Fix what’s wrong, but don’t rewrite what the artist wrote. Stick to the official released version — album booklet, label site, verified lyric video, etc. If you’re guessing, pause and double-check.
Respect the structure
Songs have rhythm. Pages do too. Leave line breaks where they belong. Don’t smash things together or add extra empty space just for looks.
Punctuation counts (but vibe-editing doesn’t)
Correct typos? Yes. Re-punctuating a whole verse because it ‘looks better’? Probably not. Keep capitalization and punctuation close to the official source.
Don’t mix versions
If you’re editing the explicit version, keep it explicit. If it’s the clean version, keep it clean. No mashups.
Let the lyrics be lyrics
This isn’t the place for interpretations, memories, stories, or trivia — that’s what comments are for. Keep metadata, translations, and bracketed stage directions out unless they’re officially part of the song.
Edit lightly
If two lines are wrong… fix the two lines. No need to bulldoze the whole page. Think ‘surgical,’ not ‘remix.’
When in doubt, ask the crowd
Not sure what they’re singing in that fuzzy bridge? Drop a question in the comments and let the music nerds swarm. Someone always knows.
It's actually "darkening", not "don't give in". Skye confirmed it after their Cambridge gig in November. Is this going to blow peoples' minds regarding their translation, or just make it easier to decide on said translation?
I don't know what this song means, but the harmonies just slay me every time! So beautiful! They sound like an angel choir! Does anyone else think the musical break at the end sounds like something from the Beach Boys (maybe Pet Sounds era)?
I am not sure anyone could exactly say what this song means, since so much of the meaning is left to the listener. However, what I picture when I hear the song (with "darkening" in place of "don't give in") is someone calling out to another, most likely a lover. To me, this song is about a person who, as the night starts to fall, laments not having his/her lover with him/her.
The first stanza of "lay me down" is the narrator thinking of the lover, the second stanza is the narrator noticing the darkness, and the third stanza reinforces the importance of the darkness to the narrator. The fourth stanza signifies the narrator wishing/asking for the lover to come back and be with him/her. The fifth stanza is the narrator realizing what he lost when he lost his/her lover, and the sixth stanza reinforces the importance of this to the narrator with repetition.
The music supports this somewhat as well. The fast pace of the guitar-plucking seems almost frantic, and the bass drum sounds almost like a heartbeat. The narrator is scared. Some of the percussion elements drop out for the first to lines of "come to me," almost as if the narrator is holding his/her breath as he/she thinks about it (the guitar symbolizing racing thoughts). Then the elements such as tambourine rejoin the sound, as if he/she is feeling the momentary hope of the lover coming back recede.
This is just what I hear, but with the vagueness of the lyrics, it is up to anyone's interpretation. That is part of the beauty in this song, and indeed the beauty in many of the songs produced by Fleet Foxes.
My favorite song by them - absolutely beautiful. Amazingly simple lyrics but still very powerful. There's not much to work with as of meaning, but I can imagine it has something to do with someone special. "Lay me down" could be that he wants her to give him up, yet he still wants her by saying come to me, secretly wanting her to follow her own path ("Don't give in") despite what he wants. He is struggling with the sacrifice of letting her go. At least that's what I get out of these three lines.
Haha cdn42, it was actually someone questioning if "donkey man" was the lyric that prompted Skye to confirm it was "darkening". So nope - not the only one! :)
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
It's actually "darkening", not "don't give in". Skye confirmed it after their Cambridge gig in November. Is this going to blow peoples' minds regarding their translation, or just make it easier to decide on said translation?
Am I the only one hearing 'Donkey man'?
haha i heard donkey man too
haha i heard donkey man too
i thought it was 'donkey head', which is even more stupid
i thought it was 'donkey head', which is even more stupid
No no, I heard Donkey Man and Doggie Land. Haha.
No no, I heard Donkey Man and Doggie Land. Haha.
Thought I heard "donkey man" and was like "Wtf is this song about?!?!" Come to me, donkey man????? TMI
Thought I heard "donkey man" and was like "Wtf is this song about?!?!" Come to me, donkey man????? TMI
@cdn42 I heard, "doggie man," and since then, I sing it like that to my mom's dogs--LMAO!
@cdn42 I heard, "doggie man," and since then, I sing it like that to my mom's dogs--LMAO!
I don't know what this song means, but the harmonies just slay me every time! So beautiful! They sound like an angel choir! Does anyone else think the musical break at the end sounds like something from the Beach Boys (maybe Pet Sounds era)?
@NorthWriter Definite Pet Sounds/Beach Boys vibes
@NorthWriter Definite Pet Sounds/Beach Boys vibes
I am not sure anyone could exactly say what this song means, since so much of the meaning is left to the listener. However, what I picture when I hear the song (with "darkening" in place of "don't give in") is someone calling out to another, most likely a lover. To me, this song is about a person who, as the night starts to fall, laments not having his/her lover with him/her. The first stanza of "lay me down" is the narrator thinking of the lover, the second stanza is the narrator noticing the darkness, and the third stanza reinforces the importance of the darkness to the narrator. The fourth stanza signifies the narrator wishing/asking for the lover to come back and be with him/her. The fifth stanza is the narrator realizing what he lost when he lost his/her lover, and the sixth stanza reinforces the importance of this to the narrator with repetition. The music supports this somewhat as well. The fast pace of the guitar-plucking seems almost frantic, and the bass drum sounds almost like a heartbeat. The narrator is scared. Some of the percussion elements drop out for the first to lines of "come to me," almost as if the narrator is holding his/her breath as he/she thinks about it (the guitar symbolizing racing thoughts). Then the elements such as tambourine rejoin the sound, as if he/she is feeling the momentary hope of the lover coming back recede. This is just what I hear, but with the vagueness of the lyrics, it is up to anyone's interpretation. That is part of the beauty in this song, and indeed the beauty in many of the songs produced by Fleet Foxes.
@benjamink Your interpretation is so close to mine that I will just bump you. Thanks.
@benjamink Your interpretation is so close to mine that I will just bump you. Thanks.
My favorite song by them - absolutely beautiful. Amazingly simple lyrics but still very powerful. There's not much to work with as of meaning, but I can imagine it has something to do with someone special. "Lay me down" could be that he wants her to give him up, yet he still wants her by saying come to me, secretly wanting her to follow her own path ("Don't give in") despite what he wants. He is struggling with the sacrifice of letting her go. At least that's what I get out of these three lines.
Haha cdn42, it was actually someone questioning if "donkey man" was the lyric that prompted Skye to confirm it was "darkening". So nope - not the only one! :)
Perhaps this song is about intimacy in abstinence? 'Lay me down' vs. 'Don't give in'? I don't know.
I thought it said Darken air. Ha i was off. Anyways beautiful song even if it is just a few words being said over and over.
I love it. Always will. <3
I kept hearing "Donkey Land", that's what brought me here. "Darkening" is much cooler. lol
Hehe! Donkey Land? Well, that would be strange, for sure! I hear "darkening" with headphones on.