Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Just where it now lies I can no longer say
I found it on a cold and November day
In the roots of a sycamore tree where it had hid so long
In a box made out of myrtle lay the bone of song
The bone of song was a jawbone old and bruised
And worn out in the service of the muse
And along its sides and teeth were written words
I ran my palm along them and I heard
Lucky are you who finds me in the wilderness
I am the only unquiet ghost that does not seek rest
The words on the bone of song were close and small
And though their tongues were dead I found I knew them all
In the hieroglyphs of quills and quatrain lines
Osiris—the fall of Troy—Auld Lang Syne
Kathleen Mauvoreen—Magnificat—Your Cheatin’ Heart
The chords of a covenant king singing for the Ark
Then I saw on a white space that was left
A blessing written older than the rest
It said leave me here I care not for wealth or fame
I’ll remember your song – but I’ll forget your name
The words that I sang blew off like the leaves in the wind
And perched like birds in the branches before landing on the bone again
Then the bone was quiet it said no more to me
so I wrapped it in the ribbons of a sycamore tree
And as night had come I turned around and headed home
With a lightness in my step and a song in my bones
Lucky are you who finds me in the wilderness
I am the only unquiet ghost that does not seek rest
I found it on a cold and November day
In the roots of a sycamore tree where it had hid so long
In a box made out of myrtle lay the bone of song
The bone of song was a jawbone old and bruised
And worn out in the service of the muse
And along its sides and teeth were written words
I ran my palm along them and I heard
Lucky are you who finds me in the wilderness
I am the only unquiet ghost that does not seek rest
The words on the bone of song were close and small
And though their tongues were dead I found I knew them all
In the hieroglyphs of quills and quatrain lines
Osiris—the fall of Troy—Auld Lang Syne
Kathleen Mauvoreen—Magnificat—Your Cheatin’ Heart
The chords of a covenant king singing for the Ark
Then I saw on a white space that was left
A blessing written older than the rest
It said leave me here I care not for wealth or fame
I’ll remember your song – but I’ll forget your name
The words that I sang blew off like the leaves in the wind
And perched like birds in the branches before landing on the bone again
Then the bone was quiet it said no more to me
so I wrapped it in the ribbons of a sycamore tree
And as night had come I turned around and headed home
With a lightness in my step and a song in my bones
Lucky are you who finds me in the wilderness
I am the only unquiet ghost that does not seek rest
Lyrics submitted by geekusa
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Just A Little Lovin'
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
American Town
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Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
I think the "bone" is a muse, since the bone's had relations to "Osiris, the fall of Troy, Auld Lang Syne, Kathleen Mauvoreen, Magnificat, Your Cheatin’ Heart", maybe.. I don't know. I'm probably wrong..
You're right on. It's a great story about something mytical (a muse, as abovementioned)
"the chords of a covenant king singing for the ark" is a reference to King David, who has been called "Israel's sweet singer". Many of the psalms are attributed to him (including the 23rd, 'the lord is my shepherd', which josh references in 'rainslicker').
i think this has to do with the idea that musical, and other kinds, of genius are somehow 'other' and apart from us; divinely inspired in a way.
interesting the similarity here to Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" which contains the lyric "I heard there was a secret chord that David played and it pleased the Lord".
Bone, like skeleton, that which he speaks of is the skeleton or the frame of all songs, it is what music is made of...and therefore, the muse, like Sarah said above.
I was at a Josh Ritter gig where he expllained the thinking behind the song. The idea comes from how until the 19th century ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs had remained indescipherable for thousands of years until Jean-Francois Champollion through his work escentially found a key to understanding them all. Ritter pondered with the fanciful idea that every musical note ever composed in time might have a key that releases the meaning of every song in the same way that Champollion's key released the hidden meaning of hieroglyphs. Ladies and gentlemen, songmeanings.net is the bone of song!
he said in a British interview back in 2005 that the song came from a dream about a type of musical Rosetta Stone- I guess he was thinking about a kind of stone where music stems from- that explains the weird trippy disconnect and all the random references.
For me this is simply one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard.
self explanatory story. Great tune and lyrics.
Kathleen Mauvoreen was an Irish folk balad which was extreamly popular during the civil war. Here is a link to the lyrics arlingtoncemetery.net/mavour.htm
I agree with what others have said about a rosetta stone of music. In the end Josh gets to add his contribution to musical history. I love the lines "The words that I sang blew off like the leaves in the wind And perched like birds in the branches before landing on the bone again"