I think you'll all overshooting its meaning as being deeper than it is. I love this song, but I think its more of a storytelling than a complete metaphor. I don't think it has anything to do with a love relationship in the sense others are seeing. It, to me, has to do with family relationships and the past. Obviously the snake bit and the juniper bending are metaphors, but I digress. The point is as a whole its a story of an event, and the emotions surrounding it. It definitely isn't about sex.
Its about his girlfriend (or just friend, sister or wife or what-have you; not a crucial detail), and she lives (or is visiting maybe?) in a farm house with the mother and father. The line "Cinder and smoke, You'll ask me to pray for rain, With ash in your mouth, You'll ask it to burn again" is the most crucial verse of the song- I'll explain in a minute.
The mother was drunk, and accidentally started a fire on a stormy night. The dog was panicked and ran through the muddy garden, accidentally bringing the laundry through it. He's calling to the girl to take his hand so they can escape (physically the burning house, metaphorically the family).
The metaphorical aspect is the family's life in the house (and the drama with it). At first the girl says to pray for rain to help with the fire, but then after that thought realizes she doesn't care if this house and its family are saved. They want to leave the alcoholic mother and the poor farm house with all that it resembles behind. At the end the firefighters try to remove an important picture the father saved, possibly one of happier days for the family- that is what he clings to; he doesn't want to let it go. The girl wants to let it go, or at least the song is emphasizing the internal crisis of her feelings and her love for her parent, but her hatred for them at the same time.
The sex idea seems to stem from the verse "Give me your hand and take what you will tonight, I'll give it as fast and high as the flame will rise" I can see the sex idea, but I think its more about the rage the girl feels. Its more about the singers love for the girl in that he's saying he'll do anything for her in either direction. He wants her to be happy. The singer will fully support her in wanting to take anything from her past, or to let it go in the flames. Its about love, but not really sex, as no woman would feel like having sex during an event like this.
As a storytelling, this song has great details; enough to really help you envision the house, the chaos, and the emotion.
I think you'll all overshooting its meaning as being deeper than it is. I love this song, but I think its more of a storytelling than a complete metaphor. I don't think it has anything to do with a love relationship in the sense others are seeing. It, to me, has to do with family relationships and the past. Obviously the snake bit and the juniper bending are metaphors, but I digress. The point is as a whole its a story of an event, and the emotions surrounding it. It definitely isn't about sex.
Its about his girlfriend (or just friend, sister or wife or what-have you; not a crucial detail), and she lives (or is visiting maybe?) in a farm house with the mother and father. The line "Cinder and smoke, You'll ask me to pray for rain, With ash in your mouth, You'll ask it to burn again" is the most crucial verse of the song- I'll explain in a minute.
The mother was drunk, and accidentally started a fire on a stormy night. The dog was panicked and ran through the muddy garden, accidentally bringing the laundry through it. He's calling to the girl to take his hand so they can escape (physically the burning house, metaphorically the family).
The metaphorical aspect is the family's life in the house (and the drama with it). At first the girl says to pray for rain to help with the fire, but then after that thought realizes she doesn't care if this house and its family are saved. They want to leave the alcoholic mother and the poor farm house with all that it resembles behind. At the end the firefighters try to remove an important picture the father saved, possibly one of happier days for the family- that is what he clings to; he doesn't want to let it go. The girl wants to let it go, or at least the song is emphasizing the internal crisis of her feelings and her love for her parent, but her hatred for them at the same time.
The sex idea seems to stem from the verse "Give me your hand and take what you will tonight, I'll give it as fast and high as the flame will rise" I can see the sex idea, but I think its more about the rage the girl feels. Its more about the singers love for the girl in that he's saying he'll do anything for her in either direction. He wants her to be happy. The singer will fully support her in wanting to take anything from her past, or to let it go in the flames. Its about love, but not really sex, as no woman would feel like having sex during an event like this.
As a storytelling, this song has great details; enough to really help you envision the house, the chaos, and the emotion.