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In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Neutral Milk Hotel Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

What a beautiful face
I have found in this place
That is circling all 'round the sun
What a beautiful dream
That could flash on the screen
In a blink of an eye and be gone from me
Soft and sweet
Let me hold it close and keep it here with me

And one day we will die
And our ashes will fly from the aeroplane over the sea
But for now we are young
Let us lay in the sun
And count every beautiful thing we can see
Love to be
In the arms of all I'm keeping here with me

What a curious life we have found here tonight
There is music that sounds from the street
There are lights in the clouds
Anna's ghost all around
Hear her voice as it's rolling and ringing through me
Soft and sweet
How the notes all bend and reach above the trees

Now how I remember you
How I would push my fingers through
Your mouth to make those muscles move
That made your voice so smooth and sweet
But now we keep where we don't know
All secrets sleep in winter clothes
With one you loved so long ago
Now he don't even know his name

What a beautiful face
I have found in this place
That is circling all 'round the sun
And when we meet on a cloud
I'll be laughing out loud
I'll be laughing with everyone I see
Can't believe how strange it is to be anything at all

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Neutral Milk Hotel's song "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" invite the listener into a dream-like world where beauty and death coexist. The first verse presents a moment of awe - the singer discovers a beautiful face in the world, and imagines holding onto the beauty of the moment forever. The second verse brings us back to reality - we will all die one day and become ashes that will fly from an airplane. But for now, the singer wants to soak up everything he can from life, to count every beautiful thing and hold onto everyone he loves. The chorus ties the two verses together, as beauty and death coexist in the same vast universe.


In the third verse, the lyrics take another turn, depicting a curious night where the world is alive with music and lights. An "Anna's ghost" floats through the song, her voice ringing and rolling. The final verse brings the listener back to the singer's memories of a love long past. There are secrets and memories kept in "winter clothes" - the same winter clothes shared with the one he loved before. Tragically, the object of his love has forgotten his name, and the singer is left alone to hold onto these memories.


Line by Line Meaning

What a beautiful face
The singer is describing his encounter with a person and finding them physically attractive.


I have found in this place
The singer has found this person in this particular setting or circumstance.


That is circling all 'round the sun
This person is living their life, going about their daily routine and the world keeps turning.


What a beautiful dream
The singer is reminiscing on a pleasant memory or imagining a pleasant future scenario.


That could flash on the screen
This dream is something that could be shown on a screen as a visual.


In a blink of an eye and be gone from me
This dream or pleasant scenario is fleeting and temporary.


Soft and sweet
The singer is emphasizing the gentle and pleasant nature of the dream or memory.


Let me hold it close and keep it here with me
The singer wants to hold onto this pleasant memory and keep it close to him, so he doesn't forget it.


And one day we will die
The singer acknowledges that eventually everyone will die.


And our ashes will fly from the aeroplane over the sea
The singer is imagining a scenario where after death, the ashes of the deceased are scattered from an airplane over the sea.


But for now we are young
Despite the inevitability of death, the singer wants to live in the present moment, as he is still young and has much to experience.


Let us lay in the sun
The singer wants to take advantage of the nice weather and relax with his loved ones.


And count every beautiful thing we can see
He wants to appreciate the beauty in the world around him, and cherish every moment with his loved ones.


Love to be
The singer is expressing his desire to live his life with love and positivity.


In the arms of all I'm keeping here with me
The singer wants to keep his loved ones close to him and express his love for them.


What a curious life we have found here tonight
The singer considers life to be full of mystery and wonder.


There is music that sounds from the street
He's observing that there is music coming from outside in the street.


There are lights in the clouds
The singer perceives the beauty in the stars and clouds above.


Anna's ghost all around
The singer is possibly haunted by the memory of someone named Anna.


Hear her voice as it's rolling and ringing through me
The singer hears the voice of Anna as if it's with him at present.


Now how I remember you
The singer is again reflecting on a memory involving someone else.


How I would push my fingers through
He's describing how he used to touch this person and feel their voice and breath on his fingers.


Your mouth to make those muscles move
The singer is describing how he would make this person's mouth move in a way that made their voice sound pleasant.


That made your voice so smooth and sweet
The singer is reminiscing on how this physical touch added to the pleasantness of this person's voice.


But now we keep where we don't know
The singer acknowledges that the present moment is uncertain and they are unsure of what the future holds.


All secrets sleep in winter clothes
The singer is possibly alluding to secrets being buried in the past, waiting to be rediscovered like winter clothes that were put away at the end of the season.


With one you loved so long ago
The singer is remembering someone he once loved.


Now he don't even know his name
The singer is emphasizing how much time has passed since the days when he loved this person.


And when we meet on a cloud
The singer is imagining a heavenly reunion after death.


I'll be laughing out loud
The singer looks forward to this reunion and imagines himself being giddy with excitement and happiness.


I'll be laughing with everyone I see
The singer anticipates being joyful and happy in the afterlife, surrounded by loved ones.


Can't believe how strange it is to be anything at all
The singer is marveling at how weird it is to be alive and conscious in this world.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jeff Mangum

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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