The Shrine/An Argument

i think the three movements represent 3 different moments in the relationship (whoever put these lyrics up separates the movements with '-').

the first movement is 'the shrine.' It's a time after they have separated, when the singer is still angry about what happened, and determined to be happy despite it all. "Sunlight over me no matter what I do..." "everyday a'passin complete" etc. Yet he still does think about her, and puts pennies in the shrine and wonders "what became" of her.

the second movement is 'the argument.' This is the moment when she actually drove away and they separated. The second stanza is my fav, describing three different images of her leaving. First line is her standing in the doorway with letters -- presumably love letters he wrote to her. Second line is her driving away. Third line is her recalling the angry words that she spoke at him, trying to get rid of the memory... the bad taste left by the words. (Either that, or I was also thinking maybe that line is from his perspective, which would kinda conjure an image of him strangling her in the ocean... hmm).

the third movement I think is him much further down the road. The anger is gone and now he is simply regretting being alone. The apples are nice and all, but the joy of having them is gone because he's alone. He seems to have given up, or been defeated. Now he simply lays down and longs for heaven or utopia, which he dubs Innisfree -- the name Innisfree being taken from a Yeats poem where the poet is longing for an ocean village (Innisfree) where all problems are gone. In the poem Yeats lives on the Walden-esque island with his lil cabin, rows of beans, etc. with the ocean lapping on the shore.

All in all, tough to be sure, but definitely a lot to this song.

this is the centre piece of an amazing album

The ending feels like my heart is being raked.

Line 4: the second "they" should be removed

Line 11: "n" should be changed to "in"

Line 15: "become" should be changed to "became"

Line 23: the entire line should be changed to "All diffuse like skin abuse the sun is half its size"

Line 24: the entire line should be changed to "When you talk you hardly even look in my eyes"

Line 26: the entire line should be changed to "In the doorway holding every letter that I wrote"

Line 39 (last line): "in the sea" should be changed to "Innisfree"

:)

This song seems to be influenced by Paradise Lost by Milton… Each book begins with the "Argument" or a summary. Milton also references heavenly beams as a "shrine." The text basically details the fall of man. In paradise there was only one season--like an eternal summer. Sunlight is good in paradise and heaven and symbolizes God. The apples could represent the apples of the tree of knowledge which appear sweet until experience educates otherwise. After the fall of man, the seasons are created, and the sun is taught how to shine brutally, creating the contrasting image of "terrible sunlight," and Adam is so furious at himself and that he listened to eve that he can barely look in her eyes. The "waves" could symbolize both the innocent sea of heaven or the lake of fire in hell. just an idea but there does seem to be an uncanny correlation

There's an interesting connection between this song and tracks from previous Fleet Foxes albums relating to the theme of the Sun.

From the Sun Giant EP (first release):

"What a life I lead when the sun breaks free As a giant torn from the clouds"

In this track, the narrator hasn't yet seen the Sun. It's trapped behind clouds, but he is anticipating it being released. Here he sees the Sun as a symbol of the promise of a better life, a symbol of hope.

From "Sun it Rises" (second release) off the album "Fleet Foxes":

"Sun rising over my head In the morning when I rise

Hold me dear into the night Sun it will rise soon enough

Sun rising, dangling there Golden and fair in the sky"

The sun has broken out of its prison and is beginning to rise into sky. The narrator has found a partner and they want to bask in its warmth. The narrator almost seems to be reassuring his partner that the sun is coming soon. It might be interpreted that the two have been living a difficult life and that the narrator is hoping the "Sun" will emerge soon and solve their problems.

Finally from this album (third release):

"Sunlight over me no matter what I do...

In the morning waking up to terrible sunlight All diffuse like skin abuse the sun is half its size"

The sun has finally arisen, but it's nothing like the narrator had hoped. The promise and hope that it symbolized in the previous records have been perverted, and now the Sun has become a symbol of despair. Everywhere he goes, the narrator can't escape the Sun and its terrible light. By the next stanza, the narrators partner has left him, probably out of disillusionment by his empty promises.

definitely a favorite from the new album<3

I hear "everyday I'll pass incomplete" and/or "everyday I'll pass and complete."

I'm generally not that good at interpreting songs, but this one is I Think fairly obvious. It seems to be about a relationship, especially apparent in the end of the song, that broke apart. He still misses her, thinks of her, makes wishes on pennies about her.. Seems like the apples are something they shared together, or maybe it is a symbol for something else, perhaps just a summer love. Either way, I do love this song and I love Fleet Foxes. They are brilliant! Only problem I have with this song is the transition when Robin is singing his heart out "sunlight over me no matter what I do" and then transitions to "apples in the summer, all cold and sweet" (which I thought was 'ARE cold and sweet', but it doesn't matter)... the transition is weird and it tends to bother me. I think he could have bellied out another line with that sexy, scratchy voice.. but instead it kind of weakens and goes to something light and airy. Either way, the end part "In the morning waking up to terrible sunlight..." soo wonderful.. "when you talk you hardly even look in my eyes" I love it!

this is the centre piece of an amazing album