I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Once upon a time I stalked the streets on raining evenings
When the distant sea blended with the sky
Past coliseum's filled with brass on pavements carved from toasted glass
I carried in my heart a word or two
You dashing horseman all gone away
Left you a stable bill to pay
And now the golden calf has turned to clay
All my feelings dressed in gloves
Couldn't touch your windswept harbour love
White and open-necked you would still play
I'd resort to sleepwalking to catch the mood that fills the sails
With harvest nets and tides don't ever bring
But every night was halloween, and every friend fell in between
And how capricious nature ruled my mind
You dashing horseman all gone away
Left you a stable bill to pay
And now the golden calf has turned to clay
All my feelings dressed in gloves
Couldn't touch your windswept harbour love
White and open-necked you would still play
Once upon a time I stalked the streets on raining evenings
When the distant sea blended with the sky
Past coliseum's filled with brass on pavements carved from toasted glass
I carried in my heart a word or two
But you would always make me see today
You dashing horseman all gone away
Left you a stable bill to pay
And now the golden calf has turned to clay
All my feelings dressed in gloves
Couldn't touch your windswept harbour love
White and open-necked you would still play
I sound so different these days, I barely can believe I'm here
If I didn't know better, I would swear I was someone else
Lord I can't believe, I don't believe I'm me
But who on Earth could I be?
You dashing horseman all gone away
Left you a stable bill to pay
And now the golden calf has turned to clay
All my feelings dressed in gloves
Couldn't touch your windswept harbour love
White and open-necked you would still play
When the distant sea blended with the sky
Past coliseum's filled with brass on pavements carved from toasted glass
I carried in my heart a word or two
You dashing horseman all gone away
Left you a stable bill to pay
And now the golden calf has turned to clay
All my feelings dressed in gloves
Couldn't touch your windswept harbour love
White and open-necked you would still play
I'd resort to sleepwalking to catch the mood that fills the sails
With harvest nets and tides don't ever bring
But every night was halloween, and every friend fell in between
And how capricious nature ruled my mind
You dashing horseman all gone away
Left you a stable bill to pay
And now the golden calf has turned to clay
All my feelings dressed in gloves
Couldn't touch your windswept harbour love
White and open-necked you would still play
Once upon a time I stalked the streets on raining evenings
When the distant sea blended with the sky
Past coliseum's filled with brass on pavements carved from toasted glass
I carried in my heart a word or two
But you would always make me see today
You dashing horseman all gone away
Left you a stable bill to pay
And now the golden calf has turned to clay
All my feelings dressed in gloves
Couldn't touch your windswept harbour love
White and open-necked you would still play
I sound so different these days, I barely can believe I'm here
If I didn't know better, I would swear I was someone else
Lord I can't believe, I don't believe I'm me
But who on Earth could I be?
You dashing horseman all gone away
Left you a stable bill to pay
And now the golden calf has turned to clay
All my feelings dressed in gloves
Couldn't touch your windswept harbour love
White and open-necked you would still play
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
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Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Midnight
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Midnight” is a song about finding a love that is so true that it provides a calming feeling through every storm. Ed Sheeran reflects on his good fortunes in landing someone with such peace and support and speaks of not fearing the dark days because he knows they’ll all end in the safety nets of her arms.
“Well, good morning there / What a way to start the day / With everything laid bare,” Ed Sheeran sings in the first verse, enthusiastic to be waking up beside his woman. He apologizes for missing her calls in the second verse and promises to return them because for him, speaking to her is the most important thing. “Well, I get lost inside my head / In this chaos, you’re my calm / And I will find my feet again / ‘Cause еven the worst days of my life will always еnd / At midnight in your arms,” sings Ed Sheeran in the chorus, revelling in his good luck.
Somewhere Only We Know
Keane
Keane
Per the FAQ on Keane's website, Keane's drummer Richard Hughes, stated the following:
"We've been asked whether "Somewhere Only We Know" is about a specific place, and Tim has been saying that, for him, or us as individuals, it might be about a geographical space, or a feeling; it can mean something individual to each person, and they can interpret it to a memory of theirs... It's perhaps more of a theme rather than a specific message... Feelings that may be universal, without necessarily being totally specific to us, or a place, or a time..."
With the nostalgic sentiment and the overall tone of the song, I think Keane is attempting to express a Portuguese term known as 'saudade', which does not have a direct English translation but roughly means "that which we remember because it is gone."