Ready, Able

This is song MEANINGS, right?

This song seems to me to be pretty clearly about guilt and cheating on someone you truly love.

The lines that make this the most clear:

"And when I shuffled on back home I made sure all my tracks in the snow were gone"

"I want you to know what I did, I did"

The lines: I’m gonna take a stab at this Surely we’ll be alright Make a decision with a kiss Maybe I have frostbite

seem to suggest the decision to TELL the loved one about what was done, to come clean. And, perhaps the ultimate meaning behind this song, the question of whether you have it in you to go through with it, to mend what's been broken:

"Hope I’m ready, able to make my own good home"

this song is so amazing. brings me chills right next to "in the flowers" by animal collective :]

Has anyone ever seen the music video to this song?... It's quite the stop-motion masterpiece! You should check it out!!!

<3 Grizzly Bear

I agree with the theory started by torchie, relating to the character's adultery and guilt.

I believe that there is more to be said of the structure of the music and its relation to the lyrics. Think about the drastic difference between the music of the verse and that of the chorus. I think that this is intentional.

(I will call the very first thing that happens the verse and the second part the chorus, so that the song is structured verse-chorus-verse-chorus-ending)

The verses sound very awkward. The music is subtle, there is a serious lack of any tones, and the chords are sporadic and unresolved. I think that the verses represent the character's own inner thoughts while relaying the affair to his lover. There is a sense of nervousness and indecisiveness in the music, as in his thoughts.

The choruses are very fleety and legato, the type of music that is normally associated with thinking, dreaming, or storytelling. I'll go with storytelling. I believe that these choruses are bits and pieces of what he is actually saying to his lover, unlike the verses, which are internal.

Now, taking it line by line, we see that this theory works out.

I'm gonna take a stab at this; Surely we'll be alright. Make a decision with a kiss; Maybe I have frostbite.

This is the first verse, which is completely internal. This is happening inside the character's head. He immediately feels a wave of fear wash over him and reassures himself that it'll be okay. Before he begins, he kisses his lover, but it doesn't feel the same as usual. He justifies that fact to himself by saying that maybe he has frostbite.

And when I shuffled on back home, I made sure all my tracks in the snow were gone.

This is the first chorus, just a small piece of what is being said to the lover. He is simply expressing his shame and regret to his lover. Maybe he doesn't say exactly this word for word, but rather "I made sure all my tracks in the snow were gone" symbolizes his expression of immediate regret. He is not covering his tracks out of fear that the lover will find out; he is covering his tracks because he is ashamed of himself.

Tissue and bone, it was a tryst; This isn't a gunfight. Checking it off of my list, Unable to rewrite.

This is the second verse, again, internal. We infer that, in the bits that we haven't heard, the conversation erupted into a "gunfight," and he's lost for words, because he doesn't know how to explain that it was only a stupid physical--"tissue and bone"--tryst. He thinks it inside his head--perhaps this should be punctuated more like this: Tissue and bone, it was a tryst! This isn't a gunfight! He's very frustrated that in this situation he can't find the right words. On top of that, he's even more frustrated with himself for having done this in the first place. He's "checking it off of [his] list," but "unable to rewrite," almost saying to himself, "Are you happy now? You've done it. Congratulations. Now you'll never be able to erase this. Was it worth it?"

Five years, countless months, and a loan, Hope I'm ready, able to make my own good home.

This is the end of his speech, the last thing he says to his lover before their final goodbye. It's an apology. He's apologizing for having completely nullified everything they put into their relationship, and expressing reconciliation, hoping that he'll never again hurt someone like this (that he'll make a good home next time).

Now, musically, there is a huge sense of moving forward. We've hit an incredible climax, and it just keeps repeating, pushing and pushing, while the character says at last (note I am hearing something different than what's at the top of this page)

"Before we go, I want you to know, what I did I did."

This is his final goodbye. He's done it; it's over. He's lost his lover for good. There's no going back, but he still loves him/her, so he maintains his honesty, his open heart.

"Before we go, I want you to know, what I did I did."

This is by far the most powerful song I've heard in quite some time. Grizzly Bear has hands-down the most talent in the music industry right now. These guys are incredible.

"They go we go, I want you to know, what I did I did."

I always hear it as them saying, "Ready, able I just want you to know that I love you." I don't know why. But yeah, and I like it that way more than the actual lyrics.

Lyrics aren't that important to me. Being a true musician means you allow your listeners to interpretate their lyrics in any way they want to.

I think the protagonist is leaving behind a situation that he regrets, like either torchie or jonathonjonathon's interpretations.

"make my own good home" might relate to a fresh start without the mistakes or memories of his past.

While the characters in his story will dissolve and be lost in time("they go, we go"), he wants the tale to be passed through history so that others can learn from it. - I think the protagonist is now addressing the listeners; "i want YOU to know what i did"

Fantastic song. I could be wrong, but I always thought it said "Before we go, I want you to know what I did. I did."

It seems to make more sense that way as well. Either way, I can't get this song out of my head. It's so good!

I think it's Unable to rewrite, which would make more sense in the context of the song. I also gree that it is Before we go, I want you to know, what I did I did,

"this isn't a gun fight" I think references a line from Hallelujah

"Maybe there's a God above but all I've ever learnt from love is how to shoot somebody who who drew you"

Hence, why he is so particularly ashamed, confused and filled with regret- his lover did not deserve the infidelity.

I’m gonna take a stab at this Surely we’ll be alright Make a decision with a kiss Maybe I have frostbite 1^ Confession-Infidelity, surely she will understand and forgive me, difficult so extremely difficult to admit, it's painful, cold, it hurts... guilt

And when I shuffled on back home I made sure all my tracks in the snow were gone 1^ I went to her, I confessed.. everything, everything, every sorted detail, I made sure all of my tracks in the snow were gone, I didn't leave out anything, not a thing

Tissue and bone it was a tryst 2^ Wow, that's all it was... I meant nothing to him, tissue and bone, I was just another one of his...

This isn’t a gunfight 2^ Whatever, I'm not going to fight it, what's the point, he's made his decision, wow, I'm so done, what's the point, broken, completely broken

Checking it off of my list Unable to write ^2 I don't deserve this, I wash myself clean, I'm through, I have no words to say, promises tossed away

Five years, countless months and a loan ^2 (defenses are up... thinking back to all those years of trusting him, being with him, anger/dismay) I gave him five years of my life, I gave him everything, seriously... seriously!

Hope I’m ready, able to make my own, good home ^1 I need to get it right, and not make the same mistakes, I need to be a better person...

They go we go, I want you to know, what I did I did, They go we go, I want you to know, what I did I did. ^2 Relationships, they go, we do the dance, repeat, All of his confession are repeating, repeating, repeating, in my mind, I look back at him and can't believe what just happen, (the ugliness of sin...)

They go we go, I want you to know, what I did I did, They go we go, I want you to know, what I did I did.

::vocalizing::

They go we go, I want you to know, what I did I did, They go we go, I want you to know, what I did I did.