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China White II Lyrics
Daughter: "Mother, father, where did you go?
I hear the flowers as they speak below.
Someone help me, I'm so afraid.
The shape in the distance is coming my way."
"Oh, please come hold me." said the woman all covered in leaves.
"He's come again. The man with the roses that grow from his hands."
I'm your gardener.
"Mother, your poor hands.
The better to hold yours again.
And where did he go?"
I am him, my love. Watch my garden grow.
Little girl, standing there with your daddy's skin and your momma's hair,
I'll have you know I will feed them to my roses and you're next.
I am the noises that you hear when you're in bed.
And I'll be the last face that you see before you're dead.
With your father gone and your mom in chains,
I have time to sleep in late.
Your mother never looked so good.
Your daddy should have brought his gun.
Now sleep child, just sleep.
And when you wake you will grow at my feet.
Yes, when you wake you'll be beautiful again.
I hear the flowers as they speak below.
Someone help me, I'm so afraid.
The shape in the distance is coming my way."
"He's come again. The man with the roses that grow from his hands."
I'm your gardener.
The better to hold yours again.
And where did he go?"
I am him, my love. Watch my garden grow.
Little girl, standing there with your daddy's skin and your momma's hair,
I'll have you know I will feed them to my roses and you're next.
And I'll be the last face that you see before you're dead.
With your father gone and your mom in chains,
I have time to sleep in late.
Your mother never looked so good.
Your daddy should have brought his gun.
Now sleep child, just sleep.
And when you wake you will grow at my feet.
Yes, when you wake you'll be beautiful again.
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obviously the sequel to "china white". i'm not exactly sure, but there are some obvious correlations between the two songs: china white - "i can't wait to sleep in late" china white II - "with your father gone and your mom in chains, i have time to sleep in late" china white - "you'd better get your gun" china white II - "your daddy should've brought his gun"
if i were to take a stab at it.... the first one i feel is more of a revenge piece, from the point of view of the gardener. this one is initially from the point of view of the little girl and the mother, and then back to the gardener. perhaps something to do with slavery, since HIL is from NC. obviously in this one, he's killed their father, "i hear the flowers as they speak below" and imprisoned the mother, and plans to kill the young girl as well. "when you wake you will grow at my feet". i particularly enjoy the imagery these lyrics portray, especially the line "the man with the roses that grow from his hands". this song is very sinister, and that line portrays a very dark, almost supernatural villian figure. but then again... i could be all wrong about this whole thing, haha, it is open to interpretation.
i think you are right rockbass! and i also think, that China White I is the background for this piece. In one he warns the family more or less and speaks about his flowers and that they are important for him [the gardener]. Another image that i see is the Gardener as the Death. The one who takes care of the graves and brings them flowers so he's the gardener... But like u said, it's open ;)
He sees the girl as fertilizer for his growing garden? HAHA! I'm with you, rockbass. This song's imagery is just outta this world.
Great song by a great band.
It so sinister sounding.... I would love to have a commentary from Schuylar as to what these songs mean. I this guardener has gone mad and in his paranoia kills this family... I don't know its fn scary!!
It sounds like the gardener is obsessed with his "flowers" (particularily roses), and when it doesn't rain, he gets pissed and starts killing this family... That's what I take from it, although the flowers/garden could represent just about anything
I picture this being a schizophrenic man in love with this girl. The old man and his son from the first song are his other personalities, and he's warning this girl to get a gun because he doesn't trust himself. From the first song "i don't understand why i sleep all day and start to complain when there's no rain." I think he's killed people and put them in his garden, the times when he's sleeping all day are when his other personalities are in control. I don't think this song is chronologically furthered than the first, more like a further exploration of the theme. "When you wake you will grow at my feet." This really tips me off that he's talking about this girl's remains being used in his garden, and he's seeing these roses as a reincarnation of sorts.
One of my favorite songs on the cd, and a great example of what a stunning lyricist this guy is.
I believe hes telling them in china white 1 to be aware of the gardener, and to buy and bring your gun to where the gardener is because he is going to kill them.
in china white 2, its the gardener, and they didnt take the warning so he kills the dad, imprisons the mom, and is kidnapping the daughter.
thats what i see out of it, but then again im probably wrong, its a great song though
(Adding to my last comment)
According to Wikipedia; Both the China White songs are roughly based on a myth where a man marries a woman and the woman dies. The man buys their dream home, cremates his wife and then buries the ashes and makes a garden where the ashes are. "when you wake you'll be beautiful again." The flowers that grow in this garden represent the memory of the man's wife.
i agree with the comment above mine^^ about the myth. i think the husband cremated the wife and made a garden where her ashes were. and i also agree that the man/gardener is crazy and has more than one personality. i think that the gardener IS the father! like in china white 1, when he says "Im your gardener." it would make sense that in the 1st one the dad is saying that to the wife. he is her gardener cuz she is under his garden!!!! but in the second one when he says, "with your father GONE, it doesnt say he died, he possibly could of if his other personality "died." but this makes sense to me.
could b totally off tho. just makes sense to me.
i just think that the husanband went crazy after his wife died. and he is now the gardener.