One night after dark I was walking my baby daughter to sleep in a stroller, and we came very close to walking into a web with a huge spider in the middle of it. I just happened to be listening to The National on headphones at the time too. That's when it occurred to me that this song is about the love a dad has for his kids and how complex that love is. During an early televised performance of the song (on Fallon maybe?), Berninger mentions that terrible love is a good thing. That fits. It's incredibly difficult being a dad, but it's worth it.
One night after dark I was walking my baby daughter to sleep in a stroller, and we came very close to walking into a web with a huge spider in the middle of it. I just happened to be listening to The National on headphones at the time too. That's when it occurred to me that this song is about the love a dad has for his kids and how complex that love is. During an early televised performance of the song (on Fallon maybe?), Berninger mentions that terrible love is a good thing. That fits. It's incredibly difficult being a dad, but it's worth it.
Anyway, that's what the song is about for me.