Hunger of the Pine
alt-J Lyrics
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Butterflies and needles
Line my seamed-up join
Encased in case I need it
In my stomach, for my heart
Chain mail
Hunger of the pine
Sleeplessly embracing
Yawn yearns into me
Plenty more tears in the sea
And so you finally use it
Bedding with me you see at night
Your heart wears knight armour
Hunger of the pine
(I'm a female rebel)
(I'm a female rebel)
(I'm a female rebel)
Sleeplessly
Embracing
You
Realization grew on me
As quickly as it takes your hand
To warm the cool side of the pillow
I'm there for you, be there for me
I'll hum the song the soldiers sing
As they march outside our window
Hunger of the pine
Sleeplessly
Embracing
Sleeplessly
Embracing
You
(I'm a female rebel)
Sleeplessly
Embracing
(I'm a female rebel)
Sleeplessly
Embracing
You
(Une immense espérance a traversé la terre)
(Une immense espérance a traversé ma peur)
The lyrics of “Hunger of the Pine” by alt-J are laden with symbolism and poetic language. At its core, the song explores the feelings of someone who is in a relationship with another person who may not always be available to them. The opening lines describe the physical sensations of anxiety and anticipation that this person experiences when they are with their lover. The butterflies and needles in their stomach suggest a mixture of excitement and apprehension, while the line about being “encased in case I need it” evokes a sense of being trapped or restrained.
The phrase “hunger of the pine” is repeated throughout the song and serves as a metaphor for the longing and desire that the singer feels for their partner. This hunger is likened to the way that pine trees grow towards the light, reaching upwards even in the harshest of conditions. The repeated refrain of “I’m a female rebel” adds another layer of meaning to the song, suggesting that the singer is pushing against societal norms or expectations in their pursuit of love.
The final lines of the song introduce a new element, as the lyrics shift from the personal to the political. The French phrases “Une immense espérance a traversé la terre” and “Une immense espérance a traversé ma peur” translate to “A great hope has crossed the earth” and “A great hope has crossed my fear”, respectively. These lines offer a glimmer of optimism and hope that transcends the individual experience and speaks to a larger sense of collective struggle and triumph.
Line by Line Meaning
Sleeplessly embracing
I can't sleep because I'm tightly holding onto something like butterflies and needles
Butterflies and needles
I'm feeling nervous and uncomfortable, like there are insects and sharp objects crawling under my skin
Line my seamed-up join
I'm trying to heal, so I have stitches in my wounded areas
Encased in case I need it
I'm protecting myself in case I get hurt again
In my stomach, for my heart
I'm keeping something important inside me, for emotional reasons
Chain mail
I'm wearing protective armor to defend myself
Hunger of the pine
I have a strong desire for something that is rare or hard to obtain
Sleeplessly embracing
I'm still holding tightly onto something and can't rest
Yawn yearns into me
I'm tired and want to sleep, but something is keeping me awake
Plenty more tears in the sea
There are endless sources of sadness and grief in life
And so you finally use it
Someone has finally taken something from me that I've been holding onto
Bedding with me you see at night
We sleep together and see each other in bed
Your heart wears knight armour
You're protecting your heart with emotional armor, just like physical armor
Realization grew on me
I slowly understood something that I didn't before
As quickly as it takes your hand
It happened suddenly, in a moment
To warm the cool side of the pillow
Your touch can make me feel comforted and secure
I'm there for you, be there for me
I'm always supporting you, and I want you to do the same for me
I'll hum the song the soldiers sing
I'll provide comfort and solace like a lullaby
As they march outside our window
Even though there are scary things happening outside, we can find peace and love together
Hunger of the pine
My strong desire for something is still present
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Cornell Haynes, Miley Ray Cyrus, Thom Green, Joe Jerome Newman, Augustus Figaro Unger-Hamilton, Pharrell L Williams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Skitty2Bruce
+Jethro Brooks
I think it's also the "pine" is the arrows, that hunger to kill, the pine tree cut down, with "butterflies and needles line my seamed-up join."
It goes into the theme of war with "chain mail" and "your heart wears knight armour" and "I'll hum the song soliders sing"
Here is my interpretation of the song, It's about missing someone who's gone to war they are "pining" for them, but maybe it's also the arrow's "hunger to kill" they feel their loved one is in danger from the "pine"
though I'm not sure pining makes grammatical sense, as:
pining= longing
pine= long
hunger of the long (?)
@mikolopes
"You Never truly defeat your inner Demons, you only learn to live among them"
The arrows symbolize the pains and injuries, some hurt him, others don't, but no matter what, he keeps going.
In the beginning he has places to hide behind the trees, but as he grows, he leaves the forest to enter the grassland, leaving him without cover.
That's where he gets most of his wounds. He ultimately choses to stop running and face his fears.
He accepts his fate, surrenders all of itself, and stands up tall, making him invincible.
The arrows of fire symbolize the rebirth and purification (by the fire).
The end is a new beginning...
(Notice that you never see the inner Demons (the archers), they don't have a personification.)
A Masterpiece
@loungester
PINE = Pīn/
suffer a mental and physical decline, especially because of a broken heart.
"she thinks I am pining away from love"
synonyms: languish, decline, weaken, waste away, wilt, wither, fade, sicken, droop; More
miss and long for the return of.
"I was pining for my boyfriend"
verb: pine; 3rd person present: pines; past tense: pined; past participle: pined; gerund or present participle: pining
@gauravpatel7887
Sleeplessly embracing
Butterflies and needles
Line my seamed-up join
Encased in case I need it
In my stomach, for my heart
Chain mail
Hunger of the pine
Hunger of the pine
Sleeplessly embracing
Yawn yearns into me
Plenty more tears in the sea
And so you finally use it
Bedding with me you see at night
Your heart wears knight armour
Hunger of the pine
(I'm a female rebel)
(I'm a female rebel)
(I'm a female rebel)
Sleeplessly
Embracing
You
Realization grew on me
As quickly as it takes your hand
To warm the cool side of the pillow
I’m there for you, be there for me
I’ll hum the song the soldiers sing
As they march outside our window
Hunger of the pine
Sleeplessly
Embracing
Sleeplessly
Embracing
You
Sleeplessly
Embracing
(I'm a female rebel)
Sleeplessly
Embracing
You
@Brox1996
The definition of pine used here is not the tree, but the verb meaning to “suffer a mental and physical decline, especially because of a broken heart.” The lyrics mainly suggest the idea that missing someone — pining — can be a physical pain much like hunger."
@denisaltieri
+Jethro Brooks Best undestanding of the song lyrics and video performance until now.
@SlamifiedBuddafied
+Jethro Brooks Seems to be one of those words that doesn't translate well between countries and culture, as Alt-J being from the UK (is it the UK?). Well anyways, I bet a majority of people who don't get it haven't even heard the expression, such as people here in America. Only reason I'm sure some people here understand is probably having read more English literature. Ah, getting lost in translation sure is fun.
@pine_wav
exactly
so heavy
Arrows, love hurts. Still you live; in agony. During all stages of love.
@cemomo1
+Jethro Brooks up to top man, thank you for the great explanation
@Skitty2Bruce
+Jethro Brooks
I think it's also the "pine" is the arrows, that hunger to kill, the pine tree cut down, with "butterflies and needles line my seamed-up join."
It goes into the theme of war with "chain mail" and "your heart wears knight armour" and "I'll hum the song soliders sing"
Here is my interpretation of the song, It's about missing someone who's gone to war they are "pining" for them, but maybe it's also the arrow's "hunger to kill" they feel their loved one is in danger from the "pine"
though I'm not sure pining makes grammatical sense, as:
pining= longing
pine= long
hunger of the long (?)
@strrrrasno7825
for anyone wondering, the background vocals at the end are singing 'une immense espérance a traversé la terre, une immense espérance a traversé ma peur' which means 'A great hope has crossed the earth , A great hope has crossed my fear'. it's a quote from Alfred de Musset’s poem L'espoir en Dieu (Hope in God), it's a really nice poem, i recommend reading it
@Applebanger
Wow, thanks, I didn't know that.
@sixtyvonstucka4274
https://www.poesie-francaise.fr/alfred-de-musset/poeme-l-espoir-en-dieu.php ;)
@oliverklozhoff
Very cool. Very cool indeed