Pleasant Shadow Song Lyrics

Lyric discussion by NorthernBorn 

Cover art for Pleasant Shadow Song lyrics by Cass McCombs

"You scoff at my card Guess I'm no Abelard"

Pierre Abelard was a French intellectual who was considered "all-knowing" in his day. Perhaps this line is someone reading someone's tarot and admitting he doesn't know all.

"I don't know ..." just how far is Beulah"

Perhaps this is a reference to someone asking a tarot reader when he will die and not knowing the answer.

"Beulah" refers to the afterlife or a separate and peaceful existence. I think the entire song is a frustration with living on earth.

Lyrics such as "Ill will and looks" refers to the cruelty of humans and a wish to just get to the afterlife already. "and shadow a long twilight Always to play and sleep through the day for music and night"

This is my favorite part of the song -- not only for the lyrics, but also for the way it's sung.

My Interpretation