I never felt so safe
A line I once told her
Warm, resting place
Her arms on my shoulder

You are the rock
You are the rake
You are the one when I watch myself

You are the rock
You are the rake
You are the one when I watch myself

We ran into a cave
When the wars came closer
She turned into a cave
Where it turned colder

You are the rock
You are the rake
You are the one when I watch myself



Lyrics submitted by WoodenPirate


You Are the Rake song meanings
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12 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:nayohmee i think you definitely got it right on...me and my girlfriend think that was really well analyzed..good job
    Flag robg60on February 07, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i think regardless it's a song celebrating a certain relationship, talking realistically about what it was, and expressing gratitude for the relationship's influence.


    that being said, i'd like to mention that the tone of the song is very praise and worship sounding. i'm not saying this song is about God, just that it has the same aspects of a worship song - praising, harmonic, repetitive. worship songs tend to be sung in a group setting, so they are usually simple and allow for harmony, like the female accompaniment in this song.

    i believe the metaphor of the rock and rake is pretty simple - a rock can symbolize stability and steadfastness, a rake can symbolize something that cleans up and reveals what is underneath. "you are the one when i watch myself" can mean that the subject of the song is important enough to his life to silently encourage him to be the best person he can be.

    the cave image seems to allude to a physical relationship that originally occurred because it created comfort and safety and love, as most relationships provide in the beginning. but then the cave becomes cold, possibly alluding to the relationship's emotional demise. or, the demise of the safety and warmth. however, maybe it is the outside that became colder, making the "cave" that much warmer and needed.

    really, this could mean so many things. it might not be about a romantic relationship at all, but a relationship with a mother or a god.

    i'm definitely feeling curious about the subject being a mother figure. i wonder if anyone can see that as a possibility? cave isn't necessarily a sexual image...
    Flag nayohmeeon December 07, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:thats all good feedback to sufjans song..does anyone know what he means by rake?..i know you could say someones a rock and that could be understood relativly easily but a rake??..just wondering.i dont see the metaphor....any feedback is much appreciated
    Flag robg60on October 20, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:How embarrassing. I was wrong. Your lyrics are RIGHT! Haha. Sorry.
    Flag Cuyahogaon October 19, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think your lyrics are a little off. I thought he was saying, "We ran into a safe. When the walls came closer." It's kind of hard to understand in the song though.
    Since he said, "A line I once told her." I get the idea that he wasn't completely genuine with his heart's feelings and more so with his body's even if it wasn't intentional at the time. I think maybe when he says, "You are the rock. You are the rake. You are the one when I watch myself." he is saying it his head to remind himself of his relationship with God.
    (Don't whine to me about not accepting God ever. He's a christian and it shows up consistently in his writing.)
    When he says, "We ran into a safe when the walls came closer." perhaps he means that the he and the girl put themselves under God's conviction when they were relying too well on the wants of their flesh.
    So maybe when he says, "She turned into a cave where it turned colder." He means that without the "warm resting place" of their physical connection she became mysterious or alien and dark. Somewhere that he would get lost trying to understand.
    It is such a vague song. Like a broken memory attached to very personal symbolism. I admit, though, that I could be 100% wrong.
    Flag Cuyahogaon October 19, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Given the strong Christian theme to most of Sufjan's music I'd say that it's not a woman he's talking about, but God.

    Even so, all of the previous interpretations still fit exceptionally well.
    Flag TriangleManon October 13, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"You are the one when I watch myself"
    That is probably my favorite line.
    I think it's very down to earth and easy to relate to.
    Flag Yankeeeon August 28, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:to me, he's saying that he feels really comfortable and safe with her... she's his "rock" (foundation), what makes him happy, the one he depends on, and the one who keeps him going day after day. she also makes him watch himself and try to be a better person for her.

    it's beautiful...i'm not sure what 'the significance of 'rake' is in this song though. unless she sort of rakes out the ugly things from his life and makes him a better person all-around. ...?
    Flag angelacherixoxoon August 27, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This is kind of random.

    But in the movie Garden State, Zach Braff's character says a line very similiar to the first line of this song...and since this came out way before Garden State and Zach is a fan of Sufjan's music, I thought this song might have sort of inspired that line (maybe not consciously?)
    Flag fivergirlon February 27, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:maybe it has something to do with how love is about trying to be another person, and we try so hard to do that, and we just can't, but we still have to try.
    Flag theoryofevrythngon January 03, 2007   Link

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