Foreground Lyrics

Lyric discussion by mstreac 

Cover art for Foreground lyrics by Grizzly Bear

Take on another shift---- two people taking another chance at their relationship

Hands in the middle palms in the middle---- they make a pact to try to work on things

Work out another rift---- they knew what they were doing before wasn’t working so they are trying to figure out something that will work (almost like writing a new guitar rift when the one you have just isn’t meshing with your song)

Something is muffled another juggle---- they can’t understand each other’s needs (muffled) and they can’t seem to compromise so they have to juggle what they both want

This is a foreground it is the foreground ---- fighting seems to be the main part of their relationship and the most dominant part

A cross country miss- ---they have tried to fix things over and over again but it just never works. (they have taken their relationship “cross country” but they always miss getting it right and end up fighting.

Take direction can’t connect it---- they promise to take control of the relationship and fix it but when push comes to shove they can’t put what they say they are going to do to work

Im afraid this is ten detected, nine in a wreck and--- had a bit of trouble with this one. The only thing relevant to what I think the song means that I could come up with was that he is pretty sure this is about the tenth time they have tried to fix their relationship and the past nine times have been a disaster

A little jetty fight---- the literal definition of jetty and basically the only thing I found it to mean is “A structure, such as a pier, that projects into a body of water to influence the current or tide.” So maybe he is comparing their relationship to an ocean with unpredictable tides and “jetty fight” means a fight that is going to drastically influence the direction of their relationship

Pattern evolving---- means the same pattern they have been through (fighting and breaking up and getting back together and fighting again) is happening once again.

Motion insolvent- ---no matter what they do to try to fix their relationship, it seems insufficient when compared to the fights they have

Something about this might take all evening I’ll just be cleaning----- this is the part of the song that really influenced me to believe this was about a relationship that cannot seem to be fixed. I picture them fighting and him realizing that it’s never going to stop and I picture him doing the dishes while she is yelling at him from across the room. I picture his face looking down and silent tears rolling down his cheeks because he knows it is never going to change between the two of them.

This is the foreground it is the foreground---- again, fighting is the dominant part of their relationship.

Beautiful breakdown, your definition of the cleaning part felt spot on and even gave me goosebumps.