This song is def a twin to "Unfair" (a song she has been quoted as saying is about falling in love with someone who is already in a relationship) so it is presumably about the same person. Given the references to buying an apartment and not being able to see her love interest "after tonight," it's most likely that she's moving away and she'll "wait a day to break the bad news" (i.e. notifying him that she's leaving once she's already gone).
And, of course, the fact that she sees in him a fellow "idealist" and "dreamer" (terms commonly given to people with the INFP personality on the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)) portends that she'll always be left wondering if they would've been perfect together.
You left me there
Waiting at the bottom of the stairs
with my eyes closed
Holding my right hand in my left
there is no time for hesitation now
you come or go
or go
Rusting leaves,
Falling beside me on the ghost of a morning.
Riding in sorrow to the harbor
Far behind oh me the bodies of my friends hanging alone alone again
Some twisted thorn tells me you saw me in the night with another
Keep all my promises to break them
I am no, oh no, Innocent son. you run rabbit run
Waiting at the bottom of the stairs
with my eyes closed
Holding my right hand in my left
there is no time for hesitation now
you come or go
or go
Rusting leaves,
Falling beside me on the ghost of a morning.
Riding in sorrow to the harbor
Far behind oh me the bodies of my friends hanging alone alone again
Some twisted thorn tells me you saw me in the night with another
Keep all my promises to break them
I am no, oh no, Innocent son. you run rabbit run
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"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
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This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Ghostlike.
The final words are a reference to a song by Noel Gay and Ralph Butler called "Run Rabbit Run". The lyrics go:<br /> <br /> On the farm, every Friday<br /> On the farm, it's rabbit pie day.<br /> So, every Friday that ever comes along,<br /> I get up early and sing this little song<br /> <br /> Run rabbit - run rabbit - Run! Run! Run!<br /> Run rabbit - run rabbit - Run! Run! Run!<br /> Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!<br /> Goes the farmer's gun.<br /> Run, rabbit, run, rabbit, run.<br /> <br /> Run rabbit - run rabbit - Run! Run! Run!<br /> Don't give the farmer his fun! Fun! Fun!<br /> He'll get by<br /> Without his rabbit pie<br /> So run rabbit - run rabbit - Run! Run! Run!<br /> <br /> The words "I am no innocent son" always reminds me of the chorus to CCR's Fortunate Son, also. I don't know if that was intentional.
How perfect can a song be?
His voice is out of this world. It gives me chills. I'm loving this band so much.
i believe it is:
Run, sullen leaves, Falling beside me on the ghost, Of a morning. Riding in sorrow...
but i could be wrong. he says "leaves" for certain, which means it's not "suddenly". i'm not sure if it's sullen leaves or not. for a second i thought it was rust-sodden leaves, but that is stretching it.
i think he says "run" to the leaves, because then he says "riding in sorrow to the harbor.." which would then be the leaves blowing toward the hanging bodies. right?
...ryan
yeah, it's LEAVES, maybe BROWN sullen ones? Who knows, beautiful song though!
rustling leaves
The final words are a reference to a song by Noel Gay and Ralph Butler called "Run Rabbit Run". The lyrics go:
On the farm, every Friday On the farm, it's rabbit pie day. So, every Friday that ever comes along, I get up early and sing this little song
Run rabbit - run rabbit - Run! Run! Run! Run rabbit - run rabbit - Run! Run! Run! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Goes the farmer's gun. Run, rabbit, run, rabbit, run.
Run rabbit - run rabbit - Run! Run! Run! Don't give the farmer his fun! Fun! Fun! He'll get by Without his rabbit pie So run rabbit - run rabbit - Run! Run! Run!
The words "I am no innocent son" always reminds me of the chorus to CCR's Fortunate Son, also. I don't know if that was intentional.
"How about rust, sullen leaves"<br /> <br /> like the falling leaves are the color of rust
Beautifully sung. Pecknold's morbid obsessiveness adds quite a stunning beauty to his music. I hope it's just a theme for the album though and not a running theme in his material (see also: Muse's obsession with THE END OF THE WORLD, etc).
By the way, try 'Rustling leaves'. Don't thank me.
dude i just posted that up there before i read this.<br /> well done.
I won't thank you - but you're absolutely right - it's rustling leaves!
Is it about a son whose father abandons him ?
The song is about a man who cheats on his lover his guilt and confession to her and telling her that she should leave him. <br /> <br />
I am pretty sure this entire song is a reference to the John Updike novel: Rabbit, Run
The novel is about a man who aboandons his wife and family, i think that fits a bit better with the other lyrics than a song about an actual rabbit.
Everything this band does is amazing, but particularly this song. It's one of those that I listen to and have to cry, because it's just that cosmic.