Tadpole buoyant as basalt
The seahorse horsing in assault
The owlet in his greenery
The narwhal in his cup of sea
They all believe
They all believe

But collusion bleeds through back alleys
From parapets that end on feet
When one is weak they discretely meet
They throw the bones into the street
And they progress
And we retreat

And all the books our fathers wrote
Are in the middle of the road
Little by little, we implode
History brittle, brown and broke
We can't remember what was spoke
So we stare in wonder at the smoke
What it begets is born alone
We know not now what we have known

Ladies, breathe deep against your whalebones
For your children come home made of stone

The terror seething sees a way
Or like the wheezing of the bay
In miniature agonies
They travel westward on the breeze
Bring us all to our knees

The dappled horse, the sorrel mare
With eyes that do not see but stare
Beneath boots as black as malachite
He drives the nag into the night
Into the night

And all the baby boys we've born
With eyes averted from the storm
Sent off to die in perfect form
We know not now what we have known

Satellite photos, rhetoric
See how the euphemisms stick
And when they come back broke and burned
Those who return have no return


Lyrics submitted by lutti

What We Have Known [Yarn & Glue] Lyrics as written by Joanna Newsom

Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

What We Have Known song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

15 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment

    Oh... I once thought it was about people being sent off to the army...

    "Ladies, breathe deep against your whalebones For your children come home made of stone"

    Aside from the interesting fun fact that she uses whalebones in "Colleen" as well... I think this could be about how they come back made of stone as in... their hearts hardened by what they experienced, and how that must be hard for the mothers.

    "And all the baby boys we've born With eyes averted from the storm Sent off to die in perfect form We know now what we have known"

    Could be something like... the baby boys that they raised so safely, trying to shield them from the tough world outside, are now sent off to fight in the war and possibly die (in perfect form, because they would have to be fit). By the way, this should also be "we know not now what we have known", but I'm not sure what she means. I have some thoughts, but I don't wanna speak them because I'm too unsure.

    "And when they come back broke and burned Those who return have no return"

    I always heard "those who return have not returned", to be honest, and thought that was meant to say how they had changed, so they're different people now and have thus in a way not returned. If it is "Those who return have no return", that could mean something like how they can't erase their experiences to go back to the person they were before.

    It feels to me like there might be some images of the war itself in the rest of the song, but I'm not too good at figuring out imagery like that :( and I dunno what the malachite would be, either.

    Whatsifsowhatsiton April 26, 2008   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Fortnight
Taylor Swift
The song "Fortnight" by Taylor Swift and Post Malone tells a story about strong feelings, complicated relationships, and secret wishes. It talks about love, betrayal, and wanting someone who doesn't feel the same. The word "fortnight" shows short-lived happiness and guilty pleasures, leading to sadness. It shows how messy relationships can be and the results of hiding emotions. “I was supposed to be sent away / But they forgot to come and get me,” she kickstarts the song in the first verse with lines suggesting an admission to a hospital for people with mental illnesses. She goes in the verse admitting her lover is the reason why she is like this. In the chorus, she sings about their time in love and reflects on how he has now settled with someone else. “I took the miracle move-on drug, the effects were temporary / And I love you, it’s ruining my life,” on the second verse she details her struggles to forget about him and the negative effects of her failure. “Thought of callin’ ya, but you won’t pick up / ‘Nother fortnight lost in America,” Post Malone sings in the outro.
Album art
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Album art
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
In regards to the meaning of this song: Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.” That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Album art
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Album art
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.