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.

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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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.

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."

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.

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..."

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!

:)))))))))

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.