all of these things happen to him, and the world, even though he's done everything he's asked of him.
anyway, that's my interpretation.
I love the piano at the end of this song. And yes, shfifty five, this song is fucking CREEPY <3
it seems to me like they're using symbolism to retell devastating newspaper headlines. their writing is so enigmatic that i guess it's hard for anyone to be certain what their songs are supposed to mean.
My call is that people love big stories. They love the news. They eat it up even when people are suffering in the stories. It's not the suffering they are concerned with, or the wrongs that have been committed, it's just the story itself that they love. People could care less about the personal aspects. I feel this is best exemplified when he says, "Did you hear about the man who locked his daughter in the basement for 12 years? They dragged her out of the house to the hungry audience."
ok i know this could be a long shot but ever wonder if the "Scarecrow" is really jesus (no im not a fanatic or anything yes i know i cant spell) and he is saying like hay look at what your beloved children are doing. think about it man bloody on a wooden cross ever remind you of a scarecrow?
kittyNAR might be right...but i was never really good at symbolism...i dont know
for some reason, when he sang "he looked so pathetic crying to the cops" I thought he said "and Lucifer came crying to the cops"...it could be just me, but i thought he said that?
anyways, one of my favorite songs off this CD
Yeah, I like kittyNAR's suggestion...
Everytime I listen to this song, I think about Children of the Corn. I guess it's the creepy tune and the scarecrow thing but hey...
Reminds me of like newspaper headlines and whatever.
What I don't get is the whole "cross-eyed map of the afterlife is knitting tiny neck ties" thing. I can't decode the symbolism in that.. I can't even begin to picture it..
What I don't get is the whole "cross-eyed map of the afterlife is knitting tiny neck ties" thing. I can't decode the symbolism in that.. I can't even begin to picture it..