This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
So now I am older
Than my mother and father
When they had their daughter
Now what does that say about me?
Oh, how could I dream of
Such a selfless and true love
Could I wash my hands of
Just looking out for me
Oh man, what I used to be
Oh man, oh my, oh me
Oh man, what I used to be
Oh man, oh my, oh me
In dearth or in excess
Both the slave and the empress
Will return to the dirt, I guess
Naked as when they came
I wonder if I'll see
Any faces above me
Or just cracks in the ceiling
Nobody else to blame
Oh man, what I used to be
Oh man, oh my, oh me
Oh man, what I used to be
Oh man, oh my, oh me
Gold teeth and gold jewelry
Every piece of your dowry
Throw them into the tomb with me
Bury them with my name
Unless I have someday
Ran my wandering mind away
Oh man, what I used to be
Montezuma to Tripoli
Oh man, oh my, oh me
Than my mother and father
When they had their daughter
Now what does that say about me?
Oh, how could I dream of
Such a selfless and true love
Could I wash my hands of
Just looking out for me
Oh man, what I used to be
Oh man, oh my, oh me
Oh man, what I used to be
Oh man, oh my, oh me
In dearth or in excess
Both the slave and the empress
Will return to the dirt, I guess
Naked as when they came
I wonder if I'll see
Any faces above me
Or just cracks in the ceiling
Nobody else to blame
Oh man, what I used to be
Oh man, oh my, oh me
Oh man, what I used to be
Oh man, oh my, oh me
Gold teeth and gold jewelry
Every piece of your dowry
Throw them into the tomb with me
Bury them with my name
Unless I have someday
Ran my wandering mind away
Oh man, what I used to be
Montezuma to Tripoli
Oh man, oh my, oh me
Lyrics submitted by rockisgroovy, edited by Rannoch
Montezuma Lyrics as written by Robin Noel Pecknold
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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First of all I just want to say that I've been visiting this website quite often for a long time now, yet this is the first I actually create a user and post a comment. I think it has a lot to do with how stunningly beautiful this song is.
On to the song itself… this is going to be quite long detailed, but it might be worth it :) I think the lyrics are about growing up and realizing what's really important in life. The speaker is reflecting back on 'what he used to be' from a new perspective.
"So now I am older than my mother and father when they had their daughter. Now what does that say about me?"
He starts by posing a question - now that I've reached the age where my parents already had a child, what does that mean? I am no longer a child myself, being taken care of constantly and free to be completely selfish and self centered. I am in the next phase of my life.
"Oh how could I dream of such a selfless and true love Could I wash my hands of just looking out for me?"
In direct relation to the previous line, the selfless and true love is that of a parent to his or her child - changing our priorities and truly putting someone else above ourselves — but it also pertains to any ideal of unconditional love. The speaker is asking himself if he can even dream of something so noble and pure at this point of his life, and wonders if he could actually change his ways: 'wash his hands' of being selfish and thinking only of himself.
"Oh man what I used to be Oh man oh my oh me"
This is such a simple line yet it has so much depth and emotion in the context of the song and its melody. We've all said this to ourselves before in one way or another when thinking about our past, especially our childhood. The speaker is evolving and maturing, and from this new perspective he can look back on what he used to be with this beautiful mix of sorrow, compassion and longing that I get when I listen to this tune.
"In dearth or in excess Both the slave and the empress will return to the dirt I guess Naked as when they came"
Beyond any ego, material possessions, wealth or status (as exemplified by the comparison of an empress to a slave) - we all leave this world just as we came into it, naked and without anything at all. He is realizing that his endless pursuit after these things is meaningless and empty. What is important then? Here it comes:
"I wonder if I'll see any faces above me or just cracks in the ceiling Nobody else to blame"
When it's our time to die and leave this world, will we be surrounded by our loved ones or will we be staring at the ceiling all alone? The answer to this question is totally up to you and how you live your life, hence there is 'nobody else to blame'. This is just as relevant to the empress as it is to the slave, and all the money in the world can't change that.
"Gold teeth and gold jewelry, every piece of your dowry Throw them into the tomb with me, bury them with my name Unless i have someday ran my wandering mind away"
This part is a bit trickier. I take it almost as a confession, showing how he is still very connected to his ego: wealth (gold teeth and jewelry), selfish love (symbolized by the dowry, the 'price' of a bride, unlike the priceless, selfless love in which there is nothing specific to gain) and his status or reputation in the eyes of society, his 'name'. He wants all of these things to be buried with him, unable to let them go even when he dies and they become of no use. This is beautifully contrasting his earlier realizations, and shows how he is still unable to actually live by them... unless he will someday ‘run his wandering mind way’. To me that means silencing the voice in your head that is never satisfied, that constantly wants more and always wanders off instead of being present and grateful in the moment. We're almost done now when this line totally throws me off:
"Oh man what i used to be Montezuma to Tripoli"
As far as I understand this is reference to the "Marines' Hymn", the official hymn of the United States Marine Corps. In the original piece the line goes:
"From the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli We fight our country's battles in the air, on land, and sea"
I see it delivering a double punch: the first is a metaphor for the entire process the song talks about in the form of a battle. The Halls of Montezuma represent his current self-centered state of being and the shores of Tripoli are the promised land of unconditional, selfless love. He is fighting the battle, so to speak, of conquering himself. A second meaning could be that the song serves both as a personal account and a political one, where that same process is relevant for the US as a nation: ‘washing its hands’ of looking out only for itself and realizing that it's not as important if you're the emperor or the slave as it is that you are good to others, to the world at large.
I would love to hear your guys' opinions on this line, as it's quite open ended. Personally, as far as the impact and meaning the song holds for me go, I choose to basically disregard whatever political aspects and stay with the soulful, spiritual and intimate confession of a man.
That’s it for now. Congratulations for making it this far! Have a beautiful day and don't forget to smile :)
Thank you Maiten! Your explaination could't be more clear. I really hope you right about that last part, the non-political meaning of the last phrase suits the song better.
Great analysis. I agree with your choice to disregard the political aspects of the song in so far as the album as a whole focuses on the very apparent ideas of self-realization and a questioning of who we are and why we are here as individuals. It is an album of a person trying to find his way and purpose in the world and the meaning of life and your explanation of this song ties into that theme perfectly.
I truly enjoyed reading your interpretation of this amazing song, I was almost expecting to disagree with something that I thought about the song, or add something that I think you missed, but instead I believe you hit the meaning right on the dot.<br /> <br /> Oh, man what I used to be,<br /> Oh man, oh my, oh me<br /> <br /> Perfect explanation, there is so much soul, passion, and meaning behind those simple lines.<br /> <br /> The dowry<br /> <br /> Excellent bringing those verses together<br /> <br /> Montezuma<br /> <br /> That part always confused me, but bringing up the Marine's Hymn it pulls it all together. <br /> <br /> I am very impressed at how it was able to be pieced together.
What other songs have you wrote about? I loved how dead on you were with the beauty of this one. Good job dude ;D
@Maiten @Maiten From when the gold teeth and jewellery starts, till the end of the song the speaker is stating the past mindset of the speaker, which the speaker regrets with the intermittent 'oh my oh me what i used to be'.<br /> He regrets being a man of war, as he was a destroyer and he regrets it now just as he regrets his previous mentality of seeking the bubble reputation and wealth.<br /> A war never ends wars, nor does it end suffering, nor does it deliver a nation.
@Maiten such a gorgeous song and so is your interpretation
I too find this song to be an introspective exploration on the meaning of one's life where the consequence of one's selfishness is realized and debated.
My only modification to the interpretation would be to re-think what is going on in the 6th verse
Gold teeth and gold jewelry every piece of your dowry throw them into the tomb with me bury them with my name
I think in this verse he is pleading with the rest of the world, with all of society, to throw away its selfish habits with him when he passes. Asking that he would be the last to have to suffer with these lonely realizations.
Really sets the mood for the rest of the album, no?
"Endure foreign excess" = "In dearth or in excess"
i love how no one comments except to correct everything, which is okay, but seriously, this is song meanings lets delve into some meaning.
i think it's pretty clear that this is about the USA. how we've outgrown the european way of life and really changed the world with out american ideology. we have a dream that is just and good but it is hardly ever realized anymore.
i think the part about foreign excess is from his point of view. since america is the queen of excess, the foreign part is every other person who lives excessively and he shall endure it as he sees it making slaves of people and he hopes to return to an agrarian way of life. he and all people who think similarly.
there's the possibility of regaining honor and prestige for our nation (the faces on murals on church ceilings) and it's also possible that it will continue to deteriorate away and form cracks. and whatever happens it will be due to the people of america, whether they work to redeem it or do nothing.
but it's probable the latter will happen, and in the process people will lose everything. and the people in power will take it all with them to their graves, and they will also take all the good that america once stood for.
unless of course the "wandering mind" of america is run away and it gets its shit together.
the montezuma to tripoli put me on this train of thought, and although its pessimistic, i think the song supports it and its also pretty realistic. thoughts? comments?
...changed the world with our american ideology...
I think this song is much more personal in drive than trying to express complicated ideas about American ideology. He questions his own romanticism in hoping to find "selfless and true love" which may in fact be unobtainable.<br /> He notes that by his age his parents had already started having children and worries that maybe he should be getting on with his life, perhaps he cannot wait for his "true love".<br /> Mortality presses upon him and he remembers that once dead everyone is equal, which to me suggests further questioning of his romantic ideas for his own life because in the end maybe none of it will matter.<br /> Finally he openly admits his weakness in his fear of death and desire to take what is valuble with him, expressed in the form of gold jewellery, but more than this it is his wife's dowry which he wants to take with him. This returns to the idea that his love for her is not selfless as he had hoped it would be.<br /> <br /> As for cracks in ceilings or faces and montezuma to tripoli I have no idea.
spartan3500, your comment is as stupid as it is arrogant (outgrown the european way of life, are you serious??). Please fill me in, who told you about that? You're embarrassing yourself by even thinking that a beautiful song like this is about the USA! (of all things, really!) Let alone that you actually took time to write this down.. <br /> You must be out your mind, you poor thing! Pick up your patriotic little sense of reality and get out! Read Butchbaker and especially Mainten's comment, they are spot-on!
Hey, ivoandreas: how about you go and fuck yourself? I was only posing my own interpretation to the song, to which I am certainly entitled, and I apologize for any arrogance, as that was not intended. But you certainly need to watch with your hypocrisy because you totally outdid my "arrogance" and threw in a heaping amount of condescension. Get your head out of your ass. Thank you butcherbaker for responding in a civil manner (you'd expect Europeans like ivoandreas, the creators of "civilization," to behave less like savages). I do see the personal meaning behind this song, but the last line, for which butcherbaker's interpretation doesn't account, is what still gives me the impression that this is about the current status of the USA.<br /> <br /> "Montezuma to Tripoli" is a CLEAR allusion to the Marines' Hymn. Say what you want here, but you're wrong ivoandreas. Now that we've established this connection, the rest of the song fits well into a description of the current state of America. How it is in disarray, how it is corrupt and broken, and how it serves the will of corporations and the rich instead of fulfilling the ideas laid out by the Founding Fathers a long time ago. I may have stated the connections in a vague and poorly thought out manner, but I was writing it off the top of my head and was still a little high at the time. I took a little liberty in my expression that "we've outgrown the european way of life" for sure. Whether or not outgrown is the right word choice, people certainly arrived in North America as Europeans, and evolved into Americans over time. The resulting American way of life is the one to which I refer. And if you've taken any courses on modern history you will know that this way of life, an American ideology, is the one that shaped the world most from late 1800's until today. That is what I mean by outgrowing the European way of life."<br /> <br /> And Mainten, whose dick you apparently love to suck, also says that my interpretation has merit. So once again, go fuck yourself ivoandreas and learn to accept that there can be multiple valid explanations of the same thing.
"i wonder if I'll see any faces above me or just cracks in the ceiling nobody else to blame"
when i first heard these lines, i immediately thought of heaven. questioning if it exists at all.
this songs resonates with me as just a reflection of how he used to be and how he is now, whether that is good or bad. just a change. ive often reflected on my life and have been in awe of all that has happened - the good the bad the mediocre, and questioned what is before me.
I interpret these lines to be at the end of his life, on his deathbed. Are there people around him, or is all he sees the cracks in the ceiling?
great thoughts, i was instantly reminded of fyodor ivanovich's rant on the physical aspects of hell in the brothers karamozov upon hearing those lines. the ceiling or no ceiling debate on the afterlife is quite interesting but even in a more literal deathbed interpretation, or both, these lyrics are quite well thought-out and certainly meaningful.
I agree! The best metaphors can be interpreted literally without loss of meaning or beauty. <br /> <br /> I believe Robin intentionally made this metaphor ambiguous so that it can be interpreted both ways. In the first layer of metaphor, the narrator asks if he would see faces looking down on him on his death bead. In the second layer, he is asking if there is really a "man upstairs" (although the lyrics uses the plural, so his questioning extends not only to the existence of a God, but also to the existence of souls in heaven and to angles).
This is introspective, about life and time, love and pleasure and passion, and the eventuality of death. It's a musing on the finite and tragic. I really think that Robin is a bit too developed to be commenting on current or political events. If anything, this is about politics in the ancient sense. That is, people of this and that kind, with our differences and our similarities. How do we live together? From Montezuma to Tripoli, we're all temporary, confined to something or someone, prisoners to time and place. I think there's a kind of idealistic hope here too.
Wow this song gives me goosebumps. It's amazing.
This song represents exactly why Fleet Foxes is one of my favorite groups. Robin's lyrics are prolific poetry, coaxing the listener to slowly chew on the words for a while...
That being said, I believe Robin was commenting on the selfish nature of both man and society in today's world. Technology has led us to this narcistic place, but in the end we still end up in the earth the same way as our ancestors.
As in tiger mountain peasant song, Robin includes a few lines about being afraid of dying alone. In Tiger Mountain Peasant Song it was the line, "Staggering through premonitions of my death, I don't see anybody that dear to me". In this it's, "I wonder if I'll see any faces above me, or just cracks in the ceiling". I think this is reflected in a lot of his music; not being loved by anyone in the end.
I thought that he was saying that he was saying that he worries sometimes that God doesn't exist, and that he worries that when he dies he will just die and that will be the end instead of going to heaven and seeing his loved ones.
No one pointed this last part out.
"Oh man what I used to be, Montezuma to Tripoli, oh man oh my oh me."
Montezuma and Tripoli are both references to historically significant battles for the Marine Corps. The Marines' Hymn even starts:
"From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli, we fight our country's battles in the air on land and sea..."
"The shores of Tripoli" is a reference to when the Marines first fought a war against the Barbary Pirates in 1805. "The halls of Montezuma" is a reference to when the Marines stormed Chapultepec Castle in the Mexican-American War.
I wonder if the character in this song is supposed to be a former Marine? Maybe the Fleet Foxes simply liked the rhyme of the words?