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The National – Mr. November Lyrics 16 years ago
No, this is not about the president, not about the american revolutionary war, not about baseball. He was a highschool quarterback. November is playoff season for football. He was carried in the arms of cheerleaders. He was a hero. This character has peaked way too early. He's had his big accomplishment already, so now he sleeps late, thinking he doesn't really need to put in the effort. but now he is in dire straits, and he almost wishes he could give up (wish that I believed in fate). "The English are waiting" could be a reference to the Beggars Banquet label pressure, that's a very good observation, but I think it could be a more general or metaphorical reference. But anyway, he's so desperate not to fail, but he's having a hard time convincing himself he has a chance, and when he says "I'm Mr. November", he's not telling us, he's telling himself, trying to convince himself that he's not completely fucked.
I want to hear what people think about the line "in my best clothes". I think it could mean the pressure is business-related, like he's meeting with a potential client or something. "nothing like it was in my room" I'm not sure about, but it doesn't seem to be that weighty of a line.
This song is so interesting because I would normally have no sympathy for some jock high school quarterback, I would almost want to see him fail, but the way he sings "I won't fuck us over", so desperate and serious, it's really affecting, emotionally. We're seeing someone trying to allay immense anxiety.

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