To me, this song is about how he can just never love anyone fully and foremost. His more of a violent pleasure seeker (And just to lay with you there's nothing I wouldn't do, save lay my rifle down).
The line about building a balustrade makes me think that he was finally in a committed relationship. However, his possessiveness and imperfections made it impossible, so they were "freed" from their relationship (But the angles and the corners.. never seemed to meet, the structure crumbled at our feet, and we were free to go).
As for the Spain stanza, it obviously shows his promiscuity (I agree with another post saying that marionettes are all the girls he has slept with or used). I'm not so sure how to interpret the teenage girlfriend, but the line about being vagabonds shows that she is the one that he'll actually take risks for? The one who's just as violent as him (furrows like a lioness) so the one he finds ideal?
tl;dr gorgeous song, my favorite by the Decemberists.
To me, this song is about how he can just never love anyone fully and foremost. His more of a violent pleasure seeker (And just to lay with you there's nothing I wouldn't do, save lay my rifle down).
The line about building a balustrade makes me think that he was finally in a committed relationship. However, his possessiveness and imperfections made it impossible, so they were "freed" from their relationship (But the angles and the corners.. never seemed to meet, the structure crumbled at our feet, and we were free to go).
As for the Spain stanza, it obviously shows his promiscuity (I agree with another post saying that marionettes are all the girls he has slept with or used). I'm not so sure how to interpret the teenage girlfriend, but the line about being vagabonds shows that she is the one that he'll actually take risks for? The one who's just as violent as him (furrows like a lioness) so the one he finds ideal?
tl;dr gorgeous song, my favorite by the Decemberists.