Tripoli

I think its a bit more than just the battle of tripoli. I think its about a soldier during the battle wondering how he survived. I think the "he" mentioned in the song is Death or perhaps the devil. Not that it is religious in nature just symbolic of the thoughts one might have about dying. I think the line about being tied up and set on someones lawn could easily be a reference to a drafted soldier being forced overseas into battle. But ultimately i think the battle is a metaphor for humanities struggle with death. basically i think the narrator of the song know hes going to die, tells death to get ready and is shocked to find death didnt show thus the line "Did I forget that I said to you that I'd be there" which is interesting because he assumes that he himself forgot about his impending death which could symbolize the fact that we all control out own destiny.

i mean tin foil star remix

This song is not about a soldier or depression. It's about going down to Tripoli, Lebanon (not Lybia) to meet up with a girl that he met on the internet, but he ends up not being able to meet up with her because of not having enough time or because he was a little nervous about it, or a little of both.

Does anyone think the lyrics could be referring to going down to get drugs?

Please don't scold me for this perspective on the song, it's just, the song so perfectly describes certain situations i've been in, involving being addicted to heroin and having to go down to "the hood" every day to get it. Every day, after picking it up, thoughts that would enter my mind would be 'i know it's gonna happen, i know i'm gonna go down again'(most people refer to going to that area to get drugs to be 'going down'), and 'this is going to be what ends up killing me..i hope it doesn't happen TOO soon'. Last but not least, my friends who did it as well would always blow off plans with their girlfriends or just friends to go down because of their physical dependency for heroin, and would find themselves saying things like 'did i forget that i said to you that i'd be there' (or other variations of that phrase) to them. Ironically enough, my friends and i would always listen to "opiate music" while on heroin, and songs that would fit this description would always be acoustic, calming, relaxing, such as this.

The WWII interpretations seem completely accurate, however, everytime I hear this song, i cannot get my own interpretaion out of my head.

I would very much appreciate feedback on this.

wonderful music. highly recommend it.

this about a son telling his parents he would call and say he would be home, but dies in a car crash, that he dreams in his dream the night before. He doesnt want his parents to be sad, that he is gonna die, he tells them to berry him some where were he wont be far away from them.

Tripoli was one of the bloodiest if not the bloodiest battle during WWI. I think this song is about someone going off to war, thinking he is gonna die.

This song is so amazing, in fact the whole band is amazing, the ambient sound and wonderful vocals make this one of the best indie bands Ive ever heard

I agree with ferdilizer on this one, it definitely sounds like a soldier who is accepting his imminent death or possible death in battle

This song is more proof that Pinback is obsessed with WW1 and WWII. Versailles is the treaty that ended WWI. Manchuria is the Chinese city that the Japanese attcked in WWII and Tripoli is I'm pretty sure a battle in North Africa or Italy that drove The Germans backward. Awesome song, but I think he wrote it while taking notes in 9th grade history