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Dear Avery Lyrics
Dear Avery, I think of you only
Were you waving, were you dead on the vine
Oh Avery, I think of you lonely
But I could just grab you by the nape of your neck
There are times life will rattle your bones
And will bend your limbs
You're still far away the boy you've ever been
So you bend back and shake at the frame
Of the frame you made
But don't you shake alone
Please Avery, come home
Headstrong, you and your long arms
Listing lazily on the cusp of your teens
But you were my Avery and when you needed saving
I could just grab you by the nape of your neck
There are times life will rattle your bones
And will bend your limbs
You're still far and away the boy you've ever been
So you bend back and shake at the frame
Of the frame you made
But don't you shake alone
Please Avery, come home
Don't you shake alone
Please Avery, come home
Come home
Were you waving, were you dead on the vine
Oh Avery, I think of you lonely
But I could just grab you by the nape of your neck
And will bend your limbs
You're still far away the boy you've ever been
So you bend back and shake at the frame
Of the frame you made
But don't you shake alone
Please Avery, come home
Listing lazily on the cusp of your teens
But you were my Avery and when you needed saving
I could just grab you by the nape of your neck
And will bend your limbs
You're still far and away the boy you've ever been
So you bend back and shake at the frame
Of the frame you made
But don't you shake alone
Please Avery, come home
Don't you shake alone
Please Avery, come home
Come home
Song Info
Submitted by
roberteleet On Dec 28, 2010
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There was an article in Time that was published about the new album in which Meloy explains this and a few of the other songs on the album. He said that this song was inspired by the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
From the "Time" article:
"They're kids," he says. "If you're a parent of one of these people, you just want to grab them by the scruff of their neck and yank them out of it. When they're that far out of arm's reach that must be devastating." --Colin Meloy
If you re-read the lyrics, this definitely makes sense.
I think this song is about watching your son grow up and realizing that you can't always protect him
"On the cusp of your teens" - very cool line right there. I agree, the song pertains to the art of growing up and a parents' view.
"On the cusp of your teens" - very cool line right there. I agree, the song pertains to the art of growing up and a parents' view.
I'm not about to discount the dog theory, because I think it's sweet, but I think it's about a teenaged son. He doesn't necessarily have to be writing about his own son, it's not like the majority of his songs are written about his life anyway.
You do make a valid point, but I still think it would be unusual, because when Colin writes songs that are not autobiographical or necessarily true, they're usually heavily based on a literary work, or else whimsical in some way. This is a sadder song, so it makes sense to me that it might be autobiographical. Just a theory though.
You do make a valid point, but I still think it would be unusual, because when Colin writes songs that are not autobiographical or necessarily true, they're usually heavily based on a literary work, or else whimsical in some way. This is a sadder song, so it makes sense to me that it might be autobiographical. Just a theory though.
I think its definitely about a person over an animal.
It reminds me of John Lennons "Beautiful Boy". I imagine in it, he's thinking about how great and normal his son will grow into being. Of his son, he says I "think of you only", imagining him as a normal teenager, long-limbed, confronting the normal slings and arrows of life.
And those things will bend and shake you, but like everyone (mostly) you'll get through it. And if not, please "come home".
"the nape of the neck" phrase which is repeated twice, could refer to a time when he was a baby and dependent on him and he could just hold him and keep him safe, but not any more...
maybe.
It's a beautiful song, particularly because I am an out and out sucker for melody changes like he sings on the word "Avery" and then gently fades out the sentence with the powerful "come home". kills me.
Dear Avery I think of you only Were you waving Were you dead on the vine?
Oh Avery To think of you lonely Would I could just grab you By the nape of your neck
There are times life will rattle your bones And will bend your limbs But you’re still far and away the boy you’ve ever been So you bend back and shake at the frame Of the frame you made (But don’t you shake alone) Please, Avery, come home
Head strong You and your long arms Listing lazily On the cusp of your teens
But you were my Avery And when you needed saving I could just grab you By the nape of your neck
@cptnjess, I totally agree with you, but the references make it seem like the song is written about an animal that has lost its child -- perhaps a monkey. "I could just grab you by the nape of your neck", and "you and your long arms listing lazily" are distinctly non-humanoid descriptions. In any case, such an incredibly beautiful song!
I think this song might be about a dog, for a couple reasons. First, Colin Meloy only has one child, a son who's only 4 years old, so writing a song about a teenage son seems out of place for him. Also, a dog on the cusp of its teens is getting up there in years, and "headstrong" and "listing lazily" (listing in the sense of wavering or leaning) are indicative of someone or something old. Also, puppies are often held by the scruffs of their necks, but you couldn't do that to an old dog. Based on this, I...
I think this song might be about a dog, for a couple reasons. First, Colin Meloy only has one child, a son who's only 4 years old, so writing a song about a teenage son seems out of place for him. Also, a dog on the cusp of its teens is getting up there in years, and "headstrong" and "listing lazily" (listing in the sense of wavering or leaning) are indicative of someone or something old. Also, puppies are often held by the scruffs of their necks, but you couldn't do that to an old dog. Based on this, I think Avery could be a dog who is either lost, very sick, or has died. As a side note, Colin does make reference to his son by name in the song "Rise to Me", also very beautiful.
right, but the "nape of your neck" is sort of metaphorical I think. Like 'would I could grab you' sort of indicates that the parent wishes he could pick up his son by the nape of his neck, but he can't
right, but the "nape of your neck" is sort of metaphorical I think. Like 'would I could grab you' sort of indicates that the parent wishes he could pick up his son by the nape of his neck, but he can't
I agree with the first post, it's about his son.the arms "listing lazily" reflect a carefree child. . . And, he's anything but carefree now.. In fact, many examples illuminate that Avery's struggling with addiction: ...'there are times when life will rattle your bones'. ...'shake at the flame- the flame YOU made,' Also, the nape of your neck -expressing a parent in controll- when he said ...'when you were young, and needing saving,' it worked. He wants to 'save' him - but he no longer is able- yet, the love and desire to save...
I agree with the first post, it's about his son.the arms "listing lazily" reflect a carefree child. . . And, he's anything but carefree now.. In fact, many examples illuminate that Avery's struggling with addiction: ...'there are times when life will rattle your bones'. ...'shake at the flame- the flame YOU made,' Also, the nape of your neck -expressing a parent in controll- when he said ...'when you were young, and needing saving,' it worked. He wants to 'save' him - but he no longer is able- yet, the love and desire to save him is as strong as ever. What a tearjerker, BEAUTIFUL song!
Beautiful song. Giving me some serious chills
I like the above post, mostly because it points out how musicians don't need to write songs that are related to their personal lives at all. In fact, I think a lot of them don't, and people get confused thinking that they're trying to.
IN LOVE with this song. It is beautiful. I might want to name my first child Avery just because of how good it is. It's such a beautiful account of parenthood. While listening to it on repeat on a long drive I listened closely to try and figure out what people's interpretations might be here on songmeanings. Just from the "come home" part of it I thought it might be about a son serving in the forces, and I guess I was right. I just LOVE the part "There are times life will rattle your bones and bend your limbs, you'll still find your way, the boy you've never been." It just says a lot to me about how the experiences you have growing up change and shape you into the grown person you've "never been" until you've had them.
I actually just watched a live version on youtube, and it seems that the words "you'll still find your way, the boy you've ever been" are actually
You're still far away, The boy you've ever been
(I guess that's what the first post on here says.) Which makes even more sense with Meloy's explanation of what the song means.