Sons and Daughters

Fridge Brilliance about this song says the following. The lyrics are intentionally anachronistic. There is no single time period where aluminum was a precious metal, and when cinnamon had the same value as gold, and when people traveled by dirigible and feared bombs. The song is not meant to represent any single time period. Rather, it is meant to gather the hopes and optimism of all the pilgrims and pioneers through many different time periods. The idea of escaping some horror and moving on to a new land and creating a better life is a recurrent theme throughout human history. This song is about all those people, not just any one particular set. The last several choruses of the song are sung as a round to further emphasize this point. As the song of one set of pilgrims progresses and fades away, a new song from a new set comes in and renews the hope.

I don't think this song has any real meaning other than trying to capture the optimism of starting a new life. Things will be better, and we'll make things work. That's how it sounds to me, anyway.

And knowing the band, it's probably got references to specific pieces of history that I'd have no clue about.

I think this IS a WWII Song... It sounds to me like this is about a band of Gypsies (which is not actually what you're supposed to call them, it's "Sinti" or "Roma" to be correct). But they were also victims of the Nazis, so I think this song is about them surviving WWII and Hitler's regime, and building a new life in a new place.

Simply about post-war optimism. I like to place this in Europe after WWII but I don't think the time or the place hold any importance.

So how do you write a song?

I know little of The Decemberists, but I really like this song.

The order of these steps, I think, may be transposed. I'm still learning.

You create music that you like. You play it over and over. You learn what feelings and ideas it invokes within you. You share the music with your collaborators. You incorporate their ideas and feelings and the music may change a little. You write down the ideas that have been inspired until you are satisfied with the structure. And hopefully it has become beautiful.

A beautiful piece of writing, as these lyrics are, when separated from the music (though they are much the richer when lifted up with the music) has more layers of ideas than even the writer(s) had in mind. Because language is imperfect. It is how we try to express that which is within our minds.

This discussion is beautiful. All these ideas from minds all over the world, inspired by beautiful words and music.

And so I will add to this thread: I think the authors may have written about all of these places and times that have been spoken of (those that they are aware of); they've woven the pieces of these narratives into a tapestry that is this idea they wish to share - a journey to a wonderful place on the horizon where the fear and sadness of days gone by is forgotten, and the dreams of the coming times inspire hope.

Eep, sorry for the triple post. I guess my computer went nuts..

During WWII, some children we're sent away from Europe as are the children in the book Lord of the Flies. Hence tracks untraceable, as in safe; also it was mentioned previously that aluminum is a weak metal and cinnamon has no nutritional value, and thats precisely why those things are mentioned. The message is overly hopeful, either because many of the "Dirigibles" that were sent away with the select children were destroyed or they would be returning to a land demolished, showing that these dreams were exactly that; just dreams. Also, as for the matter of Here of Hear, its likely that colin knew that it would be difficult to discern which one he meant, and thus probably meant both.

It's my opinion, and I may be wrong, is that it is a sort of sequel to The Island: Come and See/The Landlord's Daughter/You'll Not Feel The Drowning. The Island (I don't feel like typing all that over and over again), is first about the discovery of a new territory, then about a new society being built there (with all the attendant problems, then about the horrific end of that society. Sons & Daughters, on the other hand, is about the discovery of a new place, and the optimistic feeling of safety that comes with that. Where the people in The Island just wanted the land for expansion, the people in Sons & Daughters need it for safety. I also think it's the same Island. Maybe I'm reading too much into this. I think it should be "Here all the bombs fade away", as the song is about a place, not a sound.

I am not american and never been to America, but this song make me feel like I am XIX century european who is travelling to this new world with hope of better life.

This is a great little sing along song