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Harmony Hall Lyrics
We took a vow in summertime
Now we find ourselves in late December
I believe that New Year's Eve
Will be the perfect time
For their great surrender
But they don't remember
Anger wants a voice
Voices wanna sing
Singers harmonize
Till they can't hear anything
Thought that I was free
From all that questioning
But every time a problem ends
Another one begins
And the stone walls of Harmony Hall bear witness
Anybody with a worried mind can never forgive the sight
Of wicked snakes inside a place you thought was dignified
I don't wanna live like this, but I don't wanna die
(Ooh ooh ooh ooh)
I don't wanna live like this, but I don't wanna die
Within the halls of power lies
A nervous heart that beats
Like a Young Pretender's
Beneath these velvet gloves I hide
The shameful crooked hands
Of a money lender
'Cause I still remember
Anger wants a voice
Voices wanna sing
Singers harmonize
Till they can't hear anything
Thought that I was free
From all that questioning
But every time a problem ends
Another one begins
And the stone walls of Harmony Hall bear witness
Anybody with a worried mind can never forgive the sight
Of wicked snakes inside a place you thought was dignified
I don't wanna live like this, but I don't wanna die
(Ooh ooh ooh ooh)
I don't wanna live like this, but I don't wanna die
And the stone walls of Harmony Hall bear witness
Anybody with a worried mind can never forgive the sight
Of wicked snakes inside a place you thought was dignified
I don't wanna live like this, but I don't wanna die
I don't wanna live like this, but I don't wanna die
And the stone walls of Harmony Hall bear witness
Anybody with a worried mind can never forgive the sight
Of wicked snakes inside a place you thought was dignified
I don't wanna live like this, but I don't wanna die
Now we find ourselves in late December
I believe that New Year's Eve
Will be the perfect time
For their great surrender
But they don't remember
Voices wanna sing
Singers harmonize
Till they can't hear anything
Thought that I was free
From all that questioning
But every time a problem ends
Another one begins
Anybody with a worried mind can never forgive the sight
Of wicked snakes inside a place you thought was dignified
I don't wanna live like this, but I don't wanna die
(Ooh ooh ooh ooh)
I don't wanna live like this, but I don't wanna die
A nervous heart that beats
Like a Young Pretender's
Beneath these velvet gloves I hide
The shameful crooked hands
Of a money lender
'Cause I still remember
Voices wanna sing
Singers harmonize
Till they can't hear anything
Thought that I was free
From all that questioning
But every time a problem ends
Another one begins
Anybody with a worried mind can never forgive the sight
Of wicked snakes inside a place you thought was dignified
I don't wanna live like this, but I don't wanna die
(Ooh ooh ooh ooh)
I don't wanna live like this, but I don't wanna die
Anybody with a worried mind can never forgive the sight
Of wicked snakes inside a place you thought was dignified
I don't wanna live like this, but I don't wanna die
I don't wanna live like this, but I don't wanna die
Anybody with a worried mind can never forgive the sight
Of wicked snakes inside a place you thought was dignified
I don't wanna live like this, but I don't wanna die
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Thought Vampire Weekend couldn't get any better after MVOTC, but they have really smashed it out of the park with this! Superb!
Can't wait for the album. Keep up the good work lads!
The comments here do a great job of demonstrating how the lyrics of this song are so vague that anyone can apply them to anything however they wish. I think most people can relate to admiring an organization or institution, then finding disillusionment after learning its power structure is corrupt. It could be a song about the music industry. It could be a song about organized religion. It could be a song about politicians, or activist organizations, or academic institutions. It could be about literally anything, and that's why this song has such wide appeal.
Great song. I just wanted to point out that Columbia University in NYC has a student residence called Harmony Hall.
(And four members of the band attended Columbia U.)
(And four members of the band attended Columbia U.)
"We took a vow in summertime Now we find ourselves in late December I believe that New Year's Eve Will be the perfect time For their great surrender
To me, this is someone thinking about a planned revolution of sorts. He's reflecting on when the plans for this revolution were first hatched (in summertime, either literally or metaphorically) and how the time has come to implement their plan and face the harsh reality of it (in the cold hard months of winter) which will coincide with the dawning of the new year (a revolution of it's own) The lyrics suggest that their is an internal conflict here: Ideology vs practical reality.
But they don't remember Anger wants a voice Voices wanna sing Singers harmonize Till they can't hear anything Thought that I was free From all that questioning But every time a problem ends Another one begins
Seems to me that he's suggesting that those ideologues that truly wanto see their revolution come about fail to remember that people are not inherently ideological. Although "anger wants a voice", what most voices want to do is sing, and not disturb the degree of harmony that exists, regardless of whether or not it fits the ideology. The person describing these things is still tied to the ideology and those involved, but he'd rather just be free of their rules and inquisitions as to whether or not he's been operating for the cause of the revolution.
And the stone walls of Harmony Hall bear witness Anybody with a worried mind can never forgive the sight Of wicked snakes inside a place you thought was dignified I don't wanna live like this, but I don't wanna die (Ooh ooh ooh ooh) I don't wanna live like this, but I don't wanna die
This suggests that the Government and/or Universities have become a breeding ground for ideologues. These are institutions that were built by ethical people that knew the value of morality and education and the places that used to place the highest value upon challenging and rigorous debate, have become a den for vipers. Ideologically-driven professors, politicians and bureaucrats have debased the esteem of places of higher learning and the sanctity of self-reflective government.
Within the halls of power lies A nervous heart that beats Like a Young Pretender's Beneath these velvet gloves I hide The shameful crooked hands Of a money lender 'Cause I still remember
This suggests that he is a man in a position of power, but he hasn't earned that position in the same way that the generations that came before him did. He is a pretender to the throne, disguising his truly wicked and debased nature with softly-spoken words and political correctness. He is a puppet-master that cannot expose his true self because that would cause disillusionment in the view of the people that he is manipulating to his agenda.
@Whodini24 where in the world do you get all of that in relation to this song and the writer of it?. It seems to me that you are projecting some of your personal beliefs onto this song. The song makes no mention of politics let alone revolution. The vow taken could be personal instead of political and the song does not make this clear. I could assume that the wicked snake is Donald Trump and the other snakes are his supporters. whether or not it seems to be supported by the text a case could be made.But alas I too...
@Whodini24 where in the world do you get all of that in relation to this song and the writer of it?. It seems to me that you are projecting some of your personal beliefs onto this song. The song makes no mention of politics let alone revolution. The vow taken could be personal instead of political and the song does not make this clear. I could assume that the wicked snake is Donald Trump and the other snakes are his supporters. whether or not it seems to be supported by the text a case could be made.But alas I too would have to project personal beliefs to reach that opinion while looking over this text. However I am far more bothered by your hypothesis than mine which I confess is probably just a wild guess. Yours shows a level of paranoia about the present and the future while cloaking those in power before our current time with unearned virtue. The song is vague and does not spell out what the writer has on his mind. Who are we to assume we know more than the writer intended?
I don't have the skill to analyse the song but could there possibly be references to Genesis in the Bible? such as "New Year's Eve", and "Of wicked snakes inside a place you thought was dignified". Anyway, I love this song and the whole album.
From start to finish, the bubbly guitar, the lyrics. It just kicks ass
Research deep into Q-anon and Pizza Gate if you want to know what this song is really about. Go down the rabbit hole. Wicked Snakes obviously means Reptilians. Many famous pop stars have witnessed shocking and unforgettable rituals. (as depicted in 'eyes wide shut') Then they are blackmailed and threatened to keep quiet about what they have seen. "I don't wanna live like this, but I don't wanna die" Because they wish they were never involved but now they are afraid of being
targeted if they were to speak out.
@WhistleBlower - Lol!!!! Q-anon & Pizza Gate -- give me a break. That's conspiracy idiocacy for absolute morons who will believe any propaganda pushed by the extremist loony right.
@WhistleBlower - Lol!!!! Q-anon & Pizza Gate -- give me a break. That's conspiracy idiocacy for absolute morons who will believe any propaganda pushed by the extremist loony right.
@WhistleBlower you know Ezra Koenig is Jewish, right? And your conspiracy theory comes from David Icke's raging antisemitism, which is in turn heavily influenced by the Protocols of the Elders of Zion? No doubt you assumed the line about the "shameful crooked hands of moneylenders" was a dogwhistle for antisemites and white supremacist, but it's literally him talking about the struggles his people have endured for centuries. This song is about people like you, and not in a good way.
@WhistleBlower you know Ezra Koenig is Jewish, right? And your conspiracy theory comes from David Icke's raging antisemitism, which is in turn heavily influenced by the Protocols of the Elders of Zion? No doubt you assumed the line about the "shameful crooked hands of moneylenders" was a dogwhistle for antisemites and white supremacist, but it's literally him talking about the struggles his people have endured for centuries. This song is about people like you, and not in a good way.