Serpents

Sharon Van Etten was in an abusive relationship. That was what inspired her album Epic. This song is probably about her coming to terms with her ex, i.e. "serpents in my mind trying to forgive your crimes everyone changes in time i hope he changes this time"

i think it's a 'boy you would own'

and 'sucking on dreams'

my best guess on the last is 'collaging girls' (as if he collects them?)

dark, nightmarish song about an abusive relationship, i think. it grabs me somehow.

These are the lyrics straight from the album booklet:

It was a close call Sitting in the back of the room with a bowl you had owned, But they didn't know. Close in on my black eye. I feel safe at times. Certain emblems Tell me it's time

Serpents in my mind Looking for your crimes Everything changes I don't want to mine to this time

You enjoy sucking on dreams so I will fall asleep with someone other than you I had a thought you would take me seriously And listen on

Serpents in my mind I am searching for your crimes Everything changes In time

You'll stay frozen in time Collaging girls, Controlling minds. You hold the mirror well To everybody else

Serpents in my mind Trying to forgive your crimes Everyone changes in time. I hope he changes this time.

For those of you that have the version from the Walking Dead [Serpents (demo) on Spotify or Serpents (basement) on iTunes] The lyrics are different:

It was a close call Sitting in the back of the room with a ball I had thrown at you, But you didn't know. Lookin at my black eye. I feel safe at times. Certain emblems Tell me it's time

Serpents in my mind Looking for your crimes Everything changes I don't want to mine to this time

You enjoy sucking on poison I will belong to someone other than you I had a thought you would take me someday And listen on

Serpents in my mind I am searching for your crimes Everything changes In time

I was lost in my mistake Now I'm looking for my Intentions, Even I've been at the dark, dark sea Better run, Better run

Serpents in my mind Looking for your crimes When everything changes There's no more time Possibly mine. Nights, Days

Walking on my street at night I feel a little safe, a little in fear this time, My hand in clutch, You've got a knife? Well I've got a gun and

Serpents in my mind, Looking for your crimes, Everything changes, Looking for my crimes, Twisting in despair

"It was a close call Sitting in the back of the room With a bowl you had owned, But they didn't know. Close in on my black eye. I feel safe at times. Certain emblems Tell me it's time" He/She, I'm going to say she because this song is sung by a girl, but it could go either ways. She is in an abusive relationship, she's trying to keep it hidden but it was a close call and somebody almost figured the situation out. Also that she feels kind of stuck in this whole situation, she feels "safe at times" she doesn't really know what to do but it's all she knows. It can be really hard to leave a violent relationship. "Serpents in my mind Looking for your crimes Everything changes I don't want mine to this time" Serpent means a sly or treacherous person, especially one who abuses the trust of a person and tries to exploit you. So by this she is saying she's got untrustworthy thoughts, she's fighting a battle in her own mind over the whole situation. It's difficult for her, she's torn between his manipulation and "serpent" ways but she's also thinking of the things he's done wrong. "You enjoy sucking on dreams So I will fall asleep with someone other than you I had a thought you would take me seriously And listen on" He's sucked the life out of her, made her feel unworthy. She's basically saying she will find somebody better, who'll treat her with respect and love, unlike the antagonist of this song. I also gather she's tried to speak up about it, but he hasn't taken her seriously or taken the time to listen to her words, instead he's just brushed it off and continued his old ways. "You'll stay frozen in time Collagen girls, Controlling minds. You hold the mirror well To everybody else" Everything seems normal to the outside eye, but it's far from. It's all smoke and mirrors, it's fake, like collagen girls. I'm getting the vibe that he's a charming, charismatic man who seems to present himself well to everybody but his woman. "Serpents in my mind Trying to forgive your crimes Everyone changes in time. I hope he changes this time." She's got deceiving thoughts, she's trying to convince herself that he's going to change although deep down she knows he's not but that small light at the end of the never ending tunnel will keep her running and running. She's trying to protect him by saying people change, but in her mind she's hoping he changes. Just throwing my opinion in, thanks all.

definitely not certain with these. suggestions welcome!

This one touches me, so much.

Absolutely an abusive relationship narrative. What grips me is the fact that she can't get all the negative thoughts out of her head (serpents). It seems extremely debilitating.

Her ex seems like a narcissist who constantly judges others but never himself. He also seems like a manipulator ("controlling minds") who has left his effect on the singer even after he is gone.

Coming here after a long whole since anybody posted but I had some thoughts about the meaning of the second part of this song.

"Serpents in my mind I am searching for your crimes Everything changes In time

You'll stay frozen in time Collaging girls Controlling minds You hold the mirror well To everybody else

Serpents in my mind Trying to forgive your crimes Everyone changes in time I hope he changes this time"

I think her ex, who is clearly abusive had met somebody else and she was fretting about him doing the same things to somebody else. I suspect that there was some worry about not maybe taking a complaint forward because he was free to repeat his actions with somebody else.