"Seven Sisters"

These are the lyrics of one of my favorite bands, mewithoutYou. While most of us would agree that song usually consists of sung poetry, this band is unique in that the lead singer essentially dramatically recites his poetry to music. It is quite amazing, and I encourage you to check them out. Anyway, my point is: read these words like you would a poem. I have posted the poem twice—once as it reads from the CD insert, and again as my own linear interpretation.

Seven Sisters

HE MADE THE WORLD A GRASSY ROAD BEFORE OUR BARE, WANDERING FEET, AND CRUSHED THE STONES INTO THE SOFTEST SAND BETWEEN OUR TOES, BUT WE’RE WONDERING WHERE TO SLEEP, CLEVER WORDS ON PAGES TURN TO FRAGMENTS, CIRCLES, POINTS AND LINES, AND COVER THEM LIKE CARPETS, WITH GRACEFUL, MEANINGLESS ORNAMENTAL DESIGNS COME QUICK, YOU LIGHT THAT KNOWS NO EVENEING – COME, ALONE TO THE ALONE! THERE ARE A THOUSAND SANITIES WORTH LEAVING TO TAKE YOUR MADNESS HOME, YOU DANCE INSIDE MY CHEST WHERE NO ONE SEES YOU, BUT SOMETIMES I SEE YOU REJOICE, THE CLEANSING OF MY LIPS – REJOICE, SALVATION OF MY SOUL! BUT I STILL HAVE A THOUSAND HALF-LOVES (OH MY GOD! I WANT TO SHOOT MYSELF JUST THINKING ABOUT IT) AND YOU THINK I DON’T MEAN WHAT I SAY? I MEAN EVERY WORD I SAY. I THREW A STONE DOWN AT THE REFLECTION OF MY IMAGE IN THE WATER, AND IT ALTOGETHER DISAPPEARED. I BURST, IT SHATTERED ME LIKE A BULLET THROUGH A BOTTLE, AND I’M EXPECTED TO BELIEVE THAT ANY OF THIS IS REAL.


Seven Sisters

He made the world a grassy road before our bare, wandering feet
And crushed the stones into the softest sand between our toes,
But we’re wondering where to sleep,
Clever words on pages turn to fragments, circles, points and lines,
And cover them like carpets, with graceful, meaningless ornamental designs.

Come quick, you light that knows no evening – come, alone to the alone!
There are a thousand sanities worth leaving to take your madness home,
You dance inside my chest where no one sees you, but sometimes I see you.

Rejoice, the cleansing of my lips – rejoice, salvation of my soul!
But I still have a thousand half-loves
(Oh my God! I want to shoot myself just thinking about it)
And you don’t think I mean what I say? I mean every word I say.

I threw a stone at the reflection of my image in the water, and it altogether disappeared.
I burst, it shattered me like a bullet through a bottle,
And I’m expected to believe that any of this is real.


http://www.mewithoutyou.com/