"Just as the sand made everything round
Just as the tar seeps up from the ground
Bitter dancer, ever turning
So was the day that you came to town."
The main character is addressing and personifying death. Death is natural, like the ecosystem. It is just like the earth, the "bitter dancer," that is eternally revolving. Every human's fate is to die and now fate has come to him.
"You took a room and you settled in
Washed off the chalk from your weathered skin
Daylight sleeper, bloody reaper
You took a room and you settled in."
He's still talking about death, obviously. Death has broken into his home, picked him out, "settled in." Maybe this guy is recounting when he was struck with the fatal disease that's killing him. Or maybe not, maybe it's a sudden death, whatever.
"I should have known one day you would come
All of us walk so blind in the sun
Midnight feeder, beggar, pleader
I should had known one day you would come."
Like the first verse, he's talking about fate and how everyone ends up dead, dust to dust and whatnot. He should have known. But nobody expects the unexpected, nobody prepares for death, "all of us walk so blind in the sun." "Midnight feeder" is self-explanatory: time of death is midnight. "Beggar, pleader" is describing himself. In the face of death, before he has accepted it, he tries bargaining with God for a second chance. But eventually he resigns once again to the refrain of "I should have known."
This verse is also workable in the terminal disease perspective. My grandmother passed away from lung cancer, and while every one knew the day would come, that it was inevitable...it was still devastating. We "walked blindly in the sun" by avoiding the subject and proceeding with life like we didn't know she was going to die in two months.
"Tell me again my only son
Tell me again what have you done?"
Now we're in the voice of Death itself. It's time for judgement. Of course this could also be in the voice of God or Satan, either one. In any case he's sizing up this person's past deeds and deciding where to send him in the afterlife.
"At arm's lengths
I will hold you there."
Back in the voice of the dying man. The grim reaper (or whatever) is looming, but he's using every bit of his will to hold it off. His last resort is to hang on to life in an effort to push death away. It's kind of ominous that the song ends here, without knowing if he survived or succumbed.
Another perfect song interpretation from yours truly bitches!!! ahem sorry.
Thank you Fleet Foxes <3
i feel like the end of the song is a bout life his son has knocked a girl up and given birth to a babe that he will "hold at arms length" the music changes to suit the mood. but it can also be interpreted as the singer as a dad and his son or god and man. I feel like the double meaning here is intended.
i feel like the end of the song is a bout life his son has knocked a girl up and given birth to a babe that he will "hold at arms length" the music changes to suit the mood. but it can also be interpreted as the singer as a dad and his son or god and man. I feel like the double meaning here is intended.
Definitely agreeing with sleepstereo here.
"Just as the sand made everything round Just as the tar seeps up from the ground Bitter dancer, ever turning So was the day that you came to town."
The main character is addressing and personifying death. Death is natural, like the ecosystem. It is just like the earth, the "bitter dancer," that is eternally revolving. Every human's fate is to die and now fate has come to him.
"You took a room and you settled in Washed off the chalk from your weathered skin Daylight sleeper, bloody reaper You took a room and you settled in."
He's still talking about death, obviously. Death has broken into his home, picked him out, "settled in." Maybe this guy is recounting when he was struck with the fatal disease that's killing him. Or maybe not, maybe it's a sudden death, whatever.
"I should have known one day you would come All of us walk so blind in the sun Midnight feeder, beggar, pleader I should had known one day you would come."
Like the first verse, he's talking about fate and how everyone ends up dead, dust to dust and whatnot. He should have known. But nobody expects the unexpected, nobody prepares for death, "all of us walk so blind in the sun." "Midnight feeder" is self-explanatory: time of death is midnight. "Beggar, pleader" is describing himself. In the face of death, before he has accepted it, he tries bargaining with God for a second chance. But eventually he resigns once again to the refrain of "I should have known."
This verse is also workable in the terminal disease perspective. My grandmother passed away from lung cancer, and while every one knew the day would come, that it was inevitable...it was still devastating. We "walked blindly in the sun" by avoiding the subject and proceeding with life like we didn't know she was going to die in two months.
"Tell me again my only son Tell me again what have you done?"
Now we're in the voice of Death itself. It's time for judgement. Of course this could also be in the voice of God or Satan, either one. In any case he's sizing up this person's past deeds and deciding where to send him in the afterlife.
"At arm's lengths I will hold you there."
Back in the voice of the dying man. The grim reaper (or whatever) is looming, but he's using every bit of his will to hold it off. His last resort is to hang on to life in an effort to push death away. It's kind of ominous that the song ends here, without knowing if he survived or succumbed.
Another perfect song interpretation from yours truly bitches!!! ahem sorry. Thank you Fleet Foxes <3
i feel like the end of the song is a bout life his son has knocked a girl up and given birth to a babe that he will "hold at arms length" the music changes to suit the mood. but it can also be interpreted as the singer as a dad and his son or god and man. I feel like the double meaning here is intended.
i feel like the end of the song is a bout life his son has knocked a girl up and given birth to a babe that he will "hold at arms length" the music changes to suit the mood. but it can also be interpreted as the singer as a dad and his son or god and man. I feel like the double meaning here is intended.