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Inline Bowline Lyrics

Inline bowline, inline bowline
Inline bowline, inline bowline

First you tie it around your hand
You showed me so I would understand
It's the handiest knot,
It wasn't in the book that I bought

Inline bowline, inline bowline

All who tie a knot at the game
We all were glad that he came
We toyed with tyin' the noose
No one knew he'd give it use

Inline bowline, inline bowline
Inline bowline, inline bowline

Did he think that he was nothing?
Only ending his life was left to try
Over turned over I'm left to sing
Really, why? Really, why?
Really, why? Really, why?

I use it to tie up my canoe [use it to tie my canoe]
I've used it to tie my shoes [used to tie my shoes]
It's handy on a whim [handy on a whim]
This knot is tied to him
Tied to him
Tied to him
Tied to him

Inline bowline, inline bowline
Inline bowline, inline bowline

Inline bowline, Tied to him etc..
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Cover art for Inline Bowline lyrics by Barenaked Ladies

Obviously about a friend that commits suicide, but I get the feeling that the rope/knot is a bigger metaphor for something else. I'm not sure though? It can't be that simple, with a BNL song.

@rokbom Took me all these years to find out it was about someone who hung himself, but looking at the lyrics, it was so obvious! I think the rope's significance in this song is from the friend. In the first verse, he teaches the character who kills himself how to make that knot, and when he found out his friend hung himself using that knot, he couldn't help but feel guilty.

Imagine buying your friend a gun and taking them out to a shooting range. Later, you find out your friend shot himself with that gun that you bought him....

 
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