we took the twine we used to use
to tie up tight our tatterd shoes
twisted twigs and crooked cross
a necklace for the deeply lost
Builder with the broken bricks
Mother to the baby chicks
You made this world to look so nice
I wonder what the next one's like?
yellow spider,
yellow leaf,
confirms my deepest held belief


Lyrics submitted by Nilhem, edited by tomflint

Yellow Spider Lyrics as written by

Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing, TERRORBIRD PUBLISHING LLC

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Yellow Spider song meanings
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16 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment

    mmm, I love this song. The whole spider series amazes me. I love how there new cd is a mix of A -- B Life and Catch for us the Foxes style. can anyone tell me what this series is about?

    GeeEyeGeffon September 18, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I'm not absolutely sre these lyrics are correct."we build her with" line specifically.

    anyway I'm not exactly sure but judging from all the referances to Gardening and plant life I would say the entire album catalogs a person who is losing their Faith in God because God has been vengeful (Messes of Men, Nice & Blue Part 2) for his evil deeds (adultery, gambling) but by the end of the story the character finds there is nothing left BUT to have faith(In a Sweater Poorly Knit) The Spider tracks are the order, as the plant(faith) is dying.

    I could be very wrong though I need to analyze all of the corrct lyrics, but that's my first impression.

    Knife2aGunFighton September 18, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think you could be right. I also think that spiders stand for three parts of day.

    Velfare4on September 19, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    we build her with a broken brick is actually Builder with the broken bricks.

    That's all

    loveUregardlesson October 08, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I don't understand all if it but in all three songs there's the spider and the leaf, they're connected by the color the interesting thing about the leaves is that they turn from yellow to orange to brown, then there is no leaf. So its like fall, they're dieing. And to me a spider has a negative connotation. They make webs to trap their prey. Something that gets stuck in a spiders web has no hope, it just waits until its death. So I think these songs show the progression of doubt (lack of faith) dying off. make sense?

    jofwuon October 11, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think its more complicated than that. My theory is that it parallels the idea of our temporary lives compared to God's existence. The "I do not exist" and later, " I do not exist, only you exist" work into what i believe to be the theme of the album. Its about faith growing in an eternal God and losing interest in temporary things. I agree that the change from yellow to orange and then brown parallel the dying of a leaf but i think it is used to illustrate his losing interest in this temporary world. I think he is saying that his faith used to be based on the leaf and spider or the things he saw God doing in his immdeiate surroundings. The tangible things we love to base our faith anf entire existence on. However, as he matured he realized that he cant depend on those things Solomon would claim to be completely meaningless and that all he should concentrate on is the God who Is and Was and Is to come. What he believes doesnt matter if he allows God to exist in an increasing abundance until nothing of himself is left. can i get a witness?

    ac731on October 28, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Thanks man. That's exactally what I thought it meant but couldn't articulate. God Bless.

    breathingbywireson November 21, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    yeah i think ac731 is right on....

    but i heard somewhere that Aaron was heavily influenced by the Devendra Banhart song Little Yellow Spider. You can really see the similarities between that song and the spider songs of mewithoutYou and also just Brother, Sister in general...but what do i know...you should all go listen or look @ the lyrics to Devendra Banhart - Little Yellow Spider.

    m0leculeon December 08, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    the song series came from him looking at a little brown spider on a brown leaf and it all came from that.

    missadrianaon March 06, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Brother,sister is a beautiful album,by an amazing band

    from A->B life,Catch for us the Foxes,and Brother,Sister you can tell how they are changing in God.From being hurt and the emotional screaming,and catch for us the foxes they are becoming even more beautiful,to Brother,Sister where they are just giving Praise in the most peaceful and beautiful way

    This song..

    i was at a mwY Q&A and the spider series represents about how the spider is going through life,believing and then he gets older and changes colors and dies.

    "no more spider no more leaf,no more me,no more belief"in brownish spider which is the last of the spider songs

    This band is the most moving band ive ever listened too,and its not just them,you can really feel God coming through them.

    people think im so weird for stopping my car and cranking up in a sweater poorly knit and dancing in the field beside the road,just moves you...

    IwasonceAliveon March 27, 2007   Link

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