Two extended observations, which may or may not be relevant, but I feel may have been somewhere underneath the more straightforward meaning of the songs, or maybe I just want them to be there, given my interest in these subjects.

*The title, Tiger Mountain Peasant Song and its possible reference to the founding and subsequent history of the People's Republic of China.

Tiger Mountain is of course in rural Washington, not that far from where this band originate. However, not being from the Northwest (sadly) I was not even aware of that mountain when I first heard the song. I also first heard it in the gorgeous version by the Swedish sisters, to date the best and most perfectly filmed cover of anything I've seen on YouTube. In any case, watching those girls in their forest, I was a little confused about the title of a song that's so obviously based on American or European folk music. Since we don't have tigers in the USA or Europe, I just assumed we didn't have Tiger Mountains, either. Washington State proved me wrong.

Until I became aware, however, my first thoughts were of two things- the brilliant Brian Eno album, Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)- and the Chinese revolutionary opera on whose title it was indirectly based. Another reason I thought of that immediately is the use of the word "peasant" in the Fleet Foxes' title, a word which is not typically used to describe people in rural North America at any time in history, and not used for a very long time to describe people in rural Britain, where it turns out the melody drew influence from. In both countries, the transfer of the rural poor into capitalist-run factories, and the formal extension of legal rights to them, even if these rights were useless or nonexistent in practice, ended the use of that term, which denotes a kind of rural serfdom or slavery.

Given that the cover of the album references medieval Europe, the setting of these songs could well include peasants. But in more modern times, the word "peasant," just like the group of landless rural laborers described by it, tends to suggest the revolutionary movement in China, and those inspired by it. Mao's innovation was of course to adapt Soviet interpretations of Marxism, which had mobilized urban workers in a technologically developed society, to a radically different, partially colonized, society, China, comprised almost entirely at that time of rural peasants. These innovations were later extended by Che Guevara in Latin America and Africa, and have been picked up by many Maoist movements worldwide, particularly those currently fighting the government in India. Once in power, Mao's peasant-centered ideology caused at least as much suffering as it directly cured, and set up a hypocritical state which continues to this day to justify its lack of democracy on Maoist grounds even as it came to reject Mao's ideals, moving to state-controlled, extreme capitalism.

However, knowing even in its most excessive period, the 1966-1976 Cultural Revolution, that the state, with its history of manmade famines and false accusations of rightism, had few accomplishments more worth bragging about than its army's heroic struggle against the right wing Kuomintang back in the civil war of the '40s, Mao's wife Jiang Qing banned all existing movies and ordered that film production be reoriented around producing versions of her "eight model plays," most of them depicting the cruelties of pre-Communist life, or narrating the most heroic moments of the revolution. One of these revolutionary plays, translated to English as Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy, depicted a heroic battle by the People's Liberation Army in 1946. Eno was in San Francisco when he stumbled on a set of postcards of images from the play, whose title was recycled for his own album, which by the way, bears no musical or lyrical resemblance to this song or anything by Fleet Foxes.

I don't suggest this song is related to that Eno album, but I think the Chinese opera and the film based on it may be more likely sources of connection, even if the band arrived there through Eno. The Tiger Mountain film is apparently one of the most viewed in history, due to having been forced on so many Chinese in the early '70s as part of mandatory cultural sessions, yet it remains difficult to find with English subtitles. I would be extremely surprised if they'd seen it, even if they have a great interest in Chinese cinema. However, I think the use of the word "peasant" in this particular song title suggests that the band were well aware of this Chinese revolutionary context, probably through the Eno album, and that they were either playing with the Chinese association, or perhaps even meaning something by it.

Mao's death in 1976 abruptly ended the reign of terror that had been unleashed in the previous ten years by his wife Jiang Qing and the Red Guards, leaving China in a chaotic, briefly unstable period of limited freedoms. This ultimately ended in the stability, market reforms, social unrest and crackdowns of Deng Xiaoping from 1978 to the '90s, during which, the economically successful China we know today (which is of course always very different from the China of yesterday or tomorrow) was born. Mao's portrait hangs over Tiananmen Square, and unless one is the leader of the country, one still cannot publicly criticize him, or the Cultural Revolution, even though both its best and worst ideals have been officially abandoned.

It would probably be going too far to interpret this song as being about the death of Mao, and the way Chinese have distanced themselves from virtually all of his legacy while at the same time remaining, metaphorically, nostalgic peasants visiting Tiger Mountain, the site of his troops' heroism, trying to locate his body, and living in his "shadow alive and well", purporting to uphold his dead ideals while really "turning... to a [capitalist roader] demon". Yes, it would probably be going way too far. But, I still wonder... this band are just about ambitious enough, and their new song Helplessness Blues is just about quasi-Maoist (in a good way) enough in its yearnings to be a peasant laborer and belong to something greater than themselves, that I have a feeling they've read a bit about these things, in however scattershot a way, before titling a song "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song", and who knows what may be in there.

*"I don't know what I have done/I'm turning myself to a demon" with reference to Twin Peaks

When I looked at a map of Washington state to locate Tiger Mountain, I noticed it was very near Snoqualmie. That is where important parts of Twin Peaks (the waterfall in the credits sequence, for instance) were filmed. All I have to say here is that, like most of us, I'm sure this band have seen much if not all of the 1990-1991 Twin Peaks series and 1992 film, which present one of the few intensely affecting examples of turning into a demon. Twin Peaks is centered on the death of Laura Palmer, a seemingly perfect prom queen in a town whose most powerful adults are deeply selfish and hypocritical, and whose selfishness seems to embody itself in the demon BOB, who possesses Laura, and may or may not be real. Ancient woods, which Twin Peaks, a sawmill town, has in abundance, are metaphorical in the David Lynch/Mark Frost series, representing the deepest and purest source of life, as well as a place where the worst spiritual forces gather to prey on people's weakness. The story someone posted about a girl they knew who had sung carefree in the woods before she was living addicted on the street, reminded me of the story of Laura Palmer. Given that Tiger Mountain was probably even visible in some of the landscape shots used in the series, I wouldn't say this is a totally random connection. Greil Marcus wrote an interesting essay about Twin Peaks in 2006 in which he talked about the show's embodiment of the spirit of a murder ballad, "Down on the Banks of the Ohio," which I was reminded of, when someone interpreted this song similarly.

Song Meaning

Could the death be of that of the Narrator; hence his death and eventual transition from human to demon?

I once knew a beautiful young lady who went for walks in the forest near my farm. She had a beautiful voice and used to sing while on here forest strolls. Everyone knew her in town as a pleasant person. That poor thing got into the drugs; the forest's now silent - all but the birds now. Last time I saw her she was hanging around some scuzzy building entrance way downtown looking pretty rough. Damn shame. Once alive, vibrant, and in touch with the world around her now a druggie, likely consumed with the thought of where she’s going to get another fix. Damn shame.


Song Meaning

Isn't the song just about the singer morning his love?
Because he says:
"through the forest, down to your grave
where the birds wait and the tall grasses wave
They do not know you anymore
more, more, more"
And then:
"jessie, i don't know what i have done
I'm turning myself into a demon
I don't know what i have done
I'm turning myself into a demon."
So it's like he's coming back talking to her and telling her things that are going on in his life.
Like he regrets what did when he said, 'i don't know what i have done"

Song Meaning

Is it 1000% 'Jesse'? Cause I can hear 'jealousy' there. I think of a murder ballad, too, when I hear it & jealousy in that context works.

General Comment

Is it 1000% 'Jesse'? Cause I can hear 'jealousy' there. I think of a murder ballad, too, when I hear it & jealousy in that context works.

General Comment

The title would tend to disprove my interpretation, but I can't help thinking about Robert Ford after assassinating Jessie James.

General Comment

A more or less impressionistic take on the duality of life and death. Beautiful song...very well done!

General Comment

This is such a wonderful, beautiful, painful song. I agree with most of the interpretations. This song has always reminded me of the film Let There Be Blood. It reminds me of the torturous, demon nature of the main character. Don't believe this song has anything to do with LTBB though. I think it is definitely about death, maybe even a ghost who can't "pass over".

General Comment

i really enjoy this song....his voice is amazing...
found this little post on a thread on youtube...thought it was pretty interesting.

"The Fleet Foxes chief songwriter Robin Pecknold told Mojo magazine January 2009 about this reflection on mortality and loss. He explained: "My grandpa had just died and I was thinking about him. He was such a sweet guy. And the underlying influence in all this is the old English folk songs that I heard in the Lake District because they're not obvious and the melodies are weird and sophisticated."

General Comment

I hiked tiger mountain yesterday! twas fun, but sore now..

Anyways, I don't think the first word is "wonderous" because "wanderers" would make the lyric make sense. essentially, "wanderers came by this morning."

1 Reply  ·  General Comment

There is a town in Washington near Seattle named Banner, so "to Banner fair" is probably correct.

General Comment

I think this is about the alcoholism that is prevalent in appalachian communities, and the narrators battle with self-hate and guilt.

General Comment

I agree with ^vivamusik^ First Aid Kit does a great interpretation of this song.

General Comment

love this song
the first version I heard was actually a cover by 'first aid kit' (an awesome swedish sister duo, you should check out) i fell in love with their unique voices and harmonies so hearing the fleet foxes version caught me a little off guard
still a beautiful song
i do suggest youtubeing the 'first aid kit' cover though

1 Reply  ·  General Comment

I find myself humming this song all the time! It is so lovely and very haunting. I agree with a lot of the comments posted here and i think this song can mean so many different things because it has so much emotion and feeling. Its a great song from a great singer. This is the type of music our generation needs to be listening to.

General Comment

I see it more as the pervading feeling of alienation from God. "They do not know you (God) anymore." There is nothing to hold on to, no faith in the face of the realization that we must die. Jesse I believe is a biblical reference to Jesse,the father of David in the old testement. The Tree of Jesse, depicted in medieval Christian art, depicts the lineage of Jesus coming from Jesse. I believe the name is invoked here as a plea for the revival of a promise of a coming messiah, but right away there is the awareness again of separation from god, (demonic)sin, and hopelessness.

1 Reply  ·  My Interpretation

I agree this song is about grief/mourning.

The line about the grave surrounded by tall grass is a very sad and haunting image,
as is 'Staggering through premonitions of my death, I don't see anyone that dear to me'

Goes to show, behind the all pretty melodies and harmonies theres some dark stuff on this album.

General Comment

This song is about murder. The protagonist observes a search party making their way along the mountain ridge and back into town in the early morning hours, seeking the dearly departed. They do not find the body, but the killer/protagonist regrets his terrible act, and considers the victim's relationship to the landscape and culture of the region. Jesse is a particularly ambiguous and asexual name; it can refer either to a friend or lover. The killer is haunted by the spirit of the victim, and finds it increasingly difficult to ignore what they have done. They have taken the life of a kindred spirit and mentor, and are lost without their guidance.

2 Replies  ·  General Comment

i loooove this song. on repeat. i agree with whats said before me tho, all plausible ideas.

i reaaaallly wanna play this song.. in any format! does anyoen know the chords etc?

1 Reply  · 

Beautiful. I think it's interesting if you throw some question marks after a few of the lyrics:

"Dear shadow alive and well?
How can the body die?
You tell me everything?
Anything true?"

I think the narrator, at least in the first verse, is talking about someone dear to him who diead, maybe "Jesse":
Through the forest
Down to your grave
Where the birds wait
And the tall grasses wave
They do not
know you anymore

I feel like this paints a scene where a dear friend's burial site is forgotten, as grass grew back in and birds land there, "They don't know you anymore"

The rest of the lyrics seem to suggest that the narrator thinks he will follow in the same fate as his friend, or, that somehow he is responsible for his friend's death "I don't know what I have done/ I'm turning myself into a demon" and that he is awaiting his punishment/death

I agree on the first word, i think it's wonderous too !!

I love this song! I think wonderous not wanderers is the first lyric and "to benefit" in the fourth line. But that aside, I agree with songyone to a large degree. A lonely man who feels alienated from the world as he sees it now (probably through a lost love) on the verge of suicide or insanity. I think the first line implies a disbelief that he is still alive, maybe a feeling alcholics have (but i'm no expert). The second verse, he's retracing steps that once had meaning but no longer have, and the third verse is about alianation. Just my take on it but hey what a great song, hope you enjoy as much as I.

^^ agreed... :)
I think this song describes the experience of grief. He sees the wanderers and the birds and the grass, but none of them knows his lost loved one anymore. He stills knows her and feels her with him. He is scared of his own death, but there is really no one close enough to him to bind him to life anymore. Even at the end when he says he is turning himself into a demon. I think it refers to letting himself go mad with grief.

Haunting and beautiful and lovely and gorgeous.

1 Reply  ·