1878

Ms. Terri contemplates suicide? Knives. Drowning. I do like to think of the son and her job as a lake and a river though. Perhaps she's metaphorically drowning because of THEM.

"Fell in another hole (For the knife, for the knife)"

i think is actually...(for the night, for the night)...not for the knife, for the knife...she fell in a hole for the night because she needs money, her new-born son gives her new perspective of ..."Everything you thought you'd live and die for Every reason leading you to hear all the sounds That trickle past you introspective ear"...she has to watch out not only for herself now but also him. "An attempt to discover what's behind"....she will realize things about herself shes never noticed prior to this.

"Hands conflicting clearly point their way Stunned by the sign and fearing what they say"...they (ms. terri and her son) are on a path she is conflicted about. She doesnt want to have to take the "clear" route of working as a prostitute to support them. She fears the signs that say this is what she will need to do.

I don't have much to contribute as far as analysis yet, but I can't believe no one else has posted anything. This is one of my favorite tracks on The Lake South the River North!

first analysis but here goes.... to me this song is ms terri and her son trying to survive with with next to no money and how they are falling lower and lower... i think that when i says river and lake that it is ms terri trying to decide between her son and her work one being the river and the other the lake...

any other thoughts???

Bleed myself dry? Sounds like using a knife to me.

I don't know though. In my opinion, after "Fell in another hole" it should say "For the night" Then after it says "Loss of control" it should be "For the knife" So maybe it alternates. I could be wrong but thats what sounds right and thats what it sounds like to my ears.

"We've got a way we got away and survived Stunned by the shock and fearing what's behind" - I think Ms.Terri chose the ladder and quit her work and was left with nothing but her son and fears that if she cant find a way to take care of them she'll fall back into her old ways.

"Everything you thought you'd live and die for Every reason leading you to hear all the sounds"- Ms. Terri re evaluating whats important and realizing she needs to quit her work.

1878: hm. Birth year? Year of song? Or something significant. Dunno. There isn’t much analysis available here. It in my opinion, is the culmination of the story so far and a shift towards the boy’s story. Both Ms. Terri and her son seem to be speaking in this part, but the song is the pain and their life. I think the knife/night debacle is tough, but I’d side with the knife, perhaps night is in there too but the night has no importance her, he is mentioned with a knife in the previous song. But if it’s night, it’s “fall the night”, duh. In addition, the tree here is depicted as paralleling his confusion and their lack of direction in an image of again, pain. Lotta pain. Tripping bleeding stunning. Stunned by the sign and fearing what they say? Hm, see that could be the boy’s growth or the mother’s shame. But there is definitely a spark of the boy trying to discover his past, “discover what’s behind” and finding mystery as he wanders around in the dark (night?) falling in holes and going nuts losing control. So there ya go. Not much literal story happening here.

I don't know if anyone knew this, but Dan Nigro (the lead singer from As Tall As Lions) guest vocals on this track:) really gives it a rich sound