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Effigy Lyrics
If you come to find me affable
Build a replica for me
Would the idea to you be laughable
Of a pale facsimile?
So will you come to burn an effigy?
It should keep the flies away
And when you long to burn this effigy
It should be of the hours that slip away, slip away
It could be you, it could be me
Working the door, drinking for free
Carrying on with your conspiracies
Filling the room with a sense of unease
Fake conversations on a nonexistent telephone
Like the words of a man who's spent a little too much time alone
When one has spent too much time alone
So will you come to burn my effigy?
It should keep the flies away
If you long to burn an effigy
It should be of a man whose has lost his way, slips away
It could be you, it could be me
Working the door, drinking for free
Carrying on with your conspiracies
Filling the room with a sense of unease
Fake conversations on a nonexistent telephone
Like the words of a man who's spent a little too much time alone
When one has spent too much time alone
Build a replica for me
Would the idea to you be laughable
Of a pale facsimile?
It should keep the flies away
And when you long to burn this effigy
It should be of the hours that slip away, slip away
Working the door, drinking for free
Carrying on with your conspiracies
Filling the room with a sense of unease
Like the words of a man who's spent a little too much time alone
When one has spent too much time alone
It should keep the flies away
If you long to burn an effigy
It should be of a man whose has lost his way, slips away
Working the door, drinking for free
Carrying on with your conspiracies
Filling the room with a sense of unease
Like the words of a man who's spent a little too much time alone
When one has spent too much time alone
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What the hell is up with these lyrics? I think they belong to the CCR song by the same name.
This is the correct version, I believe:
If you come to find me affable Build a replica for me Would the idea to you be laughable Of a pale facsimile?
So will you come to burn an effigy? It should keep the flies away And when you long to burn this effigy It should be of the hours that slip away, slip away
It could be you, it could be me Working the door, drinking for free Carrying on with your conspiracies Filling the room with a sense of unease
Fake conversations on a nonexistent telephone Like the words of a man who's spent a little too much time alone [ From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/a/andrew-bird-lyrics/effigy-lyrics.html ] When one has spent too much time alone
So will you come to burn my effigy? It should keep the flies away If you long to burn an effigy It should be of a man whose has lost his way, slips away
It could be you, it could be me Working the door, drinking for free Carrying on with your conspiracies Filling the room with a sense of unease
Fake conversations on a nonexistent telephone Like the words of a man who's spent a little too much time alone When one has spent too much time alone
"Hold on just a second Don't tell me this one you know I know this one I know this song I know this one I love this song"
I love the way he sings this line. He uses the natural melody in the way someone would actually say this line. When a friend recalls a song this way, it has this natural music in the highs and lows and emphasis and Andrew Bird amplifies and uses it.
Am I making any sense? It's hard to convey. But it's beautiful and interesting.
You're making sense, but you're talking about Anonanimal! ;)
You're making sense, but you're talking about Anonanimal! ;)
yop!
yop!
He gave a pretty detailed intro to this song when I saw him in Portland a couple months ago. He did say it was about a guy who sits at the end of the bar and makes unsolicited comments. He also said that the guy didn't have a ton of friends, may have played a little too much dungeons and dragons, and really wants and tries to be able to communicate with people but just doesn't remember or know how. Very touching, beautiful song
This one, I always understood. This one, he wrote about me.
This one, I always understood. This one, he wrote about me.
Or at least he could have.
Or at least he could have.
Every time I fear this song, I well up.
Every time I fear this song, I well up.
Thank you Andrew.
Thank you Andrew.
Walking the dog = Working the door
I always thought it was "working the dole" As in, getting paid for unemployment and thus drinking for free.
I always thought it was "working the dole" As in, getting paid for unemployment and thus drinking for free.
^^ correct
The key word in this song is "find" because, "finding someone affable" and "knowing someone affable" are different. If you are finding someone affable they may not be affable(friendly, personable) and the "hours that slip away" are the learned result that someone is a completely different person that whom they perceived.
"Fake conversations on a nonexistent telephone"
This whole thing also seems like an internal conversation of thought.
I may be reading way too into this because Andrew Bird tends to have an inventive way of string together words and phrase to create narrative.
He mentioned in a show that this song is about a "guy that sits at the end of the bar and makes unsolicited comments." I didn't really get this song until he said that.
I think it's:
"When you long to burn this effigy" - not "learn"
This one, I always understood. This one, he wrote about me.
Or at least he could have.
Every time I fear this song, I well up.
Thank you Andrew....
*hear. not fear.