Lyric discussion by yamahasixstring 

Cover art for Lost Coastlines lyrics by Okkervil River

Sit down, sit down on the prow to wave bye There might not be another star further on the line

We sing Is that marionette real enough yet to step off of that set To decide what her hands might be doing Ruining the play to, in the ensuing melee, escape

We packed up all of our bags The ship's deck now sags from the weight of our tracks As we pace beneath flags black and battered Rattling our swords in service of some (faded/fated) foreign lord

We sail out on orders from him but we find The maps they sent to us don't mention a lost coastline Where nothing we've actually seen has been mapped or outlined And we don't recognize the names upon these signs

My Interpretation