(Ciperion) A Seafarer's Knot

I think this is a love song also, but I think you are way off the mark, audiotrance.

"Lucky are the leaves of the clover" seems more like a reference to the 'he loves me, he loves me not game' that naive little girls play. "She's digging for chemistry with a butcher's tools" because she is in love with him and desperate for him to feel the same.

Unfortunately, he is a gambler (i.e. a player). He has used his tricks to acquire her, and he congratulates himself for "a job well done".

the "motions waving wishes to your confidence and eloquence" refers to the previous verse. He would not have been as interested in her, or as confident about gaining her love, had he not had an audience. His ability to ensnare her in love has turned him a-green and envious of greater glory. The "applied ambitious faith that can keep us all safe" is his distorted concept of love: if he were to allow himself to be as ensnared by her as she is by him, then he would be weak and unsafe. It's this ambition that keeps him distant in his relationships. I don't know what "invoking a blue" means, but I do know that what is "meant for us too" is the show. And, indeed, it is a show. He must have all those he actually respects know that he has captured a heart and has every intention to turn it to rain, or destroy it. Or one could say that it is the audience that ruins the relationship. If it hadn't been for us, perhaps he would have opened up to her. Perhaps it is our own vicarious viciousness that has brought this horrible fate to a poor unsuspecting girl.

"Lucky is a deer in the headlights", for she has no idea yet what is about to happen: he will let her know just how unimportant he thinks she is. But why is she lucky? She is lucky because she is honest with herself, and he is not. "Those two are as thick as thieves," because neither of them really knows what is going on. They are in love, and yet they are about to ruin each other. "Shaky are the hands of the gunshy, he'd rather give up the ghost than stick by" -- The fact that he is gunshy shows that he is starting to realize that he loves her, but he still won't admit it to himself, so he'd rather give up the ghost (i.e. terminate the relationship) than admit to himself and to his friends that he has become vulnerable to her.

So what will happen? Darroh doesn't tell us. And it's not important how the relationship winds up (whether he chooses to be a conqueror or a lover). What is important is we who have witnessed they whole thing. It's about to happen, so "gather 'round while we wait for high tide." We'll all "drink to love", but at the same time, we know that it is we who have ruined these two lovers. We have turned these small amazing things to rain, and now we have caused so much rain that it is high-tide. We observe the destruction we have brought about.

Or maybe the love will win him over we'll be disappointed. Either way, we watch greedily.

the ambiguity of darroh's lyrical approach makes it all the more fun for the listener to create subjective meaning. in the case of "a seafarer's knot"....the title seems metaphoric, maybe indicating a "knot" that a person has to untie to venture off to sea. "sea," in this sense, could be anything....a relationship, business, politics, etc. personally, i'll interpret it as a guy falling for a girl who may not be good for him, and all the while the speaker is enviously observing this, wishing that guy were him. here's my breakdown of some of the lines...

"she's diggin for chemistry with the butcher's tools" and "he's turning a-green from these envious glorious things".....the temptress is working her magic, getting the guy to fall for her, he's "turning a-green" as in, feeling lucky, as with the irish clover reference. by calling them "butcher's tools"....i imagine a butcher slaughtering meat....making me think the temptress is a siren, as in classical mythology.

"motions and waving wishes" and "confidence and eloquence" could be that of the temptress, in tempting the temptee.

"invoking a blue that's good for us too"....maybe the speaker saying that this love would be equally possible between he and the temptress.

"what large amazing things that we'll turn into rain" and "gather round while we wait for high tide" and a line that was left out... "we're all a mess as though we have another row in us".....all of these indicate the tragedy of the speaker in losing a possible love. maybe it's this "knot" that prevents him from going "out to sea" with this girl. "high tide" could metaphorically indicate a flood at the dock that ruins their dreams. finally, he closes it saying this struggle is not only his, but everyones. none of them have the strength to row the boat any further (metaphorically, of course).

far-fetched analysis? probably. but it's fun fancying possible meanings in a stream of consciousness style. for all i know, this song could be about irish oil tycoons and industry, having nothing to do with love.

That was deep. And yes, it misses lines because when I submitted these lyrics a year ago, the song didn't have them in it. Sorry!

i think this song is about love, too. i think you were pretty much right on the ball audiotrance! ..but i think him saying at the end that 'we're all a mess as though we have another' is basically that we're all struggling, whether or not it's with a lover, or unrequited love, or just a need for love. it affects all of us and hurts all of us, no matter what the situation is. i don't think your analysis is far-fetched at all, though. awesome song.

audiotrance- i couldn't agree more. You were spot on in my opinion. Also an interesting note; you said that it reminded you of classical sirens. Well when i hear the song, i think of the story of Odysseus, who was a great sailor in "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" . He told his men to tie him to the mast, (in a knot, if you will), so that he could hear the siren's songs. When he heard them, they brought him into a trance, and crazed him. They tied him in a metaphorical "knot" with their sounds. Looks like Darroh is making allusions to classical Geek poetry ;)