I think jsimos has some very good points. This succession of generation is also an explanation for the title: generations/family->blood line->blood.
Just for the sake of discussion, I have an alternative hypothesis:
The "older brother", "older father", and "grandfather" could all be the same person, from the perspective of different people in the family. However this would mean that this one man would have been faced with: death of his sister, divorce, and death of his (former?) spouse from cancer...
Whatever the perspective, I'm pretty sure that the sister in the song is dead. She is buried in the ground, her brother(s) miss(es) her and the older brother listens to the ground (in which his sister is buried). Sleep means death. The reference to the beard not being long enough to reach her refers to the brother not being old enough to die (the beard stands for old age). When his beard is long enough, he will die and meet her (in heaven).
I'm not sure what the "cold sweat" paragraph could mean. But I do think it is "and she woke up" instead of "and she'll wake up".
Do you guys think that "that ugly, terrible thing" refers to the papers for divorce, or is he with the ugly thing AND the papers for the divorce? I'm inclined to think the latter, since it would be weird to refer to "papers" (multiple) as a "thing" (singular). If that is the case, the "ugly, terrible thing could be a gun. He can't handle the divorce, he is "weary", and thus he goes to his mountain cabin to kill himself. In any case, I do think that he is the "victim" in the divorce; his wife gave him the ring back.
"follow the creek that runs out into the sea
and you'll find the peace of the Lord."
I think this refers to finding a path in life (the creek) that leads to heaven (the sea, the peace of the Lord).
"burnt by the sun too often when she was young
and the cancer spread and it ran into her body and her blood"
She died of skincancer, which I think is pretty common in Australia.
All in all, I think the song is about three generations of men who each lose a female person: the sister dies, father loses his wife in a divorce, grandfather loses his wife to (skin)cancer. The theme is quite dark, but the music is relatively uplifting (especially near the end). I think this has to do with the fact that in the end, death will bring the men peace.
I believe that the cold sweat on the floor part refers to a burial of someone (in his case his sister) when you put a momento into the persons coffin. This part is referring her to leaving her body and going to heaven. Where she will eventually meet up with her brother.
I believe that the cold sweat on the floor part refers to a burial of someone (in his case his sister) when you put a momento into the persons coffin. This part is referring her to leaving her body and going to heaven. Where she will eventually meet up with her brother.
I remember putting some rum in my grandpa's coffin and my son drew a picture of them and put it in his chest pocket.
I remember putting some rum in my grandpa's coffin and my son drew a picture of them and put it in his chest pocket.
As for the coins, i think that they are no good because she is dead and she cannot use them anymore
As for the coins, i think that they are no good because she is dead and she cannot use them anymore
Octoberman the "jar of two cent coins" "are no good no more" because they have been phased out of use in Australia. we used to use one and two cent coins, but dropped them and now just round to the nearest five
Octoberman the "jar of two cent coins" "are no good no more" because they have been phased out of use in Australia. we used to use one and two cent coins, but dropped them and now just round to the nearest five
Octoberman the "jar of two cent coins" "are no good no more" because they have been phased out of use in Australia. we used to use one and two cent coins, but dropped them and now just round to the nearest five
Octoberman the "jar of two cent coins" "are no good no more" because they have been phased out of use in Australia. we used to use one and two cent coins, but dropped them and now just round to the nearest five
I dont think that the sister has to be dead, it could jus be a distance factor. How in later generations people wouldn't consider moving away the grandma and grandpa, a generation passes and people move around more and there is divorce the mom and dad, and to the present, the sister has left a dilapadated house hold and she sleeps next to the picture of the brother dreaming of him. I also believe that this song deals with the passing of time and change within generations, whether its intended to do so or not.
p.s. this would have to...
I dont think that the sister has to be dead, it could jus be a distance factor. How in later generations people wouldn't consider moving away the grandma and grandpa, a generation passes and people move around more and there is divorce the mom and dad, and to the present, the sister has left a dilapadated house hold and she sleeps next to the picture of the brother dreaming of him. I also believe that this song deals with the passing of time and change within generations, whether its intended to do so or not.
p.s. this would have to mean that the sister is the oldest because i believe the beard growth line signifies that the brother is not old enough to move out or so. I dont know, the sister being the oldest and not dead just makes the circle of the song fit for me is all.
@impairingheard i actually think the second verse is more like this:
@impairingheard i actually think the second verse is more like this:
and she woke up in a cold sweat on the floor
next to a family portrait drawn when you were four
next to a jar of two cent coins that are no good no more
she lay you aside
and she woke up in a cold sweat on the floor
next to a family portrait drawn when you were four
next to a jar of two cent coins that are no good no more
she lay you aside
i think the sister might be alive; she worries about her wandering brother who never comes home, so much so she might even wake up at night, but has given up on him ever coming back. maybe even considers him useless, putting the portrait he drew on the shelf by the worthless coins; something that has no value more than emotional memory.
Although loss of the sister would complete the theme of female family being lost, I believe it is the restless brother who is gone. The word “lie” is used twice when referring to him and seems to imply burial given the association with earth. Moreover, the length/growth of his hair/beard seems to allude to the common misconception that these continue to grow post mortem—an illusion of life created by the decay of surrounding tissues. This creates a dichotomy between the sister’s memory of her brother’s appearance in life and the paradox of a newfound restlessness in both her grief and in death; a synecdoche of his former self, his hair cannot quite fill the space between then. This hope that someday this sense of distance can be bridged is the denial before her acceptance, the limbo she alone can cross. She wakes up amidst objects that no longer serve her, their value lost with her brother. As with the other verses, the final line resonates with acceptance as she finally “lays” him aside. This reprises the burial motif and suggests that she has been empowered by having now figuratively buried him. She can reclaim her life now that she has come to terms his death and all that was lost with it.
I think jsimos has some very good points. This succession of generation is also an explanation for the title: generations/family->blood line->blood.
Just for the sake of discussion, I have an alternative hypothesis:
The "older brother", "older father", and "grandfather" could all be the same person, from the perspective of different people in the family. However this would mean that this one man would have been faced with: death of his sister, divorce, and death of his (former?) spouse from cancer...
Whatever the perspective, I'm pretty sure that the sister in the song is dead. She is buried in the ground, her brother(s) miss(es) her and the older brother listens to the ground (in which his sister is buried). Sleep means death. The reference to the beard not being long enough to reach her refers to the brother not being old enough to die (the beard stands for old age). When his beard is long enough, he will die and meet her (in heaven).
I'm not sure what the "cold sweat" paragraph could mean. But I do think it is "and she woke up" instead of "and she'll wake up".
Do you guys think that "that ugly, terrible thing" refers to the papers for divorce, or is he with the ugly thing AND the papers for the divorce? I'm inclined to think the latter, since it would be weird to refer to "papers" (multiple) as a "thing" (singular). If that is the case, the "ugly, terrible thing could be a gun. He can't handle the divorce, he is "weary", and thus he goes to his mountain cabin to kill himself. In any case, I do think that he is the "victim" in the divorce; his wife gave him the ring back.
"follow the creek that runs out into the sea and you'll find the peace of the Lord." I think this refers to finding a path in life (the creek) that leads to heaven (the sea, the peace of the Lord).
"burnt by the sun too often when she was young and the cancer spread and it ran into her body and her blood" She died of skincancer, which I think is pretty common in Australia.
All in all, I think the song is about three generations of men who each lose a female person: the sister dies, father loses his wife in a divorce, grandfather loses his wife to (skin)cancer. The theme is quite dark, but the music is relatively uplifting (especially near the end). I think this has to do with the fact that in the end, death will bring the men peace.
I believe that the cold sweat on the floor part refers to a burial of someone (in his case his sister) when you put a momento into the persons coffin. This part is referring her to leaving her body and going to heaven. Where she will eventually meet up with her brother.
I believe that the cold sweat on the floor part refers to a burial of someone (in his case his sister) when you put a momento into the persons coffin. This part is referring her to leaving her body and going to heaven. Where she will eventually meet up with her brother.
I remember putting some rum in my grandpa's coffin and my son drew a picture of them and put it in his chest pocket.
I remember putting some rum in my grandpa's coffin and my son drew a picture of them and put it in his chest pocket.
As for the coins, i think that they are no good because she is dead and she cannot use them anymore
As for the coins, i think that they are no good because she is dead and she cannot use them anymore
Octoberman the "jar of two cent coins" "are no good no more" because they have been phased out of use in Australia. we used to use one and two cent coins, but dropped them and now just round to the nearest five
Octoberman the "jar of two cent coins" "are no good no more" because they have been phased out of use in Australia. we used to use one and two cent coins, but dropped them and now just round to the nearest five
Octoberman the "jar of two cent coins" "are no good no more" because they have been phased out of use in Australia. we used to use one and two cent coins, but dropped them and now just round to the nearest five
Octoberman the "jar of two cent coins" "are no good no more" because they have been phased out of use in Australia. we used to use one and two cent coins, but dropped them and now just round to the nearest five
I dont think that the sister has to be dead, it could jus be a distance factor. How in later generations people wouldn't consider moving away the grandma and grandpa, a generation passes and people move around more and there is divorce the mom and dad, and to the present, the sister has left a dilapadated house hold and she sleeps next to the picture of the brother dreaming of him. I also believe that this song deals with the passing of time and change within generations, whether its intended to do so or not. p.s. this would have to...
I dont think that the sister has to be dead, it could jus be a distance factor. How in later generations people wouldn't consider moving away the grandma and grandpa, a generation passes and people move around more and there is divorce the mom and dad, and to the present, the sister has left a dilapadated house hold and she sleeps next to the picture of the brother dreaming of him. I also believe that this song deals with the passing of time and change within generations, whether its intended to do so or not. p.s. this would have to mean that the sister is the oldest because i believe the beard growth line signifies that the brother is not old enough to move out or so. I dont know, the sister being the oldest and not dead just makes the circle of the song fit for me is all.
>
@impairingheard i actually think the second verse is more like this:
@impairingheard i actually think the second verse is more like this:
and she woke up in a cold sweat on the floor next to a family portrait drawn when you were four next to a jar of two cent coins that are no good no more she lay you aside
and she woke up in a cold sweat on the floor next to a family portrait drawn when you were four next to a jar of two cent coins that are no good no more she lay you aside
i think the sister might be alive; she worries about her wandering brother who never comes home, so much so she might even wake up at night, but has given up on him ever coming back. maybe even considers him useless, putting the portrait he drew on the shelf by the worthless coins; something that has no value more than emotional memory.
damn good song. good analysis too
@impairingheard
@impairingheard
Although loss of the sister would complete the theme of female family being lost, I believe it is the restless brother who is gone. The word “lie” is used twice when referring to him and seems to imply burial given the association with earth. Moreover, the length/growth of his hair/beard seems to allude to the common misconception that these continue to grow post mortem—an illusion of life created by the decay of surrounding tissues. This creates a dichotomy between the sister’s memory of her brother’s appearance in life and the paradox of a newfound restlessness in both her grief and in death; a synecdoche of his former self, his hair cannot quite fill the space between then. This hope that someday this sense of distance can be bridged is the denial before her acceptance, the limbo she alone can cross. She wakes up amidst objects that no longer serve her, their value lost with her brother. As with the other verses, the final line resonates with acceptance as she finally “lays” him aside. This reprises the burial motif and suggests that she has been empowered by having now figuratively buried him. She can reclaim her life now that she has come to terms his death and all that was lost with it.