This song relates to the Asian folktale of the princess and the cowherd. A version of this folktale is summarized in the "four" off of Here, Hear. In some versions the lady is a daughter of an emperor and in others she is a goddess. Being that the title of the album is "Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair" I would think that the writers meant for this story to refer to the constellations in the night sky. The lady is the star Vega in the constellation of Lyra east of the Milky Way, and the boy is the star Altair in the constellation of Aquila west of the Milky Way. The king I suppose would be God.
Look up the princess and the cowherd on wikipedia, it definitely adds more interest to what is already one of the most badass songs I've ever heard, and to the album as a whole.
This song relates to the Asian folktale of the princess and the cowherd. A version of this folktale is summarized in the "four" off of Here, Hear. In some versions the lady is a daughter of an emperor and in others she is a goddess. Being that the title of the album is "Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair" I would think that the writers meant for this story to refer to the constellations in the night sky. The lady is the star Vega in the constellation of Lyra east of the Milky Way, and the boy is the star Altair in the constellation of Aquila west of the Milky Way. The king I suppose would be God.
Look up the princess and the cowherd on wikipedia, it definitely adds more interest to what is already one of the most badass songs I've ever heard, and to the album as a whole.