He reuses the verse melody from the previous album's "Dirty Little Religion", the topics of the verses are all over the place, and he packs too many words into one line (goes to show...) and too few in another (it's pretty hard to find), and rhymes "Henley Regatta" with "Persona non grata", but gets away with it all as only he could.
I couldn't find quiet
I went out in the rain
I was just soaking my head to unrattle my brain
Somebody said you disappeared in a crowd
I didn't understand then
I don't understand now
Am I the one you think about
When you're sitting in your fainting chair, drinking pink rabbits?
Am I the one you think about
When you're sitting in your fainting chair, drinking pink rabbits?
And everybody was gone
You were staring down the street 'cause you were trying not to crack up
It wasn't like a rain it was more like a sea
I didn't ask for this pain, it just came over me
Well, I love a storm, but I don't love lightning
All the waters coming up so fast, it's frightening
Am I the one you think about
When you're sitting in your fainting chair, drinking pink rabbits?
Am I the one you think about
When you're sitting in your fainting chair, drinking pink rabbits?
And everybody was gone
I was staring down the street 'cause I was trying not to crack
I was solid gold
I was in the fight
I was coming back from what seemed like a ruin
I couldn't see you coming so far
I just turn around and there you are
I'm so surprised you want to dance with me now
I was just getting used to living life without you around
I'm so surprised you want to dance with me now
You always said I held you way too high off the ground
You didn't see me, I was falling apart
I was a white girl in a crowd of white girls in the park
You didn't see me, I was falling apart
I was a television version of a person with a broken heart
You didn't see me, I was falling apart
I was a white girl in a crowd of white girls in a park
You didn't see me, I was falling apart
I was a television version of a person with a broken heart
And everybody was gone
You were staring down the street 'cause you were trying not to crack up
And Bona Drag was still on
Now I only think about Los Angeles when the sound kicks out
Now I only think about Los Angeles when the sound kicks out
You said it would be painless
A needle in a doll
You said it would be painless
It wasn't that at all
You said it would be painless
A needle in a doll
You said it would be painless
It wasn't that at all (when the sound kicks out)
Said it would be painless
A needle in a doll (when the sound kicks out)
Said it would be painless
It wasn't that at all
I went out in the rain
I was just soaking my head to unrattle my brain
Somebody said you disappeared in a crowd
I didn't understand then
I don't understand now
Am I the one you think about
When you're sitting in your fainting chair, drinking pink rabbits?
Am I the one you think about
When you're sitting in your fainting chair, drinking pink rabbits?
And everybody was gone
You were staring down the street 'cause you were trying not to crack up
It wasn't like a rain it was more like a sea
I didn't ask for this pain, it just came over me
Well, I love a storm, but I don't love lightning
All the waters coming up so fast, it's frightening
Am I the one you think about
When you're sitting in your fainting chair, drinking pink rabbits?
Am I the one you think about
When you're sitting in your fainting chair, drinking pink rabbits?
And everybody was gone
I was staring down the street 'cause I was trying not to crack
I was solid gold
I was in the fight
I was coming back from what seemed like a ruin
I couldn't see you coming so far
I just turn around and there you are
I'm so surprised you want to dance with me now
I was just getting used to living life without you around
I'm so surprised you want to dance with me now
You always said I held you way too high off the ground
You didn't see me, I was falling apart
I was a white girl in a crowd of white girls in the park
You didn't see me, I was falling apart
I was a television version of a person with a broken heart
You didn't see me, I was falling apart
I was a white girl in a crowd of white girls in a park
You didn't see me, I was falling apart
I was a television version of a person with a broken heart
And everybody was gone
You were staring down the street 'cause you were trying not to crack up
And Bona Drag was still on
Now I only think about Los Angeles when the sound kicks out
Now I only think about Los Angeles when the sound kicks out
You said it would be painless
A needle in a doll
You said it would be painless
It wasn't that at all
You said it would be painless
A needle in a doll
You said it would be painless
It wasn't that at all (when the sound kicks out)
Said it would be painless
A needle in a doll (when the sound kicks out)
Said it would be painless
It wasn't that at all
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings, edited by Nitro1515, Naninger, jahjahjeh, leonelliot, flamebroiledchicken, robalan, SheWakes, meho, Rasser, Ajensis, sandrineelise, letsgetitright, Supersheep, zarsejm, miiihaaas, scit789, Janice89, Trickcyclist, ancym, bolachamaria, omgkittens, abesalot, Koen87, ruindpzzle, alex_cilley, tudor96stani, murilofsb, tryptych, theadvocate
Pink Rabbits Lyrics as written by Matthew Berninger Aaron Dessner
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
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This song is def a twin to "Unfair" (a song she has been quoted as saying is about falling in love with someone who is already in a relationship) so it is presumably about the same person. Given the references to buying an apartment and not being able to see her love interest "after tonight," it's most likely that she's moving away and she'll "wait a day to break the bad news" (i.e. notifying him that she's leaving once she's already gone).
And, of course, the fact that she sees in him a fellow "idealist" and "dreamer" (terms commonly given to people with the INFP personality on the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)) portends that she'll always be left wondering if they would've been perfect together.
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
I think the action of the song might not actually take place in LA. The fact that he "only thinks about LA" when the sound kicks out seems to indicate that he isn't there anymore, but used to be.
Also, the song that immediately precedes this one on the album, "Humiliation," indicates that he lost a job "fishing LA women out of pools" and contemplates the "little life" he'll be leaving, suggesting that he's leaving California. The song immediately after "Pink Rabbits," "Hard to Find," then starts by saying that the "glowing lights" are "really not that far away, I could be there in a day," indicating that the narrator might be in New York for at least the last two songs on the album. (I believe Matt Berninger does keep homes in both LA and New York.)
This would also make more sense for "Pink Rabbits" as, though it does rain in LA, it's far more likely for rain to be "coming down so fast its frightening" in New York.
With that said, I think this song is part of a larger story being told on the album about a narrator who drives his partner away while in Los Angeles looking for "trouble." (See: "Jenny I am in trouble" on "This is the Last Time" and then "I'm in the city you hated" while his partner is "back in the South" on "Slipped".) "Pink Rabbits" is the reunion song. He's thinking about her when he turns around and "there she is." He's pretty self-deprecating about how he felt in her absence and then makes reference to a voodoo doll to explain how he was still able to "feel pain over a distance." She said their separation would be relatively painless.
It wasn't that at all.
I love this interpretation of the album as a whole.
setup an account just to respond to this - great interpretation, my thoughts on this album if has a narrative thread at all, is along these lines. Great job.
@scott locke man, i signed up just to reply to this, you are awesome and I thank you and all the other awesome people on here that go into such depth, thank you!!!