This song, like so many on the album, is about a casual relationship that evolves into a lopsided one. I love this theme personally, as The National continues to be unafraid to capture actual human experiences, and not trumped-up love fairy tales. In this case, and elsewhere throughout the album, he's describing the painful experience of falling in love with someone who is reluctant to move beyond the previously established casual nature of the relationship. Unlike the rest of the album though, this time the narrator is the one watching the other person fall into some "sea of love", and he's the one who won't be dragged down with her. Funny how it can feel life-shattering when you're the one in too deep ("you said it would be painless, it wasn't that at all" - Pink Rabbits), but when it's the other way around, it becomes "hey, sorry I hurt you... welp, at least love is a virtue! Cheers!"
Interesting to compare this to songs like "Pink Rabbits" "This is the Last Time" or "I Need my Girl", all of which allude to the narrator slipping into the dreaded Sea of Love alone, while the girl he loves stands steadfast on the shore. All beautiful, real, completely relatable songs. I personally have been on both sides of this arrangement and there are some lines (not to mention some swelling brass-filled crescendos) scattered throughout this album that are straight piercing to listen to, but in a wonderfully alive way. Which to me is the point: sure their music can be downright depressing, even death-obsessed at times, but it is more in touch with actual human emotions than anything else out there right now--what better way to feel alive?
(Point of reference: Jenny = he's in love and she won't reciprocate, Jo = vice versa.... as Matt says, Sorry Jo)
This song, like so many on the album, is about a casual relationship that evolves into a lopsided one. I love this theme personally, as The National continues to be unafraid to capture actual human experiences, and not trumped-up love fairy tales. In this case, and elsewhere throughout the album, he's describing the painful experience of falling in love with someone who is reluctant to move beyond the previously established casual nature of the relationship. Unlike the rest of the album though, this time the narrator is the one watching the other person fall into some "sea of love", and he's the one who won't be dragged down with her. Funny how it can feel life-shattering when you're the one in too deep ("you said it would be painless, it wasn't that at all" - Pink Rabbits), but when it's the other way around, it becomes "hey, sorry I hurt you... welp, at least love is a virtue! Cheers!"
Interesting to compare this to songs like "Pink Rabbits" "This is the Last Time" or "I Need my Girl", all of which allude to the narrator slipping into the dreaded Sea of Love alone, while the girl he loves stands steadfast on the shore. All beautiful, real, completely relatable songs. I personally have been on both sides of this arrangement and there are some lines (not to mention some swelling brass-filled crescendos) scattered throughout this album that are straight piercing to listen to, but in a wonderfully alive way. Which to me is the point: sure their music can be downright depressing, even death-obsessed at times, but it is more in touch with actual human emotions than anything else out there right now--what better way to feel alive?
(Point of reference: Jenny = he's in love and she won't reciprocate, Jo = vice versa.... as Matt says, Sorry Jo)
Wonderful comment.
Great!
Wonderful comment.
Great!
@Janglin absolutely love your analysis and comparison.
@Janglin absolutely love your analysis and comparison.