Of all the churning random hearts under the sun
Eventually fading into night
These two are opening now
As we lie I touch you, under fuller light
Girl, if you're a seascape
I'm a listing boat for the thing carries every hope
I invest in a single lie
The choice is yours to be loved
Come away from an emptier boat
'Cause when that dead moon rises again
There's no time to start a protocol to hem us in
And when the dog slides underneath the train
There's no rhyme or use for searching for the mutt's remains
Throw all consequence aside
To the cheerless pyre we will set alight
Of all the intersecting lines in the sand
I routed a labyrinth to your lap
I never used a map, sliding off the land on an incidental tide
And along the way, you know they tried, they tried
But we got sea legs and we're off tonight
Can I've that to which they've no right
You belong to a simpler time
I'm a victim to the impact of these words and this rhyme
'Cause when that dead moon rises again
We've no time to start a protocol to hem us in
Darling, when the dog slides, open the door and where'd she go?
There's no rhyme or use for searching for the mutt's remains
Throw all consequence aside
And the cheerless pyre we will set alight
Eventually fading into night
These two are opening now
As we lie I touch you, under fuller light
I'm a listing boat for the thing carries every hope
I invest in a single lie
The choice is yours to be loved
Come away from an emptier boat
There's no time to start a protocol to hem us in
And when the dog slides underneath the train
There's no rhyme or use for searching for the mutt's remains
To the cheerless pyre we will set alight
I routed a labyrinth to your lap
I never used a map, sliding off the land on an incidental tide
And along the way, you know they tried, they tried
Can I've that to which they've no right
You belong to a simpler time
I'm a victim to the impact of these words and this rhyme
We've no time to start a protocol to hem us in
Darling, when the dog slides, open the door and where'd she go?
There's no rhyme or use for searching for the mutt's remains
And the cheerless pyre we will set alight
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
To me, this song seems to be about a couple that's together for now, and that should enjoy the beauty of what they have even though they know it won't last. And when it's over, there's "no use in searching for the mutt's remains," just appreciated what it was and move on. "Sea legs" is what they have in coming to grips with the beautiful yet temporary nature of their love.
Personally, I applaud The Shins for their experimentation and I find Wincing The Night Away to be their best album.
Nothing irks me more than when people give the album a quick once over and only pay attention to the catchy songs such as Phantom Limb or New Slang.
Give this song time and keep and open mind.
New Slang isn't on Wincing the Night Away
New Slang isn't on Wincing the Night Away
Sealegs is about taking advantage of an opportunity for love (particularly physical love). Mercer says their two hearts are "opening now," meaning that there is a connection between them, though he makes it apparent that he only wants temporary pleasure ("I invest in a single life"). He tells her that the choice is hers "to be loved," letting her know that he's cool with whatever she decides, but obviously he wants her. He asks "can I've that to which they've no right," they being her suitors who "tried...tried" and "that to which they've no right" being her/her body. He tells her to "throw all consequence aside;" he wants her to make a decision based on her feelings in the present, heated moment with no regards to what their encounter/relationship will manifest in the future.
I don't know what happened with the girl he wrote this for, but if it were me, he'd have gotten his wish. I mean dayum.
@toucanvan
Actually, he says "I invest in a single lie", which I take to mean he has said "I love you" to get the whole thing rolling.
BINGO!, by the way. You got it. Dayum? Well, he's a star, but he doesn't believe in the soul, or anything spiritual. Overall, his stuff depresses me. Yet I am drawn to his genius for expressing keen insights, and his liquid voice.
@toucanvan
Actually, he says "I invest in a single lie", which I take to mean he has said "I love you" to get the whole thing rolling.
BINGO!, by the way. You got it. Dayum? Well, he's a star, but he doesn't believe in the soul, or anything spiritual. Overall, his stuff depresses me. Yet I am drawn to his genius for expressing keen insights, and his liquid voice.
Kind of a self-conscious "Come on Baby, Light My Fire". It's about the necessity and pitfalls of seduction in a post-Christian society. The couple needs sea legs because they are on some unfamiliar, shaky ground, and worse, trying to do something our modern heads have a hard time dealing with. The moon is dead, our art having rejected romance in most forms. Yet it's carcass does still rise, women still have their moonstrils, and we still get the need for physical intimacy. So when the urge hits, according to this guy, there's no time for him to build the romantic and moral framework that most women need to feel comfortable. He's contributed his single lie ("I love you"), momentum is established, and they need to get on with this thing, as a seduction interrupted by a woman's questioning is about as revivable as an animal run over by a train. But if he can keep it on track, there'll be quite a fire.
@jaZZjaZZ54 "moonstruels"
@jaZZjaZZ54 "moonstruels"
gorgeous music. It sort of has an atmosphere of standing near a beach on a cloudy day.
Oh, I think the word "pyre" is in the last line of the chorus.
I love this song. Its my favorite from this album.
Everything makes sense to me except the "cheerless pyre we will set alight" at the end of the song. It seems to suggest they are moving on from something, burning the past, but why then is it cheerless?
Because the pyre represents the old relationship that the singer is moving away from, which he's burning down. A pyre, by the way, is a stack of wood upon which you burn a dead body, so even without my interpretation, a pyre is a fairly cheerless object.
Because the pyre represents the old relationship that the singer is moving away from, which he's burning down. A pyre, by the way, is a stack of wood upon which you burn a dead body, so even without my interpretation, a pyre is a fairly cheerless object.
There are a few lines that don't seem to fit with the general theme of this poem (this song, by the way, is poetry!). The "cheerless pyre" is one; the dog being run over by a train is another. I guess there's a dark side of the new relationship, which is also why it's in a minor key.
There are a few lines that don't seem to fit with the general theme of this poem (this song, by the way, is poetry!). The "cheerless pyre" is one; the dog being run over by a train is another. I guess there's a dark side of the new relationship, which is also why it's in a minor key.
But it's definitely my favorite Shins song, has a great atmosphere, and syncopated rhythm. Just love it.
But it's definitely my favorite Shins song, has a great atmosphere, and syncopated rhythm. Just love it.
I'm really amazed that some people don't dig this song, as for me it the melody is incredibly beautiful and profound. It is playing extremely loudly in my head at this moment. I love the broken rhythm and bass line, and some of the indian sounding notes in the bass and in the vocal make me think it has origins in some unknown ancient culture. Yeah, I kind of feel like my spirit is flying when I hear it.
"And all the intersecting lines in the sign" should be "And all the intersecting lines in the sand"