I Remember

I agree with ukdean, i think this song is about a lover too I think it may be about Bianca Casady (Coco of Cocorosie). they dated for a while and i believe they broke up around the time Devendra was probably writing/recording this album.

Bianca and Devendra both like to play with the concept of gender. Bianca usually draws a mustache on herself and Devendra in dresses. So i think the line "You'd help me zip up my dress" refers to the fact that they embraced and encouraged this deviance of gender norms in each other.

Another reason i think this is about him ending his relationship with Bianca is this line "you had remained your child still born with no name. " Bianca refers to herself as Stillborn (see 3rd CD of cocorosie :Adventures of ghosthorse and Stillborn)

I'm not sure what he is refering to with this line:"Happened nearly every night your own flesh & blood. " but i think the "own flesh and blood" may be refering to Bianca's sister Sierra Casady (the 2nd half of Cocorosie) they are very close sisters so same "flesh and blood "could apply here.

Ultimately i think this song is about the ending of a relationship that began simply with such promise and thoughts of limitlessness... i"m not quite sure of what he is alluding to specifically with his lines and maybe only Bianca would. This song is so sad tho and it truly is a shame they didn't last together. Bianca seemed like a better match than natalie portman atleast. Anyways that my take on this song. Maybe someone else sees the connection to the casady girls and can elaborate more

very moving. the first devendra banhart song i have sincerely liked.

"Please don't let what was get in the way of whats next. Don't forget that whats to come hasn't come yet."

and that is the crowning gem of the song. the lyricism, and the delivery of that line put together is awe-inspiring...

deep song. love it.

The first time I heard this song I literally started like spazzing like crying and trembling. I played it on repeat for an hour and cryed the whole time.

I still cry nearly everytime I hear it.

His voice is so genlte and the whole song is so beautiful it's bone chilling.

wow, I'm surprised noone has tried to interpret this song.

The way I see it, it's a duaghter speaking about her father raping her, and in this she gets pregnant with his child. surprisingly, she attempts to forgive him and raise the child. The lyrics pinpoint it, if you think of them in that way.

"I remember a far away laugh a sweet caresse you'd help me zip up my dress. & I remember your arms wrapped around my neck twenty one shells wrapped in a nest. Endlessness. Didn't last. " This represents the time before the rape, where everything was sweet and the father played the position of a father. I also think that it foreshadows the rape, with him zipping up her dress, I think it could be where he starts to feel lust for her.

"I remember no place for me to hide. Before you came home at night. & I remember you turnin' out the lights all i ever saw was the red in your eyes. No big surprise. Happened nearly every night your own flesh & blood. I did wonder why." this is what pins it the most, especially "your own flesh and blood"

"I remember not knowing what to say & how calm you had remained your child still born with no name. " this is where the birth of the child comes into play, she keeps it a secret who the father is because she doesnt want to reveal that it is her own father, which is why the baby has no name. he didnt know what to say because he didnt expect a pregnancy to come from his actions, and he had to remain somewhat calm about the whole thing, so he doesnt reveal that it was him. "I remember the never ending summer rain." this just sets the scene, the baby was obviously born in summer, and it would only apply that it always was raining becuase of the discomfort and awkwardness the family must of felt.

"Please don't let what was get in the way of whats next. Don't forget that whats to come hasn't come yet." this is where the forgiving from the daughter comes in, she still wants her father in her life (which is a shock to me, and is also why i think it is set in earlier times, where respect for your parents was still very big in play)

i love this song... it really hurts, even to listen to it, the way he sings and words everything... to me it was always beautiful and romantic, even though the lyrics could be decifered differently.

so the relationship is failing-- he remembers eventually almost dreading seeing her, and to me, he was talking about how insecure she was with herself, even in intimacy with him, she wouldn't let him see her naked in the light. he couldn't really understand that.

and then i took the still born child quite literally-- obviously when something like that happens, the relationship is affected a lot, and she's given another reason beyond herself to be depressed, to drag them down further.

it's the inevitable loss of a relationship that seemed endless in the beginning. so many are like that... and his emotion, imagery, lyrics completely capture those feelings in me.

Being such an enigmatic and emotional song, I think it can mean whatever you want it to mean. For me, this song represents my situation with a flame I had at the end of summer, once upon a time.

"I remember a far away laugh, a sweet caress; you'd help me zip up my dress. and I remember your arms wrapped around my neck, twenty one shells wrapped in a nest. Endlessness didn't last. I won't change given the chance."

After making love, always accompanied by laughter and sweet caresses, he'd help me zip up my dress. Countless times, we lay together beneath the stars. I was unaware that we weren't on the same page, in terms of "our future"; I thought our love was endless, and even though I was leaving, that we'd be together again once I returned. That didn't end up happening; after months of avoiding me altogether, he revealed to me that he was gay. It hurt because I was / am still in love with him; it changed my whole life, but I don't regret our past at all, and if given the chance, I wouldn't change a thing.

"I remember no place for me to hide, before you came home at night. and I remember you turnin' out the lights; all I ever saw was the red in your eyes. No big surprise. Happened nearly every night, your own flesh and blood. I did wonder why."

This always reminds me of the times we've hung out at his place since he came out to me, and seeing him interact with his family, none of whom know yet. He always had a pained, sad look in his eyes after talking to his parents or his brother; I know it's a huge burden to continue keep that secret from them.

"I remember not knowing what to say and how calm you had remained, your child still born with no name."

I always felt paralyzed when he talked about his struggles with dealing with this part of him that he finally acknowledged, and having to keep it hidden from everyone. I always felt foolish and helpless, because I never knew what to say to comfort him or what advice to give him. The "child stillborn with no name" represents his homosexuality, something he can't call by name around others, something he can hardly call by name in his own mind.

"Please don't let what was get in the way of what's next. Don't forget that what's to come hasn't come yet."

I think this part is pretty self-explanatory.

it's so strong, so deeply sad

deep song. love it.

deep song. love it.