This is from the album Elephants…Teeth Sinking into Heart by Rachael Yamagata. My favourite album from this amazing artist. I prefer this album then Happenstance though. Every single songs from this album is mind blowing amazing. This is a album for heartaches.
The songs lyric just sounded more like poem then a song for me. Especially this song. I do think this song is more about a person who just experiencing a break up and was trying to warn the others about the danger of love. Warning them not to fall in love blindly and do remember the horror and hopelessness love can bring apart from the feeling of euphoric.
I think she is trying to use the animals like elephants, tiger and hawks as a metaphor. Is kinda obvious though through out the entire lyric. For me this is a powerful song, it always evokes a mixture of emotion out of me. Each lines just hits you with such passion and power.
The red words were my interpretation for this song.
If the elephants have past lives, yet are destined to always remember,
it's no wonder how they scream,
like you and I, they must have some temper.
And I am dreaming of them on the plains, dirtying up their beds,
watching for some kind of rain to cool their hot heads.
And how dare that you send me that card when I'm doing all that I can do.
You are forcing me to remember when all I want is to just forget you.
If the tiger shall protect her young, then tell me how did you slip by.
All my instincts have failed me for once -- I must have somehow slept the whole night.
(The persona remember how her heart was hurt before, and have been ever since trying to forget the dying love. Yet somehow, some people believe that after a break up they should remains as friend. Thus, when the persona receive a card or call or be it anything that related to that loved ones it evokes memories about them. She has tried so hard to protect herself from being hurt, yet somehow he still managed to reach for her heart. And all her guard was let down, she falls wholeheartedly with him. )
And I am dreaming of them with their kill, tearing it all apart,
blood dripping from their lips, and teeth sinking into heart.
And how dare that you say you will call, when you know I need some peace of mind..
If you had to take sides with the animals, won't you do it with one who is kind?
(He breaks her heart and it hurt like someone ripping her heart out, biting into it like a carnivore. She just want to be left alone but he keeps pestering her. In other words, for the past two paragraph it shown that she still deeply has feeling for him and she’s trying to let it go but is very hard and he knows how she still feel for him)
If the hawks in the trees need the dead, if you're living you don't stand a chance.
You can lie there and say you are fed, but there are only two ends to this dance.
You can flee with your wounds just in time, or lie there as he feeds,
watching yourself ripped to shreds and laughing as you bleed.
(She can leave him or stay with him but either choice in the end she still will wound up. )
So for those of you falling in love, keep it kind, keep it good, keep it right.
Throw yourself in the midst of danger, but keep one eye open at night.
(She’s giving advice to the others you can love all you want. Yet do remember to love with cautions. Do not love blindly as keeping an eye open)
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