Cuckoo

I heard this song, as I'm guessing a lot of people did, in Moonrise Kingdom, so with that still in my mind, I can't help but interpret this song in relation to the movie.

I feel as though it describes the progression of Sam and Suzy's relationship. "In April, I open my bill" refers to the start of their relationship, and them finding and opening up to each other. It also works out really nicely that when they first met, Suzy was dressed as a raven, so it's almost literal.

"In May, I sing night and day" refers to the period when they're exchanging letters and discovering more and more about each other as they pour their selves into the letters.

"In June, I change my tune" is about the time they begin thinking about running away together and making plans to do so.

The realization of that goal, the flight, the escape, happens in "July, how far I fly."

In "August" they're back home, but continue secretly seeing each other. "Away" refers to the continuation of the relationship despite circumstances, and implies that in one way their flight was successful, because their love still remains.

The repetition of "cuckoo," in relation to the movie, I just find so damn significant and meaningful. A cuckoo is really just a bird, an innocent and beautiful thing, but society has appropriated the name to designate someone who's "crazy." Just like how the protagonists, simply because they're outcasts, get labed "emotionally disturbed" and "troubled," yet beneath that is a beautiful interior that only comes to the surface when they're near someone who understands.