| Motion City Soundtrack – A Life Less Ordinary (Need a Little Help) Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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Seems to be very clearly about overcoming his alcoholism. "Made a lot of angry organs" is the most obvious reference to this. Also, it is definitely "conquered eyes" and it makes perfect sentence. A true alcoholic knows what it is like to see the absolute disappointment in the eyes of their loved ones and when the disease gets bad enough, you aren't even invited around for major holidays like Christmas. That is a crushing feeling like no other. But the alcoholic keeps drinking, because self-destruction is just something that comes with the territory - "sometimes quicksand has a massive appeal to me". He is overcoming all of this though. But there are some missteps along the way and he admits it isn't easy. So he needs a little help from his friends. The song is in a similar vein to the Beatles song "With A Little Help From My Friends" as well. |
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| The Decemberists – Rox in the Box Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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This song instantly makes me think of the building of the Hoover Dam. During its construction, many men ended up dying, thus the: "This bulkhead's built of fallen brethren's bones" It was dangerous work, but it was during the Great Depression so there were plenty of men lining up to do the work, so if you ever couldn't perform the work, you could be replaced quickly: "So while we're living here Let's get this little one thing clear There's plenty of men to die, don't jump your turn" You couldn't even rest for too long, or someone else would take your place: "You get your shovel back in line And if you ever make it to ten You won't make it again" This specific song is obviously dealing more with mining and not the Hoover Dam, but it is based on a very similar principle. The demand for work far outstripped the supply and thus the workers could be easily replaced and worked to death. Awesome song! |
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| Julian Casablancas – River of Brakelights Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Thanks for the input. I can't find any great lyrics online so I thought I would give it many thorough listens and combine what I heard with other lyrics I found online. I will try to edit it as much as possible when official lyrics come out or someone contributes something that sounds well. I integrated a bunch of what you suggested, but not quite all of it if I still felt like what I had down sounded alright. For example, the "shop, therefore I am" strikes me as appropriate as I think it hits on the theme of society/materialism overload found in the song. But, once again, thanks, because these are definitely some very difficult lyrics to transcribe. What I hear so far, I love. |
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| Passion Pit – Little Secrets Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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This song is definitely about empowerment. Lines abound about "higher", "strong", "power". I am not sure if a girl is involved or not, but I absolutely think a major theme of the song is overcoming your flaws. When you can finally be comfortable with yourself, it can be a very powerful experience. He mentions his old "salty wounds", disgracing the family name and also how he can now ignore the people staring at his "scars". Most people, unfortunately, spend most of their time worrying about what others think of them. It is only natural, in a way, because we all have such a desire to be accepted and loved by others. A great revelation comes, however, when some realize that by not worrying and just being themselves completely, they will naturally attract that attention and love. May not be exactly what the song is about, but that's what I got out of it so it's my songmeaning at least. |
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| The Decemberists – Annan Water Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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So maybe that isn't specific (still could be). But, then I still have like 20 other pieces to the puzzle that add up to Scotland, or at least to the immediate surrounding area. So, like, no. I'm proud of my work and stand by it. But thanks for those quotes. Also, I now know that the whole thing was not rape, but that was just my initial interpretation on first listen and based on some reviewed that talked about rape or something. |
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| White Rabbits – Percussion Gun Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Awesome, awesome percussion on this song. Even better live. These lyrics are pretty off (perhaps because they come from a live version?) and I can't find any good ones online, so this is my best attempt. Still not perfect, but much closer. Well, how do you do? The kiss on the cheek Its been a while So I'll just beg, borrow and steal all your time we'll call it dignified And now it all seems to be cut and dry So I know which way to run You're tired my love I feel the same Oh Well take it from me What else could you do? Where do you get off And how can I get there, too? All your time we'll call it dignified And now it seems to be cut and dry So I know which way to run You're tired my love I feel the same Oh You'll never come back My God cant you see that I know which way to run You're tired my love I feel the same The ... won't speak my name Well everyone see you rise and shine It might not be true but this is fine Cause I know which way to run You're tired my love I feel the same The ... wont speak my name Now even this would jump this ship Ahhh, just give me some piece of mind Cause I... |
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| The Decemberists – Annan Water Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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I got tired of fully interpreting every line of every song. But this song pretty much suggests only one real location for the setting of the album. It must be Scotland. The Welsh name, the notion of castles [not sure if there is ever direct mention] and now the Annan, a river found in Scotland. Although the taiga does not appear to extend all the way down to Scotland on any maps I saw, it does appear to be on the outer reaches of the climate zone. Upon additional research, I have found that it definitely contains taiga forest. Riddle solved. Knowing all of the thought I put into this, Colin probably already stated somewhere that this takes place in Scotland, but I had fun doing detective work anyway. I really like how the Celtic theme is carried through the entire albums settings. |
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| The Decemberists – The Abduction of Margaret Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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[original narrator lover-boy] The thick branches and vines form the bed (that Margaret still sleeps in, beast-guy off on the town) the same bed that once held the warmth of the two "lovers" Margaret gets abducted by the Rake The Rake runs away with Margaret thrown over his shoulder but only after tying up her fingers (hands) The Rake has to formulate a plan for crossing a wild river to get away successfully [Can he get away with Margaret? Will she bear another "love" child and stay with a new abusive man/beast for no reason? Onto the next song!...] |
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| The Decemberists – The Rake's Song Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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[Light's flicker, intermission over] On with the literal/shameful interpretations. I love this song. For shits and giggles I will take my most generous liberties in this interpretation. [New character is introduced, a guy known only as the Rake] I got hitched At 21 There were some wedding bells I can actually remember it now (lot of booze that day, sorta hazy) Alright, alright, alright No longer a completely unhinged crazy bachelor dude I was married and really wanted to have sex... like, a lot Until she starts pumping out kids (wizard's sleeve) Then I finally realized what an idiot I was for getting married at 21 Alright, alright, alright Alright, alright, alright First came Eziah with his crinkled little fingers Then came Charlotte and that wretched girl Dawn Ugly Myfanwy died while being popped out And, thankfully, did me the service of also killing his mother at the same time. (two birds, one stone) Alright! alright! alright! What can you do when you don't have a wife anymore and are stuck with three friggin' kids All that I wanted was the freedom of a new life So I began to offing the brats Alright, now we are talking Charlotte I buried after feeding her a poisonous flower Dawn was easy, she was drowned in the bathtub Eziah fought but still had weakly small child-muscles Burned his body for pissing me off Alright, alright, alright And that's how I came your humble narrator To be living so easy and free You might think this would scar me But that doesn't really happen when you are a sociopath like me Alright! [now with that pleasant back-story out of the way, let's get back to this main shindig with Margaret. I hear she hasn't been raped by any insane men/creatures in awhile...] [Also, from previous personal song comment - I deduced based on cultural and natural clues that the country of setting was most likely Scandinavian. Now, with this song and the Welsh name Myfanwy, the exact country becomes a bit more puzzling. The idea of castles, the Welsh name and the feel of the album for me personally, point pretty specifically to England or Wales (United Kingdom area), but according to maps of tagia climate zones, they are not really present lower than Scandinavia. At the very least, I can, with conviction, cross off any tagia location in North America or Asia.] |
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| The Decemberists – The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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This is where my literal interpretation/take on the story get a little hazy. I'm not sure if this is whole situation is open to interpretation of if Colin will ever specify exactly what the hell is happening here. My take is this: Colin (as the beast-guy) Mother, I can hear your walking up here you walk pretty quietly in the dead of the forest night your presence is so freaky I can practically feeling coming like an evil cloud But I really got these desires... You delivered me from danger then Pulled my cradle from the reedy glen (like that Moses dude) Swore to save me from the world of men (cause I'm not really a man) Still I want to go have sex with lots of other women (besides this Margaret girl I raped and had a kid with and even said that I would commit to her) And the wanting comes in waves And I want to go have that sex tonight, right now Shara (as some sort of crazy, dark forest Queen) Basically I probably nursed you back to health by some dark forest magic And now, this is how you repay me? (By saying you want to leave the forest to just sex up more women?) You were a messed up a little thing and I really save you And now, this is how I am repaid This is how I am repaid beast-guy: Mom, hear me out Just let me go out this one night I promise I will come back for curfew, at dawn Because I still really really really really want to have sex And you owe it to me to let me have some fun outside the forest dark forest Queen-lady: If I let you do this And give you full personal freedom for one night I am going to completely take back you body in the morning (either never letting you leave the forest or possibly consuming your entire being into my own. depends) So consider that the trade-off. [HALFTIME] |
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| The Decemberists – Isn't It a Lovely Night? Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Margaret singing again. In the forest, with the beast-guy and the baby born, she now how this sweet little twisted family. So, like any good little girl, she revels in her cute new family life. And lays down to sleep... It is a continued dialogue of the last song. Not really anything interesting to directly translate. The death line could have many vague interpretations. The Queen is, all the while, approaching in the background. |
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| The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love 2 (Wager All) Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Pretty sure this is sung from the beast-guy He talks about showering her with love My whole life I have never had such strong emotion/felt love and therefore I am shaking I'll lay you down in a clover bed The stars, a roof above our heads And we'll lie till the Corn Crake [a small bird, like a pheasant] crows totally neked And I am willing to take a risk and devote my life to you The hazards of love (what the hell am I getting myself into) The hazards of love (ball-and-chain?) We can sorta sink into the soft ground cover I'll lay you down in a clover bed The stars, a roof above our heads [And in case anyone is wondering, I did the research and Corn Crakes actually do live in taiga habitats. Also, buttercups do too. Although this setting could be in the Northernmost US States or Russia, I think I imagine this story taking place in one of the Scandinavian countries. Colin clearly does his research first.] |
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| The Decemberists – Won't Want for Love (Margaret in the Taiga) Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Continued literal/odd translation: [Margaret singing now] Gentle leaves, gentle leaves Can you guys magically form a path for me The wood's are getting thick, dark and scary [so i need a magical leaf path] Buttercup flowers, buttercup flowers can you please somehow magically call the shape-shifting beast that raped me Let him know that I am coming And even the baby kicking in my belly can't stop my desire to be loved And I may become all caught up in my emotions from the baby growing inside of me but I still won't need any more love (so, like I may seem like I like you beast guy, but really I am still just holding out hope for my true love - whoever that narrator guy was from the first song) Mistle thrush, mistle thrush Lay me down in the underbrush My bare feet are tired as the sun is starting to set Willow boughs, willow boughs Make a bed to lay me down Let your branches bow to cradle us [us = her and the baby, or her and the beast?] I got a baby growing in here, but I want to be loved I may appear to you, beast-guy, that I want your love, but I don't. Oh my own true love, (first-song-narrator-guy) Can you hear me love? |
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| The Decemberists – A Bower Scene Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Continued literal/creative translations: "Yo sis," Margaret's (probably older sister) asked "when is your water going to break? (when is the baby due?) and what hot-headed rude guy is the father? (of the baby)" And when Margaret started to get fatter/show the baby bump the fruit of her love (rape-baby) started moving all around in there so she went off alone back to the forest [where she first got sexually assaulted... seems logical] |
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| The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle the Thistles Undone) Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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I'm going to go through and add translations to all of the Hazards of Love songs as I currently listen to it. This will help me understand what the heck is actually going on in the story and force me to look up what all these words mean. Hope no one minds... [Story starts out with this dude narrating about how his girl left the castle [I think], probably on horse] My true love went riding out in white and green and grey (clothes) Past the outer boundary of Arthur's Wall, where she liked to wander off to And she stumbled on a white and wounded baby deer. Singing, oh, the Hazards of Love (love is srs business u gais) She was really kind, mostly because she was a girl So she tried to fix the baby deer's busted hind leg, but then her plan was ruined The (primarily coniferous) forest started to move really weird, the beast that used to be a baby deer began to change shape/appearance Singing, oh, the Hazards of Love Singing, oh, the Hazards of Love You'll learn soon enough The prettiest whistles won't move around or mess up the prickly plants with flowers on top [meaning completely lost on me??] [This is probably where the beast rapes her] [And then, after this shocking event I guess it's implied that she sorta just wonders on back to the castle??] Fifteen flexible unmarried ladies were just lying around in their private area of the castle Fourteen of these ladies are paid to just sit around and do nothing [?? maybe they were just some sort of royalty or court-hookers?] Margaret [the fifteenth] lets out a big sigh as she grabs onto her thigh And she continues singing about how Love is a dangerous game [so back at the castle, the unbearable grief of rape by strange shape-shifting creature overcomes her so badly that she breaks out into mild lamenting song??] Great start Colin! haha. too funny. |
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| The Decemberists – A Bower Scene Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Adding quotes would be cool, just for easier reading. "Thou unconsolable daughter," said the sister "When will thou trouble the water of the cistern and what irascible blackguard is a father?" For the literary impaired (i.e. my own benefit. I m-w.com open in another window as I listen to the album) "Yo sis," Margaret's (probably older sister) asked "when is your water going to break? (when is the baby due?) and what hot-headed rude guy is the father? (of the baby)" And when Margaret started to get fatter/show the baby bump the fruit of her love (baby) started moving all around in there so she went off alone to the Taiga Obviously Colin has a way with words to make this sound much cooler though... |
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