Foreground

They really know how to close out an album. The whole album is amazing, but this really ties it up perfectly. Everything about it is absolutely beautiful, all the rises and falls...

I don't think I could have been more pleased with Veckatimest.

Before I offer the incomplete interpretation below, I would like to note that I hear "chuckle", not "juggle", in the fourth line. (A muffled chuckle would seem to make more sense than a muffled juggle.)

While the song lends itself to any number of wildly differing interpretations, I view it in this way:

"Take on another shift Palms in the middle, hands in the middle"

-The narrator accepts more work; the 'hands in the middle' suggest the end of a huddle in a team-based competitive sport, the players demonstrating 'team spirit' by laying their hands on each other's hands in the middle of a circle, in an affirmation of solidarity and resolve. The narrator may be acting as a "team player", but not necessarily in accordance with personal desires.

"Work out another rift Something is muffled, another chuckle"

-The narrator tries in earnest to mend a broken relationship, but is met with incredulity.

"A cross country miss Take direction, can’t connect it"

-The narrator misses a cross-country flight and is forced to drive, relying on directions.

The other lyrics' meaning is anyone's guess, as far as I'm concerned. I believe the "foreground" the song refers to is the narrator's mundane and often frustrating daily life.

A more far-fetched interpretation might contrast 'foreground' with 'background'–what officials attempt to piece together and understand as it relates to a death or suicide.

Perhaps, the song is the narrator's explanation of the very real situations that might be considered, but not truly appreciated emotionally or viscerally, by investigators into the circumstances of a death or suicide.

A person's 'background' connotes something prosaic and dead, while a person's 'foreground' connotes something immediate and alive, the real experience of a real human being.

These lyrics are completely wrong. According to the Grizzly Bear website;

"Take on another shift Palms in the middle, hands in the middle Work out another rift Something is muffled, another juggle This is a foreground It is a foreground

A cross country miss Take direction, can’t connect it I’m afraid this is Ten detected, nine in a wreck and… A little jetty fight Pattern evolving, motion insolvent Something about this might Take all evening, I’ll just be cleaning

This is a foreground It is a foreground"

http://grizzly-bear.net/music/

This song is stunningly beautiful.

I always picture doctors and nurses at a hospital when I hear this song.

"Take on another shift, palms in the middle, hands in the middle"

Someone has taken another shift and as it starts everyone working creates a huddle and just hopes for a good shift.

"I’m afraid this is, Ten detected, nine in a wreck and…"

Nine in a wreck is a mass car crash that the hospital has to deal with, and it will "take all evening."

Combining it with cagilette's interpretation, this is the narrator's "foreground" or life.

Take on another shift---- two people taking another chance at their relationship

Hands in the middle palms in the middle---- they make a pact to try to work on things

Work out another rift---- they knew what they were doing before wasn’t working so they are trying to figure out something that will work (almost like writing a new guitar rift when the one you have just isn’t meshing with your song)

Something is muffled another juggle---- they can’t understand each other’s needs (muffled) and they can’t seem to compromise so they have to juggle what they both want

This is a foreground it is the foreground ---- fighting seems to be the main part of their relationship and the most dominant part

A cross country miss- ---they have tried to fix things over and over again but it just never works. (they have taken their relationship “cross country” but they always miss getting it right and end up fighting.

Take direction can’t connect it---- they promise to take control of the relationship and fix it but when push comes to shove they can’t put what they say they are going to do to work

Im afraid this is ten detected, nine in a wreck and--- had a bit of trouble with this one. The only thing relevant to what I think the song means that I could come up with was that he is pretty sure this is about the tenth time they have tried to fix their relationship and the past nine times have been a disaster

A little jetty fight---- the literal definition of jetty and basically the only thing I found it to mean is “A structure, such as a pier, that projects into a body of water to influence the current or tide.” So maybe he is comparing their relationship to an ocean with unpredictable tides and “jetty fight” means a fight that is going to drastically influence the direction of their relationship

Pattern evolving---- means the same pattern they have been through (fighting and breaking up and getting back together and fighting again) is happening once again.

Motion insolvent- ---no matter what they do to try to fix their relationship, it seems insufficient when compared to the fights they have

Something about this might take all evening I’ll just be cleaning----- this is the part of the song that really influenced me to believe this was about a relationship that cannot seem to be fixed. I picture them fighting and him realizing that it’s never going to stop and I picture him doing the dishes while she is yelling at him from across the room. I picture his face looking down and silent tears rolling down his cheeks because he knows it is never going to change between the two of them.

This is the foreground it is the foreground---- again, fighting is the dominant part of their relationship.

"Take on another shift Palms in the middle, hands in the middle Work out another rift Something is muffled, another juggle"

To me this whole song is about someone working on a complicated relationship, and that's what I feel this first verse is about, "Take on another shift, palms in the middle" etc. is them praying that whatever they're doing, or that their work will be enough. I feel like the last two lines show [them] moving past an issue and forgiving each other for it, but not really being open with how they felt or what the problem really was, and so nothing was really resolved, hence "another juggle"

"This is a foreground It is a foreground"

To me, the foreground is talking about appearance vs. reality; the way this person's lover or whomever is acting is only to give off certain impressions, and what's actually behind the actions (the background)is unknown. I think it's trying to rationalize this person's actions by saying "this is not what they truly mean", but again not actually knowing what it is they really mean.

"A cross country miss Take direction, can’t connect it"

These two lines mean to me that the person tried to do or say something that they thought would have a lot of gravity ('cross country' showing the lengths they went to), or they put a lot of effort into, and they didn't receive the response they wanted. Instead, they just have to keep trying to do what they feel their lover wants/needs, but they don't understand entirely what it is that they truly want.

"I’m afraid this is Ten detected, nine in a wreck and… A little jetty fight Pattern evolving, motion insolvent"

This part of the verse shows the past turbulence of the relationship, and how the person singing is afraid that it'll mimic the way their relationship has been in the past (on and off). It also shows how they feel that something so small could be taken out of proportion because of the lack of clarity and security in their relationship.

"Something about this might Take all evening, I’ll just be cleaning"

This to me shows how the singer is already preparing for the worst, and saying that they will bide their time until everything resolves itself as it always has in the past, again showing the extent of how complicated the relationship is.

"This is a foreground It is a foreground"

Again, the foreground used as a metaphor to show that all their problems are only on the surface and that there is more to be discovered.

incredible incredible incredible

cagillette did a great job. awesome song.

this song is being used on an advert here in new zealand for starship children's hospital! :D