In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
I could hear them howling from afar
I saw them rushing to your car
In a moment all went screaming wild
Until the darkness killed the light
I remember running to the sea
The burning houses and trees
I remember running to the sea
Alone and blinded by the fear
And the river flows beneath your skin
Like savage forces kept within
And all is wasted in the sand
Like breaking diamonds with your hand
I remember running to the sea
Remember falling to my knees
I remember gliding off the shore
Until I touched the ocean floor
And the river flows beneath your skin
Like savage forces kept within
And all is wasted in the sand
Like breaking diamonds with your hand
And the river grows inside of me
And the river grows inside of me
And the river grows inside of me
And the river grows inside of me
I saw them rushing to your car
In a moment all went screaming wild
Until the darkness killed the light
I remember running to the sea
The burning houses and trees
I remember running to the sea
Alone and blinded by the fear
And the river flows beneath your skin
Like savage forces kept within
And all is wasted in the sand
Like breaking diamonds with your hand
I remember running to the sea
Remember falling to my knees
I remember gliding off the shore
Until I touched the ocean floor
And the river flows beneath your skin
Like savage forces kept within
And all is wasted in the sand
Like breaking diamonds with your hand
And the river grows inside of me
And the river grows inside of me
And the river grows inside of me
And the river grows inside of me
Lyrics submitted by adetailed, edited by clusty, Ex3cUtIoN11, sasquatch19, MoNeart, zephyriffic
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Considering we're listening to a Nowgegian, Oslo based, singer,… I can't help thinking it refers to massacre at Utøya. Seeking refuge by rushing to the sea around the island and hoping you're save at the bottom. But no, it can't be.
You are a genius. Your explanation is the one that convinces me the most. It fits really well. The talker is actually one of the victims who died. :)
It's an interesting interpretation. The Norwegian word for sea is 'sjø' and the word for lake is 'innsjø', literally 'inland sea'.
@mvdv Excellent interpretation. I have already created my own interpretation in my head, so I don't want to change it, but your observation makes sense.
"I could hear them howling from afar I saw them rushing to your car"
"In a moment all went screaming wild Until the darkness killed the light"
"I remember running to the sea The burning houses and the trees"
"I remember running to the sea Alone and blinded by the fear"
"And the river flows beneath your skin Like savage horses kept within"
"And all is wasted in the sand Like breaking diamonds with your hand"
"I remember running to the sea Remember falling to my knees"
"I remember gliding off the shore Until I touched the ocean floor"
"And the river grows inside of me"
It is either about the zombie apocalypse or a deeply personal experience.
This song is talking about life and death.
A past life or imagined death experience.
after darkness kills the light (death) remembrance of running to the sea (ocean of consciousness) the burning house and trees (destruction of reality) 'blinded' by the fear- subject misunderstands death as they're dying.
And the river floats beneath your skin- RIVER refers to human connection to the OCEAN of consciousness
Like savage forces kept within- Forces of the universe which the human is at one with
And all is wasted in the sand- Sand of time that consciousness flows through
Like breaking diamonds with your hands- 'You' as in the ocean of consciousness slowly eroding through the bedrock of time.
The second account isn't 'blinded' by fear
I remember running to the sea Remember falling to my knees I remember gliding off the shore Until I touched the ocean floor
Ocean floor is the end of death and beginning of rebirth.
And the river grows inside of me- The feeling of a growing connection to all things/ the universe
I believe this is about the feeling of blinding terror. About fleeing from your fear, fearing for your life.
Another one of my interps..
The drug dealer is the car. Everyone gets the drugs and goes wild. The burning houses and the sea are the feeling of the veins being on fire the river flows beneath your skin like savage horses kept within is the drugs being injected or the pulse increasing.
And all is wasted in the sand Like breaking diamonds with your hand -- sand being crushed drugs and diamonds being still a chunk
I remember running to the sea Remember falling to my knees I remember gliding off the shore Until I touched the ocean floor -- This part implying she is taking the drugs too and is getting farther away from reality until she hits rock bottom.
and as the river grows inside, it is simply the addiction and that she cant control it
I think it's about an affair, and the breakup of a marriage and feeling alone and helpless...hitting rock bottom.
I could hear them howling from afar I saw them rushing to your call In a moment all went screaming "why?" Until the darkness killed the light -Her lover/friend/family called out to her, and the zombies rushed at him/her, and suddenly everything went to crap. Setting/plot is 'finding each other in the mayhem of a zombie outbreak - town is on fire(of course)'.
I remember running to the sea The burning houses and trees I remember running to the sea Alone and blinded by the fear Seeing her lover/friend/family rushed by zombies, she flees to the sea, the only place where there is hope of escape(via boat to somewhere not infected).
And the river flows beneath your skin Like savage forces kept within And all is wasted in the sand Like breaking diamonds with your hand The adrenaline as she runs in fear, and the futility she feels despite the adrenaline.
I remember running to the sea Remember falling to my knees I remember gliding off the shore Until I touched the ocean floor In a daze of hopelessness upon seeing no escape at the shore, she imagines successfully leaving - she does this to escape the reality of the situation - that she is about to be eaten alive.
And the river flows beneath your skin Like savage forces kept within And all is wasted in the sand Like breaking diamonds with your hand Could be either the feeling of getting bit and there was nothing she could do to stop her turning into a zombie, or another adrenaline rush / hopeless moment.
And the river grows inside of me And the river grows inside of me And the river grows inside of me And the river grows inside of me If she got bit, this is her changing into a zombie, relentless and unstoppable as a river. Or she is facing the oncoming horde and the adrenaline peaks up until 'screen fades to black'.
After watching the "official" video, I believe the song is about a daughter who wrestled with her demons as a young adult and took her life, and her father (in the video) is wrestling with how to cope with it.
However, the explanation by MVDV regarding the Oslo shooting a couple of years ago is brilliant and I wouldn't rule it out. Either way, it's a beautiful song with a haunting message.
People scream and rush to his car as it falls from a sea cliff. But its lights are lost in the darkness. She runs to the sea terrified as all collapse around her. Death flows savagely beneath his skin. Now it’s all lost and in vain,” like breaking diamonds with your hand”. She collapses. Her body gliding off the shore as the sea takes her to the “ocean floor”. Now death grows inside of her.