I think as a whole the entire Beirut album "Rip Tide" tells a story one stage at a time. Basically, in my head, it goes like this;
1) A Candle's Fire: The singer has (from now I'll assume man and woman) a girlfriend whom he can't quite admit his feelings for, or he has a problem with commitment; "A candle's fire is only just a flame... [A campfire] scares me just the same." He's wrestling with his real feelings for her before she leaves to go maybe from Santa Fe to East Harlem (see below) for a little while.
2) Santa Fe: Singer tries to justify him staying behind, or perhaps argue for his girl not to leave, Santa Fe. He talks about how maybe he's too young to commit before she leaves or something like that, "I'm just too young (And what of my heart)"
3) East Harlem: His girlfriend is gone. He pines for her but knows that when she comes back he'll be able to tell her how he feels; "And sound of your breath in the cold And oh, the sound will bring me home again."
4) Goshen: She comes back, but she's "Not the girl I used to know..." Perhaps she changed in her trip and came back a different person or with another man. It breaks his heart because he regrets never telling her how he felt, "What would you hide from such a glow, If I had only told you so?" At this point the album changes from being lovesick and hopeful to being shattered and depressed...
The next couple songs I won't really get into here, but basically he goes through his depression which leads into Vagabond, a sort of recovery song. He's accepted his love lost and is ready to move on.
9) Port of Call: This is when he meets back up with the girl he loved, or perhaps sees her and they begin to talk; "I could only smile, I've been alone some time. And all, and all, it's been fine." He realizes that, because he never told her how he felt, he's partially at fault; "The faults were all swarming inside. Was it infantile, that which we desired? Were it up to me, all from your eyes." Like an above poster stated, it feels like he knows that and, in talking to her, admits his feelings but knows that they can never reconnect. They've both taken steps to move on and have both changed, but neither are bitter about their young love...
"Be fair to me, I a may drift a while. If there's a plan for me, would it make you smile?"
Just my interpretation. I feel like this album, more than any of Zach's others, tells a complete and very emotional story. Absolutely love it, like listening to a short novel in poetic verse!
And I, I called through the air that night
I can't see your voice in that light
I could only smile, I've been alone some time
And all, and all, it's been fine
And I, I called through the air that night
I can't see your voice in that light
I could only smile, I've been alone some time
And all, and all, it's been fine
And you, you had hope for me now
I danced all around it somehow
Be fair to me, I may drift a while
Were it up to me, you know I'd
And you, you had hope for me now
I danced all around it somehow
Be fair to me, I may drift a while
Were it up to me, you know I'd
I, I called through the air at night
With thoughts still buried/blurry inside
Was it infantile, that...
I, I called through the air at night
With thoughts still buried/blurry inside
Was it infantile, that which he desired/desires
Were it up to me, pull the wool from your eyes
And I, I called through the air that night
My thoughts were still buried/blurry inside
We were closer then, I've been alone some time
Filled you glass with gin
Filled your heart with pride
And you, you had hope for me now
I danced all around it somehow
Be fair to me, I may drift a while
If there's a plan for me
Would it make you smile?
No, I don't want to be there/here for no one
I can be
No, I don't want to be there/here for no one
Its only safe
*Favorite line in this song is the bit about "pulling the wool from your eyes". A very beautiful way of saying he just wants to wake up beside her & pull the bed sheet from her face.
I think in your interpretation, the girl may have been himself, and observing himself as how he used to be. I think he's bathing in the nostalgia of how he w=once was growing up in Santa Fe, and in this song He's finally accepting and loving who he's come to be, maybe after returning to Santa Fe or his own port of call for the first time after a while away from home.
I think in your interpretation, the girl may have been himself, and observing himself as how he used to be. I think he's bathing in the nostalgia of how he w=once was growing up in Santa Fe, and in this song He's finally accepting and loving who he's come to be, maybe after returning to Santa Fe or his own port of call for the first time after a while away from home.
I think as a whole the entire Beirut album "Rip Tide" tells a story one stage at a time. Basically, in my head, it goes like this;
1) A Candle's Fire: The singer has (from now I'll assume man and woman) a girlfriend whom he can't quite admit his feelings for, or he has a problem with commitment; "A candle's fire is only just a flame... [A campfire] scares me just the same." He's wrestling with his real feelings for her before she leaves to go maybe from Santa Fe to East Harlem (see below) for a little while.
2) Santa Fe: Singer tries to justify him staying behind, or perhaps argue for his girl not to leave, Santa Fe. He talks about how maybe he's too young to commit before she leaves or something like that, "I'm just too young (And what of my heart)"
3) East Harlem: His girlfriend is gone. He pines for her but knows that when she comes back he'll be able to tell her how he feels; "And sound of your breath in the cold And oh, the sound will bring me home again."
4) Goshen: She comes back, but she's "Not the girl I used to know..." Perhaps she changed in her trip and came back a different person or with another man. It breaks his heart because he regrets never telling her how he felt, "What would you hide from such a glow, If I had only told you so?" At this point the album changes from being lovesick and hopeful to being shattered and depressed...
The next couple songs I won't really get into here, but basically he goes through his depression which leads into Vagabond, a sort of recovery song. He's accepted his love lost and is ready to move on.
9) Port of Call: This is when he meets back up with the girl he loved, or perhaps sees her and they begin to talk; "I could only smile, I've been alone some time. And all, and all, it's been fine." He realizes that, because he never told her how he felt, he's partially at fault; "The faults were all swarming inside. Was it infantile, that which we desired? Were it up to me, all from your eyes." Like an above poster stated, it feels like he knows that and, in talking to her, admits his feelings but knows that they can never reconnect. They've both taken steps to move on and have both changed, but neither are bitter about their young love...
"Be fair to me, I a may drift a while. If there's a plan for me, would it make you smile?"
Just my interpretation. I feel like this album, more than any of Zach's others, tells a complete and very emotional story. Absolutely love it, like listening to a short novel in poetic verse!
Beirut : Port of Call : On the Alternate Side http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfZb-LcuXm0
Beirut : Port of Call : On the Alternate Side http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfZb-LcuXm0
From this performance it sounds like:
From this performance it sounds like:
And I, I called through the air that night I can't see your voice in that light I could only smile, I've been alone some time And all, and all, it's been fine
And I, I called through the air that night I can't see your voice in that light I could only smile, I've been alone some time And all, and all, it's been fine
And you, you had hope for me now I danced all around it somehow Be fair to me, I may drift a while Were it up to me, you know I'd
And you, you had hope for me now I danced all around it somehow Be fair to me, I may drift a while Were it up to me, you know I'd
I, I called through the air at night With thoughts still buried/blurry inside Was it infantile, that...
I, I called through the air at night With thoughts still buried/blurry inside Was it infantile, that which he desired/desires Were it up to me, pull the wool from your eyes
And I, I called through the air that night My thoughts were still buried/blurry inside We were closer then, I've been alone some time Filled you glass with gin Filled your heart with pride And you, you had hope for me now I danced all around it somehow Be fair to me, I may drift a while
If there's a plan for me Would it make you smile?
No, I don't want to be there/here for no one I can be No, I don't want to be there/here for no one Its only safe
*Favorite line in this song is the bit about "pulling the wool from your eyes". A very beautiful way of saying he just wants to wake up beside her & pull the bed sheet from her face.
I think in your interpretation, the girl may have been himself, and observing himself as how he used to be. I think he's bathing in the nostalgia of how he w=once was growing up in Santa Fe, and in this song He's finally accepting and loving who he's come to be, maybe after returning to Santa Fe or his own port of call for the first time after a while away from home.
I think in your interpretation, the girl may have been himself, and observing himself as how he used to be. I think he's bathing in the nostalgia of how he w=once was growing up in Santa Fe, and in this song He's finally accepting and loving who he's come to be, maybe after returning to Santa Fe or his own port of call for the first time after a while away from home.