Lyrics for Elephant Gun as interpreted by somersault

Elephant Gun Lyrics
If I was young, I'd flee this town
I'd bury my dreams underground
As did I, we drink to die, we drink tonight

Far from home, elephant gun
Let's take them down one by one
We'll lay it down, it's not been found, it's not around

Let the seasons begin - it rolls right on
Let the seasons begin - take the big game down

Let the seasons begin - it rolls right on
Let the seasons begin - take the big game down

And it rips through the silence of our camp at night
And it rips through the night

And it rips through the silence of our camp at night
And it rips through the silence, all that is left is all that I hide

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roboclone
12-26-2006

Rated 0 
This song is beautiful.
It seems to me that this song is about some renegade running away from home. I may be looking at it too literally.

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sadeyedbaby
01-02-2007

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does anyone else think the "as did I" part maybe should be in quotations, like it's a conversation, and that's where the second interlocutor steps in? otherwise the syntax is a little odd, but, i mean, not inexcusable or anything. suppose it could just sound good.

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turisa00
01-05-2007

Rated 0 
the first time I read the lyrics I thought this could be about the Holocaust. I think I'm reading too much into the European vibe though.

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fgevilmonkey
01-08-2007

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This song is incredible

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lethological
01-08-2007

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i agree, i'm obsessed.

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TheSilentYears
01-10-2007

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i think that for the first series of question marks it may be "it rolls right on" and for the 4th series it may be "all that is left is all that i hide"....just a thought
i love this song...its so triumphant

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JimDillon
02-03-2007

Rated 0 
I think it's more gyspy oriented than WWII.

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JeesumCrowe
02-14-2007

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I thought it was kind of a song about the Columbine shooting. Taking them down one by one, and taking the big kings down both echo that, plus toasting/celebrating their own death. Imagining that it will cause a change forever, resulting in the 'seasons,' or that it rips through everyone's perfect lives (the silence) trying to say something also kind of fits to me. Plus - 'Elephant' is also a film loosely based on Columbine. I could be totally off, that's just the feel I got.

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embers2ashes
02-16-2007

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I never thought about it being a reference to Columbine but I can definitely see that as a possibility.

I always think he says:
"Let the seasons begin - where all was right and wrong"
but that's just what I hear

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agoldenroad
02-26-2007

Rated 0 
I'm damn close to sure that the second set of question marks are "when love was ours alone."
And yes, i hear "it rolls right on" in the first set as well.
I love all of his stuff, but I daresay this is Condon's finest work to date.

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appalach
03-01-2007

Rated 0 
The impression that i get is this song is about a resistance movement i.e. a Hemingway Spanish Civil War kind of thing. The comment above about it being triumphant is right on, but sad too- like you're outnumbered and probably going to die, but for a cause that you love. The word "underground," referencing taking a "king" down, mention of a "camp" and the fatalism of "drink to die."
A beautiful song....

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ClickForth
03-03-2007

Rated 0 
I hear "When I was *something"

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Sliver025
03-11-2007

Rated 0 
The writer/everything Zach Condon has expressed his apathy towards lyrics in multiple interviews so i don't know if it will be anything that deep.

I keep going back to his experiences with gypsies and the Balkan feel of the music and keep coming back to that. More of a fight the man/monarchy kind of song or die trying.

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Sussex
04-21-2007

Rated 0 
Is anyone else getting Vietnam vibes?

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mcsqualor08
04-27-2007

Rated 0 
I agree with embers2ashes on the song lyrics, but as for the meanings, i'm not 100% sure. I'll get back to that some other time.

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Fierce_Bear
04-28-2007

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I'm thinking the lyric "Take The Big King Down," is incorrect and says "Take The Big Game Down," which would also add to the songs title Elephant Gun which in fact is used to take big game down such as tigers and elephants when hunting exotic big game was legal and the sport of the rich.
But Personally I think it's a song about a man who is old now, and stuck in this town, and wishes he left when he was young to go hunting in the wilds of some far off country, or that could be a metaphor for leaving and just experiencing the world, I get images of British Ruled India,

It's a very lovely song.

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Kt3mplar
05-21-2007

Rated 0 
I agree that there's probably naught more than emotions behind the lyrics, rather than an underlying theme. However, judging from the video, I would guess the song is about feeling uneasy with your situation, and how one must change or die.

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$lacker
06-09-2007

Rated 0 
let me just say, gorgeous song. and after a couple more listens i'm pretty sure that the question marks in "And it rips through the silence, all that is left is ???" are "...all that is left is all I have".

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Temperance
06-09-2007

Rated 0 
I get the India vibe too, but I just finished reading a book about India in the twenties, so that could have something to do with it...
anyway, as Silver025 said, Condon doesn't really care too much about lyrics (at least he says he doesn't, but they really are so beautiful in all his songs, i don't know how he can't think about it a bit), but when people write the subconsciously put things about themselves in there. this song always struck me as kind of being about him, especially leaving home when he was 17 (I think? any one know?) to got tour Europe with his brother. he's talked about how he lived with gypsies for a while, and they used to play music all the time, which could be the 'rips through the silence of our camp,' bit. and he apparently does like wine a lot....

final bit, possibly my favorite song he's done to date, absolutely breath taking.

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Ufamism
06-14-2007

Rated 0 
The song is about the life and times of its writer and performer, Zach Condon. He ran away from home at a very young age, a drop-out, he traveled central europe.
His experiences there influenced his style of music.



Beautiful Song

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Ruttyx
06-27-2007

Rated 0 
Fierce_Bear, I think you're right. I mean look at the clip; people with elephant outfits, a safari hunter (Zach also mentioned this in a interview, the fact that he wanted the singer to be a safari-hunter personage).

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sterile.stars
06-28-2007

Rated 0 
"all that is left is all that i hide"

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deszcz
07-02-2007

Rated 0 
I agree, it's 'hide' not 'have'

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selfcontained
07-10-2007

Rated 0 
Let the seasons begin - it rolls right on

I LOVE IT

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selfcontained
07-10-2007

Rated 0 
Let the seasons begin - it rolls right on

I LOVE IT

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