Mount Washington Lyrics

Lyric discussion by willpunting 

Cover art for Mount Washington lyrics by Beth Orton

To me, this song is about ambition and achievement in life -- the lyrics seem to speak of a young person, who is determined to succeed.

His or her goal is to " [...] be a star, be an altar [...] "

The journey is full of challenges: " [...] forever testing your intention [...] forever testing your invention [...] "

But the person is determined: " [...] nobody can keep you from the one you know you are [...] "

Eventually, at the end of the song, the music (sort of) disintegrates -- we hear a lot of noise and strange sounds, interspersed by the repeated phrase "Be a star, be an altar". Perhaps a sign of an all-consuming obsession? Or a sign of success -- the person becomes successful, but pays a high personal price: stars shine brightly, but are made of featureless plasma -- just like the music at the end of 'Mount Washington'.

My Interpretation