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Eagle on a Pole Lyrics
Saw an eagle on a pole
I think it was an eagle Watched its shadow fly across the cement I woke up in the snow All the trees were crowds of people No coat, no shoes, no idea where they went I followed the fence line thin Back where the yard begins My woman, she stood crying like a man Said, "Where have you been Where have you been?" I thought you said that all of that was done El cielo es azul Just don't go telling everyone Thought the kettle was a train Thought that Monday was a door frame I tried so hard to finally settle down Heard the fire pop and snap Like a tack piano rag I never could get used to happy sounds But I hope the world's exposed A cruel and elaborate hoax That convinces me to walk without a cane But what can you do What can you do I always heard that what is done is done El cielo es azul Just don't go telling everyone The past don't ever quit There's boxes in the attic Baby shoes and taxidermy dreams While the ashes of the dead, like a dandelion head Explode and then are scattered by the breeze And it's such a long way back to all the fun I had When nothing ever seemed to bother me But what can you do Child, what can you do Sleep beneath the stars, and toil in the sun El cielo es azul Just don't go telling everyone El cielo es azul Just don't go telling everyone
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02-14-2008
BTW, the first two verses sound like their about immigration to me. But not the rest.
02-10-2009
07-26-2009
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07-06-2008
i hate finding out that i have been saying something wrong
but good thing i found out
this make ss somuch more sence
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07-21-2008
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07-27-2008
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07-29-2008
just dont go telling anyone
hah
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07-31-2008
but whatever way, it's probably one of my favorites off the upcoming album. i'm really excited for it.
idk if this is relevant, but the part "My woman, she stood crying like a man/ So where have you been?/ Where have you been?/ I thought you said that all of that was done." makes it sound like he's been lying about where he was and makes me think of like drugs or cheating or something? i wonder what it's really about..
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08-04-2008
But part of me feels like it's just one of the phrases Conor learned in his "How To Speak Spanish Volume 1" cassette.
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08-05-2008
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08-05-2008
Saw an eagle on a pole
I think it was an eagle
Watched its' shadow fly 'cross the cement
I woke up in the snow
All the trees were crowds of people.
No coat, no shoes, no idea where they went
I followed the fence line thin
Back where the yard begins
My woman, she stood crying like a man
Said, "where have you been
Where have you been?"
I thought you said that all of that was done
El Cielo es azul
Just don't go telling everyone
Thought the kettle was a train
Thought that Monday was a door frame
I tried so hard to finally settle down
Heard the fire pop and snap
Like a tack piano rag
I never could get used to happy sounds
But I hope the world's exposed
A cruel and elaborate hoax
That convinces me to walk without a cane
But what can you do
What can you do
I always heard that what is done is done
El Cielo es azul
Just don't go telling everyone
The past don't ever quit
There's boxes in the attic
Baby shoes and taxidermy dreams
While the ashes of the dead, like a dandelion head,
explode and then are scattered by the breeze
And it's such a long way back to all the fun I had
When nothing ever seemed to bother me
But what can you do
Child, what can you do
Sleep 'neath the stars, and toil in the sun
El Cielo es azul
Just don't go telling everyone
El Cielo es azul
Just don't go telling everyone
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08-08-2008
"Thought I saw an eagle - "Saw an eagle on a pole
But it might have been a vulture" - Think it was an eagle"
That might not have anything to do with this song, but Conor has been known for the references to the Old Testament and Leonard Cohen has been an influence to Conor. I don't know how to exactly fit it into the song, maybe someone else has an idea if it is a reference.
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08-08-2008
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08-13-2008
(the interview is on youtube, btw.)
Funny the same thing was in a L. Cohen song.
Maybe in some other interview, conor will say that's where he got it - (seems like he sometimes gives a different story in different interviews.)
Or maybe there's just alot of eagles sitting on poles out there, looking not quite like themselves...
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08-15-2008
Yeah, what he says is subject to change with his imagination.
You're probably right about there being a lot of eagles sitting on poles out there, looking not quite like themselves. :)
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08-20-2008
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08-20-2008
Heres why:
1.)I followed the fence line thin
Back where the yard begins
My woman, she stood crying like a man
Said, "where have you been
Where have you been?"
I thought you said that all of that was done
- he is walking back from a place where he has been using, literally describing the fence which lines the yard. "I thought you said that all of that was done" Could it be anymore obvious?
2.)El Cielo es azul - "the sky is blue"
- This is an obvious statement of fact. Oberst is saying that the relapse is as obvious as the sky is blue, but just don't go telling everyone. And it helps that the phrase sounds pretty in spanish (the album was recorded in Mexico).
3.)Thought the kettle was a train
Thought that Monday was a door frame
I tried so hard to finally settle down
Heard the fire pop and snap
Like a tack piano rag
I never could get used to happy sounds
- The lines about the train and door frame are clearly hallucinations. Further, he says "I never could get used to happy sounds". I believe this is a refrence to the last bright eyes album cassadega which Conor was 100% clean on. Much of the music on Cassadega is lighter, and much more hopeful (aka "happier sounds").
4.)But I hope the world's exposed
A cruel and elaborate hoax
That convinces me to walk without a cane
- This is the line that really shows what the song is about. "convinces me to walk without a cane" The cane are drugs, he needs the drugs to cope with a world that is an elaborate hoax, and if the world is revealed as being such he will no longer need his cane (drugs).
One of the best songs on the album.
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08-23-2008
-- I came on to write this exact thing. It's definite.
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08-25-2008
El Cielo es azul - people are saying this means "the sky is blue"
well cielo is also spanish for heaven and azul is blue and kina sounds/looks like the word azure wich is not only the colour blue but the name of a band (azure ray) which conors kinda girlfriend is in... is the heaven azure ??
i know its far out and i dont really think much of my suggestion but yeah it makes me a bit curious i guess
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08-25-2008
Can anyone place the eagle?
PS- I love the Spanish line, particularly in context with BPM's explanation about the obvious relapse. This whole album makes me want to visit Mexico and the bordering states.
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08-28-2008
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09-23-2008
"Thought the kettle was a train
Thought that Monday was a door frame
I tried so hard to finally settle down"
are that they are imagery about leaving not hallucinations. He's back home but he's anxious and wants to leave again.
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10-05-2008
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10-06-2008
I recall a This American Life episode about PTSD, one particular story especially. One of the men, who had returned from three tours in Iraq, explained his hallucinations and frequent blackouts. He recalls waking up in random places-- one time he was naked and outside even. He was also very violent towards his girlfriend and her kids, but didn't know why. The character in the song doesn't come off as violent, but the blackout and hallucinations remind me of the soldier's story.
If this was a written story, I think it would be like this: The character wakes up in the cold, partially clothed and confused. He follows the fence line to his house and finds his wife/girlfriend crying. She's obviously seen this behavior before and she's crying because she doesn't understand his condition any more than he does. He doesn't have answers. The character describes his disassociation in everyday things, describes how he's trying to settle down, how whatever happened to him was obviously cruel and hugely distracting who he his/wants to be/once was.
He has hope, though. That's what I think the "sky is blue" line represents. Oh, and the eagle on a pole line was what brought me to this idea in the first place. I don't think I need to explain the eagle symbolism.
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10-15-2008
also the sentence "el cielo es azul, just don't go telling everyone" is so consuming. i feel like i'm on the verge of figuring out what it means, and i know it is something big
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10-30-2008
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12-14-2008
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