The Gymnast, High Above the Ground Lyrics

Lyric discussion by forestlass 

Cover art for The Gymnast, High Above the Ground lyrics by Decemberists, The

This was the first Decemberists song I ever heard, so it might just be a random early album track to other fans but it will always have a special place for me. It is still among my top 5, I'm sure, if I ever stopped to compile one.

[Edit: First post was a test, kept getting error messages]

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@forestlass But I recently found a post on his substack where he is teaching how to play this song, and he gives the briefest backstory. All he said is that he was inspired to write a song about a gymnast after watching the Wim Wenders film Wings of Desire, which has a character who is a trapeze artist who has just been told her circus is closing down. The film is about two angels who move around Berlin listening to the thoughts of mortals