You Know

I believe that this song is about Neil Young.

Marling first speaks about the narrator appreciation of those who go a little crazy. Young is known as an artist who is not seeking for perfection in his recordings. I take it as if he "loses control" sometimes, in a good way. Marling continues in addressing the hippies, who were active during Young's time. Later, she says that he knows what it's like to have a mother who does her best. Young's father was cheating on his mother, as he sang, "I never knew a man, could tell so many lies" on the excellent "Ambulance Blues". Also, she addresses the "Freewheeling troubadour ", troubadour often known to be Young's nickname.

I believe that saying that he "took her mind off the scene" and that they "were a pair once" express her love for her muse. However, stating that they are "no more" children can state that after being greatly influenced by him, she feels she has grown up and developed her own niche.

plus, a line from Young's 'When You Dance I Can Really Love', is identically repeated here ("I know you know").

I see this song as her sharing her view of the world.

She talks about the foolish world, people who focus on unimportant and important matters. These people tarnish values and virtues just to change our society in the name of progress. She then turns to the mothers to pay respect and honor to because they are the ones who are really doing the leg work and sacrifice to raise the future generations.

Her chorus is like her train of thought is interrupted by a lover. He thinks and sees the world much more optimistic than her. She doesn't get it, him and his way of thinking. She is somehow drawn in, but at the same time frustrated by his naivety. Yet, she herself wants to believe....

The second verse tells her and her lovers story. Her lover knows she is a skeptic and asks if there was ever a time she was different. She thinks maybe she was a child in her love for him, but now they are doomed and she is no longer a child innocent in love.

I think the chorus is really about how he completely throws her off. She is going on these long philosophical and long thought processes, getting lost in them and then here he comes, all romantic and viewing life as something beautiful. She doesn't really know what to do with it. I can't tell if the boy is accepting of her views, but he does insist on knowing things...maybe knowing things will always turn out right? She doesn't get that he just "knows things" will be alright and just knows. She doesn't understand how one can ever be sure of anything. I think she even resents him at times. Resents him for his blind faith, resents that he doesn't understand her, resents that she can't see light in the world.

Love this song.