In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Holt Boulevard
Between Gary and White
Hooked up with some friends at the Travelodge
Set ourselves up for the night
Carpenter ants in the dresser
Flies in the screen
It will be too late by the time we learn
What these cryptic symbols mean
And I dreamt of a house
Haunted by all you tweakers with your hands out
And the headstones climbed up the hills
And the headstones climbed up the hills
Send somebody out for soda
Comb through the carpet for clues
Reflective tape on our sweatpants
Big holes in our shoes
Every couple minutes someone says he can't stand it any more
Laugh lines on our faces
Scale maps of the ocean floor
And I dreamt of a camera
Pointing out from inside the televsion
And the aperture yawning and blinking
And the headstones climbed up the hills
If anybody comes to see me
Tell 'em they just missed me by a minute
If anybody comes in to our room while we're asleep
I hope they incinerate everybody in it
And I dreamt of a factory
Where they manufactured what I needed
Using shiny new machines
And the headstones climbed up the hills
Between Gary and White
Hooked up with some friends at the Travelodge
Set ourselves up for the night
Carpenter ants in the dresser
Flies in the screen
It will be too late by the time we learn
What these cryptic symbols mean
And I dreamt of a house
Haunted by all you tweakers with your hands out
And the headstones climbed up the hills
And the headstones climbed up the hills
Send somebody out for soda
Comb through the carpet for clues
Reflective tape on our sweatpants
Big holes in our shoes
Every couple minutes someone says he can't stand it any more
Laugh lines on our faces
Scale maps of the ocean floor
And I dreamt of a camera
Pointing out from inside the televsion
And the aperture yawning and blinking
And the headstones climbed up the hills
If anybody comes to see me
Tell 'em they just missed me by a minute
If anybody comes in to our room while we're asleep
I hope they incinerate everybody in it
And I dreamt of a factory
Where they manufactured what I needed
Using shiny new machines
And the headstones climbed up the hills
Lyrics submitted by I'm a Pirate
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Ok this should be the final answer to this question. I've know tons of tweekers (meth users) and I live very near where this album "takes place". Here we go:
1.Holt blvd between gary and white - hooked up with some friends at the travel lodge set ourselves up for the night: Holt, Gary and White are three streets that go through the Ontario, rancho cucamonga and pomona area of Southern california (infact my methadone clinic is off holt blvd). There is currently no travel lodge exactly where he's saying but there IS a travelodge on East Holt in pomona. Tweekers often get together with their drugs and hold up in a room/house/motel for days at a time.
2.Carpenter ants in the kitchen flies in the screen it will be too late by the time we learn what these cryptic symbols mean: This line fits with John's intended "horror theme" of the entire album. The whole album is a "meth horror story". The carpenter ant and fly infestation in the motel they're held up in are like the settings of a horror movie that the audience notices before the characters in the movie do.
3.And I dreamt of a house haunted by all you tweekers with your hands out and the headstones climbed up the hills: He's looking back in a "dream" at all his old tweeker friends who didn't make it out of the (as he says) "calvalcade of monsters". Tweekers are known to always want things from other people "Hey Man you got five bucks?". The headstones part is about the impending doom of drug addiction.
4.Send somebody out for soda, comb through the carpet for clues. Reflective tape on our sweat pants, big holes in our shoes: Tweekers are known to guzzle large amounts of soda, one main reason (besides the corrosive nature of meth) that tweekers lose their teeth (i.e. "meth mouth"). "Comb through the carpet for clues" (a line only tweekers and coke heads would get) is about what tweekers/crack heads call "ghost hunting". Ghost hunting is when after you run out of your drugs your stimulant ridden, drug obsessed mind starts to believe that you dropped some dope somewhere. If you've seen the movie PARTY MONSTER when they smoke all of angels crack and bust open the radiator because they think they dropped a rock back there..Same thing. When they're on the floor they appear like they're a detective "Hunting for clues".
5.Every couple minutes someone says he cant stand it anymore laugh lines on our faces scale maps of the ocean floor: The first part is once again about the love/hate (the hate part) desperation of addiction. Im guessing the "scale maps of the ocean floor" part is about how tweekers all get obsessed on different quirks (reading, writing, drawing, playing video games, or in this case studying scale maps of the ocean floor)
6.And I dreamt of a camera pointing out from inside the television - and the amatures yawning and blinking and the headstones climbed up the hills: The camera part is about tweeker's paranoia that people are "watching them". The amatures yawning and blinking part is about how new speed users usually cant stay up nearly as long as the old heads can. And once again the impending doom of headstones.
7.If anybody comes to see me tell them they just missed me by a minute: Just like the line from another song on this album "We say we dont like the sunlight because it hurts our eyes but the real reason is because it makes us feel like we're dying" - When you've been up for three days on speed the last thing you want to do is see a sober person...mostly out of paranoia but also because you know you must look like a wreck.
8.If anybody comes into our room while we're asleep I hope they incinerate everybody in it: Just about the desperation one feels after either a long period of time being addicted to meth or a long "run" (run=a set of 2-7 days where you just stay up on meth). You just hope someone will burn you alive (the yajna reference - a sacrifice which is burned).
9.And I dreamt of a factory where they manufactured what I needed using shiny new machines and the headstones climbed up the hills: Him dreaming of this fantasy meth factory.
I am 95% sure of my analysis of this song. If I'm wrong let me know.
I agree with the majority of your analysis. I know someone already mentioned the amateur thing so I won't go into that. I mainly just wanted to second what you said about the travelodge, since I myself am also from the area. It is indeed a very seedy place.<br /> <br /> However, I think he his referring to Holt blvd between garey and white as a location where he made a buy and then took what he got there to the travelodge. I'm sure you're well aware of the types of people typically lurking around on Holt (my friends and I would play count the hookers when we were younger) and I'm sure John was aware as well from the time he spent in Claremont. I feel it's likely to be an area where you could easily find an array of meth dealers, however, I'm not a meth user so I'm just basing that off my own observations of the area. <br /> <br /> If you happen to come back around and see this I'd love to hear what you think!
I think the majority of this is great as well, although one other quibble I'd raise is that the "scale maps of the ocean floor" is (I believe) just a word picture about how deep the laugh lines have become on their faces (possibly facial distortion from too much drug use?)
Generally I agree with everything in your analysis, except point 6 – he's talking about the camera "aperture" yawning and blinking (an example of personification). Do an image search for "camera aperture". A closeup of a camera aperture opening and is often used in movies to illustrate a sense of paranoia, of being watched. Ascribing human-like characteristics to the camera ("yawning and blinking") adds to the sense of paranoia.
Here's what you need to know. A tweaker is a methamphetamine addict. As you may know, this drug is made from easily obtained chemicals in primitive labs set up in houses and trailer parks and motels. Meth labs are not infrequently the site of explosions due to the chemicals in use. It is a destructive drug for the user. It is widespread across the US, particularly in rural parts of the midwest. To me, the song is about a group of meth addicts who come to a bad end, perhaps in a fire or explosion. I think the headstones in the dreams are a premonition of death, or just represent the many lives being lost and wasted by this drug. It is a powerful and beatiful song.
Baboon420,
I like everything you said except in #6. It's aperature not amatuer. It's still just a reference to the camera.
The song, and the whole album is about a meth user (John?). I dont think the implication is that anyone dies in this song, but the incinerate bit is some self-loathing.
Ive heard that John used to do meth once, and that the album actually is based more on his own experiences than other songs, which are largely fictional.
As with Tallahasse, dont try to interpret this song outside of the context of the whole album. Great album BTW :-)
In his interview with Marc Maron, John talks quite a bit about his drug use, including his speed phase. And he specifically refers to We Shall All Be Healed as his "tweaker album."<br /> <br /> wtfpod.com/podcast/episodes/episode366-_john_darnielle
he once intro this song as
"this is the true story of seven people picked to live in a house. but it wasn't really a house it was more of a motel room and they werent really people so much as shadows of people that their friends once knew but have long since cast off and given up on as hopeless. but i want to say they are not hopeless, that is what i want to say, that really they'll be fine but i know these guys they wont be fine. for this is the true story of seven people picked to live in a motel room and shoot speed"
The "cryptic symbols" are probably the equations in the chemistry book.
Which is pretty funny, in a sick way ;-)
Also...in hinduism a yajna is a ritual sacrifice or offering, but specifically one which is burned in a fire...
Thanks for the info Jaspermax. I never would've figured this song out without it.
I think that this song could also be about trying to get sober off of the meth. "Every couple minutes someone says he can't stand it any more" Which could possibly be about the withdrawals that they're getting from the meth.
And when he says "Headstones climb up the hills" maybe he's saying that everyone gave up and then maybe overdosed and now they're all dying and being buried under the hills. The headstones "climbing" could possibly mean that they're covering all the hills. That alot of people are dying.
Hadnt thought of that before Livid. Maybe you are right, I think that because it was so early in the album, it wasnt time to "come clean" in the story yet. Should be happening around Mole or Cotton or Pigs.
Maybe you are right though :)