Title Track
Unraveling Life's Circus: Okkervil River's Poetic Reflections
Lyrics
All of the stage names evaporate
All artificial identities disappear or lose significance.
And it's just a blood flushed and heart rushing rates
The experience becomes intense, with heightened emotions and physical reactions.
Either to kick off too soon or stick around too late
The dilemma of deciding whether to start something too early or linger too long.
To be far too dear or too cut rate
To be either too precious or of low quality.
Hold my hand again like at the lake
A request or desire for intimacy, reminiscent of a past experience by the lake.
Hold that mirror babe, up to my face
Asking to confront the truth about oneself, holding a mirror to one's face.
Hear the whippoorwill
Reference to nature with the sound of a whippoorwill, setting a contemplative mood.
Am I breathing still?
A question about existence, pondering whether one is still alive.
A Hollywood Babylon bikeathon for break dancers
Describing a chaotic scene of a Hollywood Babylon bikeathon involving break dancers.
All broken down in their beds
People broken down or exhausted in their beds.
Now intravenously fed
Depicting a state of dependency, receiving sustenance through intravenous feeding.
From a bag hanging over their heads
Visualizing a medical scene with a bag hanging over their heads, possibly metaphorical.
Can I put you down for some miles?
An inquiry about commitment or support for a journey.
What do you say?
A rhetorical question about readiness for a challenging and prolonged journey.
?Cause don't you know it's going to be a long, long way
Highlighting the length and difficulty of the upcoming journey.
But if you've got the cash, I'm ready to bust my ass
Expressing a willingness to make the effort if there is financial support.
So take this thin broken down circus clown
Describing a physically and emotionally fragile circus performer.
Reject and give her the name of a queen
Suggesting a rejection and assigning a title that contradicts her appearance.
Don't I know her from the mezzanine?
Pondering familiarity with the person from a specific viewpoint.
She didn't look like no princess to me
Challenging conventional perceptions, stating she didn't look like a typical princess.
But with the proper words bestowed
Highlighting the transformative power of words.
And with her morning shoot, her evening clothes
Describing the impact of words on appearance and demeanor throughout the day.
Don't call her a prostitute, well, she ain't one of those
Rejecting a derogatory label and suggesting a more dignified status.
Just call her a proper little statue come unfroze
Emphasizing a positive transformation from a frozen state to a lively, respectable one.
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