The Great Elsewhere
Navigating Shadows: Owen Pallett's Journey Through Life's Turbulent Waters
Lyrics
Talking, what's it good for?
Talking is considered useless or unproductive.
Absolutely nothing
Emphasizing the futility of talking.
Wrestle, let's wrestle
Encouraging a physical struggle or conflict.
You can pin me to anything
Being open to vulnerability or submission in the wrestling metaphor.
Thought I saw you in my tea leaves
Seeing someone symbolically in random occurrences or signs.
Thought I saw you in a forest flame
Noticing the person in various natural elements or phenomena.
I'll fill up the silence with the sound of your holy name
Trying to fill the emptiness with thoughts of the person.
Knowledge of the sea-ways, knowledge of how the water flows
Reflecting on knowledge about the sea and its unpredictable nature.
Whoever coined the phrase has never had to brave the snow
Criticizing the phrase about knowledge of the sea in harsh conditions.
I climbed the shroud to the top-sail and I peeked through the glass
Physically ascending a ship's mast for a viewpoint.
The curvature bisected by a wintry mizzen mast
Describing a wintry scene through a ship's perspective.
The scar upon my stomach, I call it my Flying V
Referring to a scar on the stomach as a symbol, possibly related to a guitar (Flying V).
And every time I show it, I can feel your eyes on me
Feeling observed when revealing a personal symbol.
How many islands will surrender to the blunderbuss?
Pondering the surrender of islands to a powerful force or conflict.
And how long must we sail before you show your face to us?
Questioning when a significant presence will reveal itself during a journey.
Followed him out to the end of the pier
Following someone to the end of a pier, indicating pursuit.
"Don't come any closer," he cried
Expressing fear and a warning to keep a distance.
I am afraid of the man I'll become if I lay my
Concerns about personal transformation for a cause with little emotional investment.
Life down for a people who I don't even care for
Questioning sacrificing one's life for a seemingly indifferent or unimportant group.
Face to his face, I put my
Facing someone directly.
Hand into his and I tried to tell him no
Resisting the influence or request with a physical gesture.
I've seen his work upon the panes of cathedrals
Observing the impact of someone's work in grand structures.
In the sweat of the workers and the flight of the seagulls
Noticing the labor and beauty associated with the person.
My words were drowned out by the sound
Unable to communicate due to external noises and distractions.
Of the motors and rowers, the ship as it ran aground
Experiencing a significant obstacle or failure.
And from the trees came a thousand soldiers
The arrival of a formidable force or challenge.
I went down on my knees with a spear in my shoulder
Suffering a personal setback, possibly in a symbolic battle.
About face, about face, I swam back to the Victoria
Retreating from a difficult situation back to a familiar place.
I shiver with the memory
Recalling a past traumatic experience with a physical reaction.
Memory of the island dwellers
Remembering the indifference of people in a specific place.
And the indifferences of the Storyteller
Reflecting on the emotional impact of a storyteller's narrative.
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