I'm guessing on the true meaning of 'herring bone' here. It's most commonly known as a pattern in fabric, or a seating arrangement, etc. In the song he mentions 'when the tide hits the tide'... the herringbone attern can actually look like waves. This fits since he says 'I know you like herring bone' and he seems to be talking to someone about how much they like this pattern, or these patterns of waves. They can be mesmerizing.
The part that really throws me off is 'you wont get to enjoy them, or even to explain them to your next of kin'. It definitely seems logical to say he died.
'Through the cold, you held on with, the one you went to war with' seems to imply that these 'waves'/herringbone he loved provided some kind of comfort/meaning to his life when things got tough.
Lastly the cryptic 'the only word you can't explain' line could mean, roughly, that although he holds onto and loves this 'herring bone', he cannot explain why.
What this song means to me, is that people often enjoy or love being in nature. They say that putting a picture of trees, the ocean, etc. in a depressed man's cubicle can make him feel a hundred times better. nature is filled with patterns, like 'herringbone'. Despite not knowing exactly why certain patterns and things give us pleasure, they are still important to us. Some people live to travel, hike, etc. and it gives their life meaning.
To me, the song is almost ironic, because herringbone itself is kind of an ugly pattern. You could say someone who really loves herringbone has bad taste. But that's just my interpretation. : )
I'm guessing on the true meaning of 'herring bone' here. It's most commonly known as a pattern in fabric, or a seating arrangement, etc. In the song he mentions 'when the tide hits the tide'... the herringbone attern can actually look like waves. This fits since he says 'I know you like herring bone' and he seems to be talking to someone about how much they like this pattern, or these patterns of waves. They can be mesmerizing.
The part that really throws me off is 'you wont get to enjoy them, or even to explain them to your next of kin'. It definitely seems logical to say he died.
'Through the cold, you held on with, the one you went to war with' seems to imply that these 'waves'/herringbone he loved provided some kind of comfort/meaning to his life when things got tough.
Lastly the cryptic 'the only word you can't explain' line could mean, roughly, that although he holds onto and loves this 'herring bone', he cannot explain why.
What this song means to me, is that people often enjoy or love being in nature. They say that putting a picture of trees, the ocean, etc. in a depressed man's cubicle can make him feel a hundred times better. nature is filled with patterns, like 'herringbone'. Despite not knowing exactly why certain patterns and things give us pleasure, they are still important to us. Some people live to travel, hike, etc. and it gives their life meaning.
To me, the song is almost ironic, because herringbone itself is kind of an ugly pattern. You could say someone who really loves herringbone has bad taste. But that's just my interpretation. : )