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High Hawk Season Lyrics
I heard the wings beat on the wind tonight
As the heat stole power from the darkening light
I saw the streets fill up with people that I knew
People who looked like you
Rise if you're sleeping, stay awake
We are young supernovas and the heat's about to break
Drift through the streets, walk between the cars
Newborn sons and daughters spat forth from distant stars
The summer will reveal itself to those whose hearts are true
And to the faithless few
Rise if you're sleeping, stay awake
We are young supernovas and the heat's about to break
Who will rise and who will sink?
Who's going to stand his ground and who's going to blink?
Surge forward from Van Cortlandt Park like frightened sheep
Spirit throngs that hoist us high, three thousand warriors deep
Spray our dreams on any surface where the paint will stick
Try to time the rhythm, listen for the click
Rise if you're sleeping, stay awake
We are young supernovas and the heat's about to break
As the heat stole power from the darkening light
I saw the streets fill up with people that I knew
People who looked like you
We are young supernovas and the heat's about to break
Newborn sons and daughters spat forth from distant stars
The summer will reveal itself to those whose hearts are true
And to the faithless few
We are young supernovas and the heat's about to break
Who's going to stand his ground and who's going to blink?
Surge forward from Van Cortlandt Park like frightened sheep
Spirit throngs that hoist us high, three thousand warriors deep
Spray our dreams on any surface where the paint will stick
Try to time the rhythm, listen for the click
We are young supernovas and the heat's about to break
Song Info
Submitted by
mossushi On Mar 01, 2011
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The imagery throughout this song seems to reference or pay homage to Sol Yurick's "The Warriors".
as for meaning, its a call to a generation. to stand up. to be.
One of my favorites from the new album! beautiful, and i love the acapella aspect of the song.
as for meaning, its a call to a generation. to stand up. to be.
I think the chorus refers to "waking up" from a state of mind where the only feeling you can experience is rage ("heat") about the things that have happened to you. The process of allowing yourself to feel everything about those memories, not just anger, can feel like exploding. Hence "supernovas".
I haven't read the book that DPOakley mentioned ("The Warriors"), but it makes sense based on the description -- the process of making peace with the violent parts of yourself (maybe even: making peace between your true self and the part of yourself that wants to destroy that other part).
I haven't read the book that DPOakley mentioned ("The Warriors"), but it makes sense based on the description -- the process of making peace with the violent parts of yourself (maybe even: making peace between your true self and the part of yourself that wants to destroy that other part).
Or possibly the reference is to the movie of "The Warriors" -- in a performance of "Rotten Stinking Mouthpiece" (an outtake from All Eternals Deck), JD says:
Or possibly the reference is to the movie of "The Warriors" -- in a performance of "Rotten Stinking Mouthpiece" (an outtake from All Eternals Deck), JD says:
"As with most songs that come from movies that you wouldn’t otherwise have spent a lot of extra time with, I sort of found something to cry about in it.”
"As with most songs that come from movies that you wouldn’t otherwise have spent a lot of extra time with, I sort of found something to cry about in it.”
(see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USpiOMFe3co )
(see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USpiOMFe3co )
To the extent that the song is about any one thing, it's derived from the movie, The Warriors, not the book. Van Cortland Park is the park in the Bronx that all the gangs met in at the beginning of the movie.
Adding on, I think the backing vocals sound cowboyish, which I think is intentional for setting the mood the song requires. In the movie "The Warriors" the Warriors are innocent but have to fight their way home while trying to prove their innocence. This theme fits in with Westerns where the morally upstanding person or group have to fight against extreme odds to win against the faithless few oppressors. I think what John loved about the Warriors is the struggle of people who in this instance are innocent, who are trying to do the right thing against severe odds.