What started at a summer lake
A sentence and a name
If only for a moment's sake
We called it and it came

Held it down-the loving heat-
Longer than a time
Held it down-the loving heat-
Softer than a chime

We've seen how Sick Wind blows
But I've got your bovine eyes
I'll love you like I love you
Then I'll die

Shot the rats and as they ran
From the quarry to the tracks
Chased them as you took my hand
And never gave it back
Held it up and felt the wind
Blow and miss a chime
Found a god and begged it in
To fight your body crime

We've seen The Sick Wind blow
But I've got your bovine eyes
I'll love you like I love you
Then I'll die

I relate, kid, but I'm the one who wants to let you wonder
I relate, kid, but I'm the one who wants to let you wonder

We've seen how sick wind blows
But I've got your bovine eyes
I'll love you like I love you
Then I'll die
I'll love you like I love you
Then I'll die
I'll love you like I love you
Then I'll die


Lyrics submitted by thiscityisdrowning

Some Are Lakes Lyrics as written by Elizabeth Powell

Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

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Some Are Lakes song meanings
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20 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    I'm not sure of the significance, if there is any, with relation to these lyrics but the goddess Hera was referred to as "the cow-eyed." I always think about that when I hear the bovine eyes lyrics.

    allhailspartaon March 09, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Thanks for posting this! What a great song. Listening to it, I'm not sure all the lyrics are dead-on, but many are. Thanks again friend.

    shadowamion October 06, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Thanks for the help!

    This is what I'm hearing:

    Still does sound totally right, though.

    boohskeyon October 07, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    *doesn't

    boohskeyon October 07, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i think in the chorus, she's saying, "but i've got your bovine eyes."

    it doesn't make any sense, but i think those are the words.

    bink1227on October 13, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Pitchfork quotes it as "bovine eyes".

    CharlieAParkeron October 16, 2008   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation

    I agree. It's definitely bovine eyes, which is a pretty clever way of describing great big brown eyes (like a cow...bovine, eyyyyy).

    At first, I thought this was about her losing someone she loves to sickness. Then, I realized she's actually the one who's sick. It could be a disease, but I honestly think she's fighting a serious addiction. It might help if I knew which lyrics to trust. haha I need to listen to this song again...which is so easy because it's so damn good.

    somekindofprowesson January 06, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    When I hear this song I think there is a lot of dog or animal companion imagery, maybe to stress the level at which they are linked, it might be love of a friend instead of romantic love. "A sentence and a name./If only for a moments sake,/You called it and it came." The way a dog come when its name is called, "Held him down and let him eat,/longer then a while." is imagery of an animal coming to feed, almost from its masters hand. And the bovine eyes description invokes more animal imagery.

    U4iaon January 18, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Here are the correct lyrics word for word from Land of Talks Blog.

    dosbodeon January 26, 2009   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation

    I still think it is he who is dying, not the singer's character.

    infinityontrialon February 16, 2009   Link

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