Lyric discussion by e11ie 

Cover art for Occident lyrics by Joanna Newsom

Long life, show your face Slow heart, curb your taste Smoke me out of my hiding place Long life, state your case

This song, and particularly this stanza, seems to be a meditation on (and conversation about) long-term relationships: finding reasons to stick it out through tough or negative times, taking a long-view of the relationship in the context of a whole life, fighting against the impulse towards change, movement and newness.

Song Meaning