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Berkeley by Hearseback Lyrics

Lay me down in a hearseback, it's where my new best look is at.
If I slit a purse or two then I can't curse if my cake is cooked and minor veins are mapped.

These tits not filled with milk, these cold bones wrapped in hunger
Like a bundle of sticks in a fire so slow it leaves them unburned, black and yearning.

Will this new year's see my rotting hair's release?
Will my new black book pull the sick from my deepest creases?
-A gift from The Maccabees to mom to me,
No more flier backs or receipts, using magazines for tables.

A girl's down bed and corresponding naked wings unable

When I felt my ribs come closing slow, a row of snakes set to strangle

I am survived

Lay me down in a hearseback, it's where my new best look is at.
If I slit a purse or two then I can't curse if my cake is cooked and minor veins are mapped

But you might find me in the white pages yet, my name is next to numbers
Like someone's father's father: left listed in the book of numbers,
Like someone's father's father: left listed in the book of numbers.
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Cover art for Berkeley by Hearseback lyrics by Why?

yoni obviously wrote most of these songs in the winter after new year's (see also january twentysomething)--

Will this new year's see my rotting hair's release? Will my new black book pull the sick from my deepest creases? -A gift from The Maccabees to mom to me, No more flier backs or receipts, using magazines for tables.

this means his mother got him a new black book for hannukah to write his lyrics in. no more flyer backs, or receipts, using magazines for tables. will it cure his depression this year? who knows, but he might go bald.

Good catch, I assumed 'gift from the Maccabees to mom to me' was referring to classically Jewish traits that were passed down genetically but I couldn't figure out which line could be a reference to some physical characteristic

Cover art for Berkeley by Hearseback lyrics by Why?

This song sounds like writing letters to old friends you haven't heard from in a long time. That's not what it's about, but for some reason it just sounds like that. Like, the actual music.

Cover art for Berkeley by Hearseback lyrics by Why?

Another song about surrendering to death. This one hits me like Light Leaves hits me, i.e. in a huge way. One of my favourites on the album, no doubt.

"If I slit a purse or two then I can't curse if my cake is cooked and minor veins are mapped."

"When I felt my ribs come closing slow, a row of snakes set to strangle."

So great.

Cover art for Berkeley by Hearseback lyrics by Why?

what's the "slit a purse" action all about?

I think it's a reference to self-harm and suicidal tendencies. I think he's trying to rationalise his fear of death here - if he's tried and/or wanted to kill or hurt himself in the past, he's telling himself that he shouldn't be afraid of death coming to him. He muses on mortality a lot on this new record.

I think it's talking about sinning. What's done is done, he slit some purses and stole and his path is set (inner vains are mapped/cake is cooked). He just needs to accept what's coming to him.

It's a reference to sex. Think about it.

Cover art for Berkeley by Hearseback lyrics by Why?

I'm wondering what the final part about the book of numbers is about. Something to do with being remembered after death in some manner?

Yeah, I think he trying to say that all he will be rembered by is the phonebook.. Is there a white pages phonebook though? Why wouldnt he say yellow pages, could it possibly be becasue yellow typically refers to cowards?

White pages is for people. Yellow pages is for businesses. But I agree that he is comparing the book of numbers to a phone book in that the Jews at Mt. Sinai were remembered by this book, he will similarly be remembered because of a 'book of numbers' in a way connecting him to his tradition.

Cover art for Berkeley by Hearseback lyrics by Why?

The Jewish reference of the Maccabees makes me think the numbers mentioned in the last verse are a Holocaust reference.

Cover art for Berkeley by Hearseback lyrics by Why?

Surely the Book of Numbers is a reference to the book of the bible, right?

Cover art for Berkeley by Hearseback lyrics by Why?

i think the "book of numbers" is meant to have multiple meanings here, and i think that's what makes it a great line.

Cover art for Berkeley by Hearseback lyrics by Why?

In the Bible, characters are usually introduced by saying who his father was, like "Abraham, son of Isaac, son of Jacob, son of so and so." I think that is what Yoni is referring to here.

Cover art for Berkeley by Hearseback lyrics by Why?

Pretty sure the first part is:

"Lately down in a hearse back is where my new best look is at if I slit a purse or two then I can't curse if my cake is cooked and my nerve veins are mapped."

 
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