While it's very possible that Schultzee is correct in their interpretation (Perhaps they heard this story from an interview with the band or during concert banter) the story in this song very closely follows a short segment in Woody Allen's Radio Days (1987.) I'm sure there is more information on IMDB, or it may be possible to find the clip on youtube if you are interested.
In any case, Radio Days is full of interesting vignettes that were inspired by experiences that Woody Allen had as a boy growing up in New York in the 30s and 40s. One of the vignettes describes a group of boys searching for Japanese submarines, based on a report they heard on the radio. One of the boys is convinced that he saw a submarine, but others refuse to believe him.
Whether this was something that actually happened to Woody, or was a story that he heard from someone else I don't know.... but it seems possible that The Lumineers were inspired by this film. Though perhaps they encountered the story somewhere else, the georgraphical details and other elements in the song strongly suggest that the film could be the inspiration for the lyrics.
It's not my favorite Woody Allen film...but it's worth watching. I'm interested to hear if anyone else agrees with me in my interpretation of the song.
While it's very possible that Schultzee is correct in their interpretation (Perhaps they heard this story from an interview with the band or during concert banter) the story in this song very closely follows a short segment in Woody Allen's Radio Days (1987.) I'm sure there is more information on IMDB, or it may be possible to find the clip on youtube if you are interested.
In any case, Radio Days is full of interesting vignettes that were inspired by experiences that Woody Allen had as a boy growing up in New York in the 30s and 40s. One of the vignettes describes a group of boys searching for Japanese submarines, based on a report they heard on the radio. One of the boys is convinced that he saw a submarine, but others refuse to believe him.
Whether this was something that actually happened to Woody, or was a story that he heard from someone else I don't know.... but it seems possible that The Lumineers were inspired by this film. Though perhaps they encountered the story somewhere else, the georgraphical details and other elements in the song strongly suggest that the film could be the inspiration for the lyrics.
It's not my favorite Woody Allen film...but it's worth watching. I'm interested to hear if anyone else agrees with me in my interpretation of the song.