At face value, I first thought this song was about the Mayflower and the pilgrims, which it very well could be.
I think this song is about a relationship/marriage. A neighbor is someone who is next to you, as in standing at the altar or standing next to you in life. I think "bear your neighbor's burden within reason" (my favorite lyrics of the song) is sharing your partner's woes and troubles, and not letting them shoulder all the responsibility in the relationship. The monument is the home, or center of the new life, and the "vessels pitching hard to starboard" could be like "troubles in the waters" or relationship issues. The "body of the boy" could be a miscarriage or death of an infant son.
"Raising a glass to the turning of the seasons" is knowing that time goes on and you can get through problems. "Arc towards the sun" is that everything gets better.
The chorus and title "don't carry it all" means to share in the relationship, don't carry all the stress, talk about it with your partner and "share the burden". Letting the "yolk fall from our shoulders" is just to relax sometimes, take a break from life and just be.
At face value, I first thought this song was about the Mayflower and the pilgrims, which it very well could be.
I think this song is about a relationship/marriage. A neighbor is someone who is next to you, as in standing at the altar or standing next to you in life. I think "bear your neighbor's burden within reason" (my favorite lyrics of the song) is sharing your partner's woes and troubles, and not letting them shoulder all the responsibility in the relationship. The monument is the home, or center of the new life, and the "vessels pitching hard to starboard" could be like "troubles in the waters" or relationship issues. The "body of the boy" could be a miscarriage or death of an infant son.
"Raising a glass to the turning of the seasons" is knowing that time goes on and you can get through problems. "Arc towards the sun" is that everything gets better.
The chorus and title "don't carry it all" means to share in the relationship, don't carry all the stress, talk about it with your partner and "share the burden". Letting the "yolk fall from our shoulders" is just to relax sometimes, take a break from life and just be.