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The Lake and the River Lyrics

Everything you'd live and die for
Reasons leading you through here
Perished matriarchal bonds
Failing innocence of love
When the world beckons your approach
It swallows you whole

You'll believe what you're led to believe
In the hands of ghosts we're never responsible
Wait to see what you're meant to see
The veil lifts when you expose your soul

Prayed I would leave this place someday
Joined to alarm from long ago now unconcerned
Euphorically floating upon wax wings where is the sun?
I still see her face; her beauty her grace
Transfixed like a light in front of me
It follows my soul
And swallows me whole

You'll believe what you're led to believe
In the hands of ghosts we're never responsible
Wait to see what you're meant to see
The veil lifts when you expose your soul

Left, right, left, right...

His branches reached so far before
His leaves were bold extremities with great control
Wasted along; he died alone

You'll believe what you're led to believe
In the hands of ghosts we're never responsible
Wait to see what you're meant to see
The veil lifts when you expose your soul

But the right hand hates the left and the sea's upset with the sky
So we press on in spite of the spite
Happiness is a knife when the worlds on its side and your minds on fire

Trying to find the trouble with the trouble I've found
Begging my god to make the wheels go round
Eat so much but I never get full
Earth opened up and swallowed us whole
17 Meanings

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Cover art for The Lake and the River lyrics by Dear Hunter, The

"His branches reached so far before His leaves were bold extremities with great control Wasted along; he died alone"

I think that's about the boy's father that he never knew, yet this unknown man had such control over how the boy would live his life.

"You'll believe what you're led to believe In the hands of ghosts we're never responsible Wait to see what you're meant to see The veil lifts when you expose your soul"

Sort of foreshadowing how much the boy is about to find out about his mother that he never REALLY knew. Also, his mother, who is now dead, would hypothetically be a ghost, so he'll realize that he's not responsible for the lies he's been fed all his life.

Is any of that good?

"Branches twisting reaching for the sky Hands extending reaching for the..."

this line was from 1878. has to be something to do with the father

Cover art for The Lake and the River lyrics by Dear Hunter, The

Does anyone know exactly what Casey's saying in the acoustic section at around 5:40? It seems like he's nearly repeating the chorus from "The Procession" (which is totally par for the course regarding TDH's super-cool intelligent song structure) but I feel like at least one line is different. Here's my best shot:

She's inanimate bloodless elegance Fatal fascination breeds a bloom of misery helpless hiding tongues bathed in revulsion [here lies possibility?] wilting premature

Cover art for The Lake and the River lyrics by Dear Hunter, The

Amazing song. I think it's about him leaving the land of the river and the lake, as it says. I wonder if Ms. Terri is the god he talks about in the last stanza, it says she's a light in front of him, who follows him? Maybe, maybe not.

Cover art for The Lake and the River lyrics by Dear Hunter, The

Miss Terri is the boys mother. She was a hooker, and his father is just a customer who got her pregnant. This could be about his mothers death.

Cover art for The Lake and the River lyrics by Dear Hunter, The

I agree that its about ms terri's death but how do you know its his mom and she was a hooker etc.

Cover art for The Lake and the River lyrics by Dear Hunter, The

Casey explained the story breifly when the ep first came out and said it was about a prostitute, Ms terri, and her son.

Cover art for The Lake and the River lyrics by Dear Hunter, The

Yes, I know that she is the mother. But I'm speaking metaphorically, she seems to be the reason he continues to try to learn more about his past, she is the light in front of him. But forget me saying she is his god.

Cover art for The Lake and the River lyrics by Dear Hunter, The

We know it's his mother because if ACT I and the line "Perished matriarchal bonds" means that he was under the care of a woman who has died (refers back to the Procession of course)

Cover art for The Lake and the River lyrics by Dear Hunter, The

the beginning of this sounds like music from spyro the dragon

takes place at same place that 1878 took place. he describes the same tree...which i assume is a metaphor for something else...probably some dead body

 
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