Gonna make a record in the month of May
In the month of May, in the month of May
Gonna make a record in the month of May
When the violent wind blows the wires away

Month of May, it's a violent thing
In the city, their hearts to sing
Well, some people sing, it sounds like they're screaming
Used to doubt it but now I believe it

Month of May, everybody's in love
Then the city was hit from above
And just when I knew what I wanted to say
The violent wind blew the wires away

We were shocked in the suburbs

Now the kids are all standing with their arms folded tight
Kids are all standing with their arms folded tight
Well, some things are pure and some things are right
But the kids are still standing with their arms folded tight
I said some things are pure, and some things are right
But the kids are still standing with their arms folded tight

So young, so young
So much pain for someone so young
Well, I know it's heavy, I know it ain't light
But how you gonna lift it with your arms folded tight?

First they built the road
Then they built the town
That's why we're still driving around
And around and around and around and around
And around and around and around...
2009, 2010
Wanna make a record how I felt then
When we stood outside in the month of may
And watched the violent wind blow the wires away

If I die in the month of may
Let the wind take my body away, yeah
Wish I may, I wish I might
But meet me down there with my arms folded tight

Start again in the month of May
Start again in the month of May
Come on and blow the wires away
Come on and blow the wires away

Start again in the month of May
Start again in the month of May
Come on and blow the wires away
Come on and blow the wires away

Gonna start again in the month of May
Start again in the month of May
Come on and blow the wires away
Come on and blow the wires
The wires away



Lyrics submitted by firstgreenroom, edited by Mellow_Harsher

Track duration: 03:53


Month of May song meanings
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16 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment:This song is about a Suicide. In psychiatry the "Month of "May" is commonly known to have a significantly higher rate of completed suicides than any other month. The most obvious line in the song supporting this is "Month of May everybody's in love, then the city was hit from above". To me this describes a town being emotionally shook from someone jumping off a building to their death.
    Flag eddylongon April 25, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Vocalist Win Butler said of the song's meaning to NPR Music: "Living in Montreal, the winters are so insane that in May, when the winter starts to break, there's a crazy feel in the air."

    A blast of Canadian winter can be heard on this punky track. Co-vocalist and multi instrumentalist Regine Chassagne explained to Q magazine: "It's the sound of the wind outside our home in Montreal."

    The song popped into Win Butler's head as he was driving in Montreal in Spring. He explained to Q magazine: "The winters are so crazy and long there that when spring comes there's almost this violent energy. The song tries to capture that pent up feeling and excitement about wanting to go outside again. It was a simple song so it needed a simple tune to go with it."
    Flag FloridaGuyon October 18, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:I thought the song was about how they felt about the tragedy at Columbine over a decade ago.

    "We were shocked in the suburbs"

    "Wanna make a record how I felt then
    When we stood outside in the month of may
    And watched the violent wind blow the wires away"

    "So young, so young
    So much pain for someone so young
    Well, I know it's heavy, I know it ain't light
    But how you gonna lift it with your arms folded tight?"

    I work in a high school, and every year on the anniversary of that day, we all take a deep breath, and hope, the kids are all right, and that the circumstances that allowed a high school culture to produce a group of kids to feel so alienated does not exist anymore.





    Flag Leondraon May 19, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It's about The Rapture/Judgement Day, which, is a recurring theme in their music. The opening video for this song during the tour shows this familyradio.com/… and so happens in this Month of May, on the 21st is supposed to take place.

    This song captivates doubtfulness and a seemingly unwilling want to believe in it (i.e. the kids are all standing with their arms folded tight). This entire song pretty much describes the destruction of mankind (i.e. then the city was hit from above). They do a great job of fitting this theme all throughout the album in a settle way.
    Flag neighborhood1on May 04, 2011   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:Good explanations so far on this song. I really like the energy of Month of May, it's like a chaingun in your brain. I do believe there is something more to the song, which can be integrated with the explanations above.

    verse 1
    The lyrics start in future tense, winds are going to blow wires away in the month of may. Huge increase of solar flares have been predicted in the near future which will blow the world's electricity grid away for probably a long time. This will happen in the 'month of may', May being in spring so a new begin, May when most birds lay new eggs: the re-birth of the planet and the human species. Every birth is a painful process; a violent time.

    verse 2
    These New Age predictions have been around forever, but lot's of people are getting into this lately and spreading the word, so is the singer. But some people don't make sense or abuse it, they're singing sounds like screaming.

    Our planet is going to waste, and we are not doing enough about it, we aren't fully informed, we're misguided in hoaxes like global warming. the kids feel this the most, but they can't really do much about it, or talk about these deepest of feelings, so grownups must give the good example that they can follow, because everybody gets a new chance in the upcoming month of may, a decision of what's right or wrong, it's up to YOU.
    Flag alexjoneson March 28, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Weird how many songs on this album make veiled references to the destruction of the cities. I know that it's probably just a metaphor, but don't several songs refer to war and natural disaster?

    Outside of the context of what it's like growing up in the suburbs, and growing out of the suburbs the band seems to be telling a story of watching the destruction of society from the suburbs, which is apt with the other themes of the album.
    Flag gonzagylot00on March 02, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It's a outburst of frustration for the people who sit around waiting for things to happen instead of making it happen.
    Flag rhllwydon December 29, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is not very 'Arcade Fire' like but I am completely in love with it. The whole album is so immediately listenable which I didn't find with Neon Bible - much more of a 'grower' which is fine too.
    I never thought of it as having an 80s feel but maybe in retrospect that's the case - maybe that's why I love it as I am a massive fan of 80s music.

    Renewal and regeneration seem like the themes here but I am so unsure about the majority of the lyrics!
    Flag butterflykiss84on December 22, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:well as a neophyte urban planner, I love the core truth (and it is the truth!) that the reason we have such crappy living spaces, where we do not connect in meaningful ways, is that we built the roads before the towns.

    I particularly love how the angry 'around and around and around' foreshadows the wistful sigh of 'waste it again and again' in the coda of the album.

    I agree that the song is about the difficulty of inspiring anyone to anything, even the hipster fans who you have clearly reached, but still not budged from their 'arms folded tight' defensiveness. Clearly tied to 'Rococo' in this regard, and I love that every song on the album plugs into multiple other songs somehow.

    And there's definitely an addressing of the creative process (re: "start a record" etc). It's pretty likely that there was a pretty stellar storm in Montreal in May 2009, haha! Wish a local would comment!
    Flag glengarryleadson October 19, 2010   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretation:In my opinion the bit about kids standing with their arms folding tight is talking about the same anti hipster sentiments that are in rococo. The singer is trying to tell them about truth and beauty and things like that - 'I said some things are pure, and some things are right' but the kids refuse to relax their facade of 'coolness' and so miss out - 'But the kids are still standing with their arms folded tight'



    Flag loubylouxxon September 23, 2010   Link

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