To me, the owl is worldly and in love with (and wants to marry) the Walrus, who is depressed and has devoted himself to a life of monastic solitude. These might represent Aaron and someone who once loved him, or even two sides of himself. The ending suggests that both of their longings will one day be satisfied by Heaven (to which Jacob's ladder ascended).
I like this interpretation, but the ending seems to suggest a disagreement about God and/or spirituality. The Walrus tells the owl, like many evangelicals, that it can find peace with God if it should run into difficulties.
I like this interpretation, but the ending seems to suggest a disagreement about God and/or spirituality. The Walrus tells the owl, like many evangelicals, that it can find peace with God if it should run into difficulties.
But the owl, perhaps frustrated by these claims, responds by saying, what's bad for you is bad for him as well "Well if your pacific rivers all run dry, their clouds will fill my loud corrupted sky" (i.e. life is not that simple as just finding God and everything being okay) and that if the Walrus should ever give up on his...
But the owl, perhaps frustrated by these claims, responds by saying, what's bad for you is bad for him as well "Well if your pacific rivers all run dry, their clouds will fill my loud corrupted sky" (i.e. life is not that simple as just finding God and everything being okay) and that if the Walrus should ever give up on his (apparently fulfilling) spirituality, there's a way back as well, to owl.
Kind of hard to explain what I mean, but that's the just of it. May be utterly wrong, but thats what was brought to mind.
I like your interpretation of the pacific rivers line. I read "and if pleasures of your heavens ever end" as the Owl (the hedonist in the words of the band's website) understanding and somewhat mocking the Bear's spirituality through the Owl's own understanding of what is meaningful in life, pleasure. I also read the line as the Owl somehow recognizing that the Bear isn't all that happy (as seen in the Bear's aside). Then, I see the last line as the Owl consoling the Bear (or maybe it's more of a comeback) by telling him that, just as God is...
I like your interpretation of the pacific rivers line. I read "and if pleasures of your heavens ever end" as the Owl (the hedonist in the words of the band's website) understanding and somewhat mocking the Bear's spirituality through the Owl's own understanding of what is meaningful in life, pleasure. I also read the line as the Owl somehow recognizing that the Bear isn't all that happy (as seen in the Bear's aside). Then, I see the last line as the Owl consoling the Bear (or maybe it's more of a comeback) by telling him that, just as God is the Owl's best hope should his life of pleasure go South, God is also the best hope for the Bear once he realizes the limits of his indulgent self-seclusion.
On second thought, I agree with you. I was thinking of "just as well descends" as the ladder lowering from heaven, like an attic ladder. But then I realized that Jacob saw angels ascending and descending the ladder to Heaven, so Owl is telling Walrus that, if he should ever give up his monastic ways, he can climb down that same ladder.
On second thought, I agree with you. I was thinking of "just as well descends" as the ladder lowering from heaven, like an attic ladder. But then I realized that Jacob saw angels ascending and descending the ladder to Heaven, so Owl is telling Walrus that, if he should ever give up his monastic ways, he can climb down that same ladder.
To me, the owl is worldly and in love with (and wants to marry) the Walrus, who is depressed and has devoted himself to a life of monastic solitude. These might represent Aaron and someone who once loved him, or even two sides of himself. The ending suggests that both of their longings will one day be satisfied by Heaven (to which Jacob's ladder ascended).
I like this interpretation, but the ending seems to suggest a disagreement about God and/or spirituality. The Walrus tells the owl, like many evangelicals, that it can find peace with God if it should run into difficulties.
I like this interpretation, but the ending seems to suggest a disagreement about God and/or spirituality. The Walrus tells the owl, like many evangelicals, that it can find peace with God if it should run into difficulties.
But the owl, perhaps frustrated by these claims, responds by saying, what's bad for you is bad for him as well "Well if your pacific rivers all run dry, their clouds will fill my loud corrupted sky" (i.e. life is not that simple as just finding God and everything being okay) and that if the Walrus should ever give up on his...
But the owl, perhaps frustrated by these claims, responds by saying, what's bad for you is bad for him as well "Well if your pacific rivers all run dry, their clouds will fill my loud corrupted sky" (i.e. life is not that simple as just finding God and everything being okay) and that if the Walrus should ever give up on his (apparently fulfilling) spirituality, there's a way back as well, to owl.
Kind of hard to explain what I mean, but that's the just of it. May be utterly wrong, but thats what was brought to mind.
I like your interpretation of the pacific rivers line. I read "and if pleasures of your heavens ever end" as the Owl (the hedonist in the words of the band's website) understanding and somewhat mocking the Bear's spirituality through the Owl's own understanding of what is meaningful in life, pleasure. I also read the line as the Owl somehow recognizing that the Bear isn't all that happy (as seen in the Bear's aside). Then, I see the last line as the Owl consoling the Bear (or maybe it's more of a comeback) by telling him that, just as God is...
I like your interpretation of the pacific rivers line. I read "and if pleasures of your heavens ever end" as the Owl (the hedonist in the words of the band's website) understanding and somewhat mocking the Bear's spirituality through the Owl's own understanding of what is meaningful in life, pleasure. I also read the line as the Owl somehow recognizing that the Bear isn't all that happy (as seen in the Bear's aside). Then, I see the last line as the Owl consoling the Bear (or maybe it's more of a comeback) by telling him that, just as God is the Owl's best hope should his life of pleasure go South, God is also the best hope for the Bear once he realizes the limits of his indulgent self-seclusion.
I meant the say Walrus instead of Bear...so many animals.
I meant the say Walrus instead of Bear...so many animals.
On second thought, I agree with you. I was thinking of "just as well descends" as the ladder lowering from heaven, like an attic ladder. But then I realized that Jacob saw angels ascending and descending the ladder to Heaven, so Owl is telling Walrus that, if he should ever give up his monastic ways, he can climb down that same ladder.
On second thought, I agree with you. I was thinking of "just as well descends" as the ladder lowering from heaven, like an attic ladder. But then I realized that Jacob saw angels ascending and descending the ladder to Heaven, so Owl is telling Walrus that, if he should ever give up his monastic ways, he can climb down that same ladder.