Cherry Tree

General CommentCherry Tree = Honesty. Think about it.

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General Commentok i'm sorry everyone's missed the boat here...

isn't this song clearly about two lovers arguing?
"you're sharp alright"
"can we have just a little discipline"

"loose lips sink ships" this is an old war saying which means that saying too much can cause disaster.

the singer's character is trying to not engage with the argument.


the title, well that i don't know about. my best guess is it's an image of plucking things to examine and devour - the person he's singing about is breaking and dissecting their relationship, over-analysing...

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My Interpretationlike everyone is saying, the cherry tree represents honesty, which leads me to believe that this is a dishonest relationship between two people who either shouldnt be together or just dont want to tell anyone about their relationship.

the lines "take us down and all apart" and "lay us out on the table" sound very sexual to me, so its very likely that this is a sexual (and most likely romantic) relationship.

the "leave it alone" parts are probably one telling the other that its best to keep their relationship quiet, same with "loose lips sink ships" and "can we show a little discipline." these lines also lead me to believe that the other wants to be more public with their relationship.

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General CommentI agree with SomethingClever on the meaning that the lyrics and title seem to point toward: that honesty is not always the best policy.

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Song MeaningAm I the only one who listens vivid slashing sound of George Washington's knife against young cherry trees every time Matt pronounces "Loose Lips Sink Ships"?

This song is obviously about a person who can't hold his tongue behind his teeth, telling the bitter truth to anyone without caring if this truth hurts someody's feelings or not. The man ruins people's lives but still makes the world a cleaner place.

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My InterpretationAt first I thought the song was about keeping secrets between two or more people, and the destructive consequences secrets between friends/lovers have. After a wee bit of research I've changed my mind.

Cherry tree is a metaphor for love, affection, spring (which again symbolizes life and a new beginning), good fortune, and the fleeting nature of life according to the Japanese. Also, cherry blossoms were painted by the Japanese on their planes and used to stoke militarism and nationalism in the people.
When a pilot was shot down, the cherry blossom would fall and he would be reborn in the blossoms.

"Loose lips sink ships" (quoted from phrases.org.uk/meanings/…): "This phrase was coined as a slogan during WWII as part of the US Office of War Information's attempt to limit the possibility of people inadvertently giving useful information to enemy spies. The slogan was actually 'Loose Lips Might Sink Ships. This was one of several similar slogans which all came under the campaigns basic message - 'Careless Talk Costs Lives'."

Maybe the song is about paranoia and hard times in the military during WW2, or maybe it's an old reminder for a modern war, or maybe the metaphors are translated to a completely different setting.
Still, the song is hauntingly beautiful.

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General Commentyou're sharp alright - yes you're smart and you could acurately analyse and take me to bits
don't shake the cherry tree - and the cherries stay on the tree

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General CommentI'm starting to agree with the Cherry Tree = honesty and war/government secrets interpretations, but my first impression was like a family tree. Like a family dinner where all the secrets threaten to come out.

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My InterpretationI think this song is about gossip.

'Take us down and all apart' and 'Lay us out on the table' sounds like the narrator is being analyzed for the dirt

'You're sharp alright But no one is asking so leave it alone'='Yeah, you know stuff you shouldn't but nobody really cares so quit talking'


'Loose lips sink ships...' means gossip can destroy? I saw some comments about how it's a war saying but I don't know anything about that.

'Dont Look at me
Im only breathing
Dont look at me im indiscreet' = 'Nothing to see here, go away and don't find anything to say about me.'

'Can we show
A little discipline'='Don't sink that low; cut that shit out.'

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General CommentTake us down and all apart/ cherry tree/ lay us out on the table - go ahead and make us tell the truth. could be about one lover in a relationship who was "with" another, and is trying to hide what they've done. the cherry tree represents honesty.

You're sharp alright - The one (or many) he is hiding his actions from is extremely smart, and has already picked up on what is going on behind his or her back...and now they're trying to figure it out.

But no one is asking so leave it alone/ leave it alone/ can we - the narrator wants to leave it be. could be because he doesn't want to admit what he's done, but he could also not want to speak about it because then it makes it a concrete issue. it may also solidify feelings and emotions that he's otherwise trying to ignore/hide. "Can we?" seems to question if they'll be able to just let it be and keep going forward with their secret, or if emotions will get the best of them.

loose lips sink ships - if they do speak about it, and bring the problem to light, then his relationship will be destroyed and his situation will get even worse.

don't look at me/ i'm only breathing/ don't look at me i'm indiscreet - the narrator is getting paranoid, thinking that his significant other is going to know something is wrong just by looking at him. by saying "i'm indiscreet", it shows that he's lacking confidence in his ability to hide his emotions and is afraid that his lover can see right through him.

can we show a little discipline/ can we - the narrator wonders if he'll be able to show restraint and not make the same mistake twice. however, he's questioning his ability to control his feelings, wondering if they may be too strong to hide forever.

i also agree with SimiC on the gossip interpretation... that makes a lot of sense as well.

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