Lyrics for Blue Ridge Mountains as interpreted by obnoxious

Blue Ridge Mountains Lyrics
Lie down with me my dear
Lie down
Under stormy night, tell nobody

My brother, where do you intend to go tonight?
I heard that you missed your connecting flight
To the Blue Ridge Mountains, over near Tennessee

You're ever welcome with me any time you like
Let's drive to the countryside, leave behind some green-eyed look-a-likes
So no one gets worried, no
So no one gets worried, no

But Sean, don't get careless
I'm sure it'll be fine
I love you, I love you
Oh brother of mine

In the quivering forest
Where the shivering dog rests
Our good grandfather
Built a wooden nest
And the river got frozen
And the home got snowed in
And the yellow moon glowed bright
Till the morning light

Terrible am I child?
Even if you don't mind

In the quivering forest
Where the shivering dog rests
Our good grandfather
Built a wooden nest
And the river got frozen
And the home got snowed in
And the yellow moon glowed bright
Till the morning light

Terrible am I child?
Even if you don't mind
No

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toadd
11-15-2009

Rated 0 
A friend of mine that I just met not too long ago introduced me to the Fleet Foxes and ever since I've been hooked. I've listened to all of their songs repetitively; all of them are astounding.

Visually, this song is ingenious. There's so much imagery in this song ("The quivering forest", "A wooden nest," the mandolin part, which in this song makes me think of snowy, wintry terrain). The song puts pictures in my head that help tell the story, and I agree with many of the above comments that say that this song is centered around the story of two brothers who had probably grown apart over time (judging by the song's subtle undertones) and are reuniting after one of the brothers misses his flight.

The references to the brothers' past ("Our good grandfather built a wooden nest," the past-tense imagery) make this song so sentimental and adds to the almost nostalgic mood of the song.

Regarding the opening of the song, I think djbrownhat's interpretation is very perceptive and I totally agree. It's almost as if the land is actually calling Sean to come home and see his brother again, instead of completing the remainder of his journey.

Again, a very ingenious and poignant song by the Fleet Foxes.

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niblylover9
07-30-2009

Rated 0 
The chorus gets me everytime.
Everyyyy time.


I feel this song is about the brother singing; suspecting his older brother of having an affair. Trying to get him to do something with him, so his wife doesn't find a way to worry about him fooling around

but come ON. that melody! The piano!
Absolutly breathtaking.
It's this kind music that, when blasted in my ears, makes me feel it is keeping my heart beating.
I can only imaging seeing them in concert.
Wow this is amazing!

:)))))))))

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FunWithWords
07-28-2009

Rated 0 
Am I the only one who hears the gentle sense of humor in "leave behind some green-eyed lookalikes/so no one gets worries, no" as if he's saying to Sean, tongue-in-cheek but serious about the offer itself: "Let's leave behind some body doubles and hit the country, Sean." ?

I think the other interpretations are valid, too - one of the reason I love the FF's lyrics is their ambiguity. As a chronic overwriter, it's beautiful to see something spare that can take on different dimensions for different listeners.

But for me, that line is a healing wink-and-nudge where he says "We'll ditch this place, just leave behind some similar looking hippie types so nobody even notices..."

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Eldajr
07-09-2009

Rated 0 
Oh, how I love this song and how it haunts my brain each time i hear it. I might be completely off here, but the beginning of this song always reminds me of John Denver because of the reference to the "Blue Ridge Mountains", missing a "connecting flight" and driving in the "countryside". John Denver references the "Blue Ridge Mountains" in his song (Take Me Home) Country Roads. (He actually grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains- not Colorado). Also, the bit about the connecting flight makes me think about John Denver dying in a plane crash. My mom is a huge JD fan and maybe I just like the idea of John Denver having some influence on Fleet Foxes. My theory really doesn't lend itself to any other part of the song.

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greeneyedgirl
06-27-2009

Rated 0 
The beginning part suggests the singers desire for a woman he knows he can't have. He's confided in his brother about it, but his brother has become callous and told him to stay away from her. The issue has caused a rift between the brothers and he is maybe trying to remember the good times they've had together. I would guess the woman he loves is the green-eyed look-a-like they're leaving behind, because obviously it's causing some worry. I think she's married and that's why he has to stay away. The end part "Terrible am I child, even if you don't mind". Maybe she has a child and he feels guilt over wanting to take the childs mother from its father. Other songs like "Drops in the River" may clue in on this "Years ago, birds of a feather would arrive nightly. Gone you know, held to another like clutched ivy."


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wtk
05-31-2009

Rated 0 
I was obsessed with this song for about a week this spring. It's beautiful beyond description. There is a suggestion of underlying menace in the lyrics -- Lie down, tell no one; Terrible am I child, even if you don't mind. Is he talking about some horrible event that happened in their youth? The exact meaning is elusive, and that's part of the song's appeal to me.

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wsoliz90
04-23-2009

Rated 0 
like someone already said i think this about two brothers who have drifted apart. Maybe they don spend as much time as they did when they were kids or even teens. I think that robin writes the song in the way were he is telling his brother to just sit down and remember their old memories together, and that they should become closer as brothers.

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Eleo
03-23-2009

Rated +1 
I think the song is about a fellow who has a brother who he considers to be on the wrong track in life in some kind of way. The people who know him are all worried for him. He says "I heard you missed your connecting flight to the Blue Ridge Mountains" possibly indicating that the path his brother took was sudden and divergent from what others expected. The song addresses his brother "you're welcome with me any time you like"; it would seem the other sibling simply wants his brother back so he could be set straight or helped, or perhaps the sibling simply wants him "back" metaphorically, e.g. to return to how he once was. The chorus about the shivering forest, dog, wooden home their grandfather built, etc., seems to be a collection of images that I'm guessing reference an undeniable and shared past between the two brothers, to remind the one of who he is or at least used to be.

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pecknoldbanhart
03-16-2009

Rated 0 
Well I am pretty sure in this area;

"Oh brother of mine."

it is actually;

"Older brother of mine."

I have seen it live and it is older brother.

Other than that it is a wonderful song and absolutely lovely.
Such good vocals and instruments in this.

I love them :D

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djbrownhat
12-09-2008

Rated 0 
Nobody has commented yet on how interesting the beginning in comparison with the rest of the song - ethereal vocals mixed way and in deep harmonies, compared with the rest of the song which is much more up front. I think this is an indication that there is a different voice of some sort speaking here...

My theory is that it's the land itself - the place where this "nest" is, which must be near where Sean was when he missed his flight. We've all had experiences like this; we're on track for somewhere and then something seems to call us in a different direction. Sean has felt or heard this call and now has missed his flight, perhaps intending to return to this place from childhood.

There is also a definite theme of estrangement here, however mild. The snowing-in of the house I take to be both a memory and also rather a description of what has occurred to the place over time. Time has covered this place with forgetfulness, and it's only now being remembered.

I also question whether the line "Terrible am I child" is a statement rather than a question. In other, is it a question or rather an assertion phrased poetically. I think the singer is saying: I am terrible, child, even if you don't mind. This is common when it comes to estrangement, especially between family members; often both people it's somehow their fault that they have drifted apart, even if the other insists that it's alright.

The rise on the word "child" in the music would imply an inflection towards a question, but I think he does that for the sake of the melody and not the meaning, which is why he quickly descends off of that height, to drive the inflection towards into statement rather than letting it reside as fact. Of course, that fits, too, since when we say something like "I am terrible" we usually do it as at least a half-question, begging the other person to tell us that it isn't the case.

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andieinnewyork
09-02-2008

Rated 0 
Ok, been bending my ear and my brain to figure this one out. It was on a mix cd that a "friend" gave me. And by friend I mean guilty secret frack buddy. Almost all the songs he has given me (three mix cd's so far) have followed suit. But that aside, I think this song is about a brother judging or not judging another brother. He missed his flight on purpose to go shack up with his secret sweety. It almost sounds like the other brother is leaving his wayward brother a long answering maching message. He knows he's cheated in the past, maybe he things he is up to no good again, But what he is saying he's going to do, is keeping with the manly tradition of saying nothing. He's like, "Bro, we can chill and do something interesting (instead of you tip toeing off not too sneaky). But then why write a song everyone is going to hear about it.? I have no clue. Oooh, maybe he's offering him an alibi? That just dawned on me... Or Maybe they were supposed to meet there... but his flakey bro didn't show... and he knows his brother and his bro is going to ask him to lie for him... eh, who knows.

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OurQuietPlan
08-27-2008

Rated 0 
If you listen to the live versions, it's clearer that he's saying careless. I feel like they're at a get together with friends and family, and trying to escape without being noticed, thus the "green-eyed look-alikes" and telling his brother not to be careless. He just wants to escape the niceties of a large reunion and reminisce with his dear brother. But I agree that it sounds like they grew apart, somewhat. I think in the end things turned out right, because Sean made the video for White Winter Hymnal.

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myoungbride
08-26-2008

Rated 0 
^ ^ exactly.

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amyk
08-26-2008

Rated 0 
I really feel it's like these brothers somehow grew apart, maybe conflicts in their childhood growing up. Maybe this song was meant to be an outreach to his brother to maybe remember the good times, forget about what made them callous, and leave behind the bad. An attempt to start new/afresh. Maybe he sees his brother taking the hardships of life and turning cold, and instead wants his brother to not stress about those things and only reflect about the beauty of the forests/river/home being snowed in. That's how I take it, great song.

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myoungbride
08-25-2008

Rated 0 
this song is beautiful.
the lyrics most definitely are "Sean don't get callous." Not careless. He is telling him, "Do not care about the flight....i'm sure it'll be fine. don't be callous, or hard-skinned, upset."

Otherwise, the lyrics would say to be careless.

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shaneandrews
08-23-2008

Rated 0 
"In the quivering forest
Where the shivering dog rests
Our good grandfather
Built a wooden nest
And the river got frozen
And the home got snowed in
And the yellow moon glowed bright
Till the morning light"

A few of the lines here might have some hidden meaning.

The good grandfather building a nest. Could that be a reference to a tree house or fort? The song is obviously referencing a memory shared by the two brothers. Could it be to this hidden treehouse that their grandfather built for them?

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OurQuietPlan
08-22-2008

Rated 0 
I just discovered these guys on last.fm the other day.. and I'm already a huge fan. This is definitely my favorite song of the moment.
I like how personal, yet unspecific and accessible, the lyrics are. He's just talking to his brother and recalling a winter day in their shared past, but for the sake of reminiscing rather than telling any specific story.

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joslin01
08-19-2008

Rated 0 
It's "Older brother of mine"!!

Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gke4USY8EE

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troyvelius
08-17-2008

Rated 0 
ah, I think forest, rests, nest, would make sense. I'm also pretty sure it is lie down. I don't know how you could get light up out of the song...

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JessicaPC
08-13-2008

Rated 0 
Are you sure the beginning isn't "Lie down with me, my dear. Lie down."
? That's what I've always heard.

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samuelhgarfield
08-09-2008

Rated 0 
The song is addressed to his literal older brother, Sean Pecknold.

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patm718
08-07-2008

Rated 0 
yeah, i agree with these changes.

why would you submit lyrics if you don't know them?

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nathanielc
08-06-2008

Rated 0 
i read that sean lives in nyc on his grandchildren website, i believe.

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nathanielc
08-06-2008

Rated 0 
pardon me the forest is quivering not shivering...that's the resting dog

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nathanielc
08-06-2008

Rated +1 
my 2 cents. shivering forest, shivering dog rests....our good grandfather built a wooden nest (forest, rests, nest)
Nest=house (that got snowed in).

One idea is robin's brother sean moved to NYC..could he be callous (not sure) i lived there for 5 years was a little de sensitised i'm sure.

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