I Should Live in Salt Lyrics

Lyric discussion by LNgoo 

Cover art for I Should Live in Salt lyrics by National, The

The first thing that I thought of when I heard the chorus was the idea of putting salt in an open wound. I was thinking that the narrator can't get over leaving his lover behind, so all of their past squabbles ("can you turn the TV down") and what they might say to one another, or to themselves, now ("leave it alone," "learn to appreciate the void") are constantly running through his head. It's like he's living with an open wound, and he feels like he should be punished for walking away -- he feels like he should have to live in salt.

My Interpretation