Seems to be a song about dying (such a cheerful way to open an album, though I suppose she might as well get right to the point). There is the image of this ghostly ship, filled with the spirits of her family and ancestors, coming to take her to the 'pearly gates'. The last line of the song seems to show that EMA's death in this song is not literal, she just feels dead inside, as if her soul has already been carried away. Mythical and metaphorical, the song paves the way for the more specific hurt and angst in the rest of the album.
Seems to be a song about dying (such a cheerful way to open an album, though I suppose she might as well get right to the point). There is the image of this ghostly ship, filled with the spirits of her family and ancestors, coming to take her to the 'pearly gates'. The last line of the song seems to show that EMA's death in this song is not literal, she just feels dead inside, as if her soul has already been carried away. Mythical and metaphorical, the song paves the way for the more specific hurt and angst in the rest of the album.