Adventures in Solitude

This song is such a life-saver. January was hard. I don't know why. Well actually I do know but I'm not going to tell about it here. Anyway, it seemed very very possible then that nothing would ever feel good again. I had a free period and I lied down on the sofas at school and watched the clouds go by. Then this song came on shuffle and assured that

"We thought we lost you We thought we lost you We thought we lost you It will all come back"

I decided to believe it. And it was right. Yaaay.

Sounds like a near-death experience, like a person fighting cancer (circling the edge of the never-ending) and surviving (we thought we lost you...welcome back).

You shouldn't take it too literal at times. This song is be derived from the title - Adventures in Solitude. It's about being alone, getting some space for yourself. Because of the "adventure" in the title, the "wars" described aren't literally wars but metaphors for the turmoil and hard times that may have 'caused the loneliness or need of space.

It's amazingly nice change of pace from the usual non-sensical New Pornographers writing style. I know they could be political at times, but this song isn't political.

Hmm... Well I've been reading a fair amoung New Pornographer interpretations and one common theme I've seen from comments is "If you've lived it, you get it." I've never been divorced or had an affair, but I do have depression; as a result, in some sense I 'get' this one.

First consider that the narrator is not the subject. The narrator is extending empathy to the subject, attempting to assist him/her through the 'guilt' phase of re-entering relationships (vanished marvels) after a period of self-inflicted alienation. The narrator's familiarity with the metaphors of depression survival - of silent, self-inflicted psycho-spiritual (and more rarely physical) violence - indicates a personal experience similar to the subject's; further the narrator's statements 'to pay off a debt..." and "we brought the same blood back..." references the common experience of depression-survivors, who often feel they owe a debt to someone who helped them to come back to society that cannot be repaid directly that obligates them to repay that debt to someone else who suffers what they have suffered and who, only another survivor knows, will spend the rest of their lives 'circling the edge of the neverending.'

Song C D G AM

Bridge Bm G C G

I find this works well for the guitar.

This song is awesome, by far my favourite The New Pornographers song :)

I'm guessing that it's about somebody who has gone through depression haemoraging friends through the mines of a war going on in their head leading them to solitude, to nothing... which they claim back and with so their friends that have been awaiting patiently. I think it's about dealing with the guilt of rejecting your friends, rejecting that which can bring you happiness and embracing it once the war is over.

I might be wrong but that's my spin on it... I guess I'll wait and see to be proved wrong :D

That relationship with the person who made your life make sense ends. Over the years you meet other people, but never ignites the same magic... always feel a sense of longing... a hole that nobody can fill. Then your paths cross again...

Or something else? Like it better than the above ideas tho :p

Maybe it's because I just saw it (read the book), but this song is reminiscent of scenes from the movie Atonement.

I took it as being completely within the realm of solitude. The "we" referring to the aspect of someone's self presented to the world, and the "you" being their true self that's constantly changing and in question. Like when faced with a difficult problem or sadness, someone might retreat to a deeper, darker part of themselves, and the adventure is coming out of that.

But I'm probably over-thinking.

I'm not really sure what this song is about, but I'm leaning towards someone opting to go it alone, whether the times are good or bad, but ultimately realizing that there are people in their life who care and are waiting for them when they're ready.

I couldn't agree more about the "We thought we lost you"s. The first time I heard this song I started crying, having gone through several things alone, often of my own choice. It was the first time I realized the people in my life care about me. I still get a wave of emotion every time they start singing that part.

The melody of this song is so magical.