I do my best to sleep through the caterwaul
The classicist, the posturing avant-garde
I bought a grey macaw, named him Jules Verne
He'll probably outlive me, he's a bright bird
Keeps me company, I teach him new words
I saw a hologram at the theme park
She looked as real as me through the white fog
Then she melted down to her ankles
Turned into a million-watt candle
If I knew where she went, I would follow
Walking through the land of tomorrow
Martian trinkets, plastic Apollos
In the sunshine, try to act normal
My veins are full of flat cherry cola
Slept on the bench by the rollercoaster
Dreamt I was riding on a motorbike
Lion of Judah, painted on the side
I'm doing fine, I'm back in the Palisades
Life's a wash, a pastoral school play
China shops and cold ivory towers
I and I, make toasts to the Caesars
Forcing down the dregs of Decembers
Madeline, she spins in a slow bang
All through the house, the strong smell of burnt sage
Let's make it clean and run out the spirits
I know a diving bell when I hear it
We're going down now, under the surface
Light to dark can shift in an instant
Feeling close but keeping my distance
On all fours, she's just so insistent
Fills my mind with jump ropes and slit wrists
Bust through the firewall into heaven
And then I'm standing in that blinding light
Crooked crosses falling from the sky
Seen and seen by I and I
Seen and seen by I and I
Seen and seen by I and I
Seen and seen by I and I
Seen, yeah, seen, yeah
Seen, yeah, seen, yeah
Seen and seen by I and I
Seen, yeah, seen, yeah
Seen, yeah, seen, yeah
Seen and seen by I and I and I
The classicist, the posturing avant-garde
I bought a grey macaw, named him Jules Verne
He'll probably outlive me, he's a bright bird
Keeps me company, I teach him new words
I saw a hologram at the theme park
She looked as real as me through the white fog
Then she melted down to her ankles
Turned into a million-watt candle
If I knew where she went, I would follow
Walking through the land of tomorrow
Martian trinkets, plastic Apollos
In the sunshine, try to act normal
My veins are full of flat cherry cola
Slept on the bench by the rollercoaster
Dreamt I was riding on a motorbike
Lion of Judah, painted on the side
I'm doing fine, I'm back in the Palisades
Life's a wash, a pastoral school play
China shops and cold ivory towers
I and I, make toasts to the Caesars
Forcing down the dregs of Decembers
Madeline, she spins in a slow bang
All through the house, the strong smell of burnt sage
Let's make it clean and run out the spirits
I know a diving bell when I hear it
We're going down now, under the surface
Light to dark can shift in an instant
Feeling close but keeping my distance
On all fours, she's just so insistent
Fills my mind with jump ropes and slit wrists
Bust through the firewall into heaven
And then I'm standing in that blinding light
Crooked crosses falling from the sky
Seen and seen by I and I
Seen and seen by I and I
Seen and seen by I and I
Seen and seen by I and I
Seen, yeah, seen, yeah
Seen, yeah, seen, yeah
Seen and seen by I and I
Seen, yeah, seen, yeah
Seen, yeah, seen, yeah
Seen and seen by I and I and I
Lyrics submitted by Browns0286
Firewall [Companion Version] Lyrics as written by Conor M Oberst
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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There is a folk singer named Madeline who put out an album called "Slow Bang." I haven't heard the album, so I'm not sure how it relates to this song, but I'm pretty sure that's not a coincidence.
And I agree with the comments about the "land of tomorrow" being a clear reference to Disneyland (or Disney World, but since he's also talking about the palisades, I'm going to assume we're dealing with LA rather than Orlando). Growing up in Southern California, I spent a good chunk of my adolescence at Disneyland, and I think there's something about Tomorrow Land that leads to inspiration/revelation.
Wow, thanks for illuminating that reference!
In fact, your insight makes me think that Madeline is not necessarily the woman participating in the next verse, but rather that her album is actually spinning on a record player.
Yes! That's what I've been thinking, too. However, I think it's meant to be uncertain. I think the imagery is fluid here - sex, music, spiritual enlightenment, etc all intertwined.