A-Punk
Vampire Weekend Lyrics
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The Hudson river all filled with snow
She spied the ring on his honor's finger
Oh, oh, oh
A thousand years in one piece of silver
She took it from his lily white hand
Showed no fear she'd seen the thing
In the young men's wing at Sloan Kettering
Look outside at the raincoats coming, say oh
Look outside at the raincoats coming, say oh
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
His honor drove southward seeking exotica
Down to the pueblo huts of New Mexico
Cut his teeth on turquoise harmonicas
Oh, oh, oh
I saw Johanna down in the subway
She took an apartment in Washington Heights
Half of the ring lies here with me
But the other half's at the bottom of the sea
Look outside at the raincoats coming, say oh
Look outside at the raincoats coming, say oh
Look outside at the raincoats coming, say oh
Look outside at the raincoats coming, say oh
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey
The lyrics of Vampire Weekend's "A-Punk" tell a rather enigmatic story of two individuals named Johanna and the Honorable Sir. The song starts with Johanna driving slowly into the city, while the Hudson river is filled with snow. She notices the ring on the Honorable Sir's finger, which she takes from his lily white hand. She seems to show no fear and has seen something similar in the young men's wing at Sloan Kettering. The lyrics seem to suggest that Johanna is a brave and daring woman who has done something unexpected.
In the second verse, we get a glimpse of the Honorable Sir's character as he drives southwards, seeking exotica down to the pueblo huts of New Mexico. He cuts his teeth on turquoise harmonicas, which suggests a love for music, and possibly an interest in Native American culture. The song then takes an intriguing turn as the singer states that he saw Johanna down in the subway and that she took an apartment in Washington Heights. Half of the ring lies with him, but the other half is at the bottom of the sea. This line is particularly cryptic and is open to interpretation, but it could imply that the ring had some significance, and the loss of half of it is meaningful.
Overall, "A-Punk" is a song full of mysterious characters and events, and each listener can have their interpretation of what the lyrics mean. The song leaves many questions unanswered, but this is what makes it a captivating listen.
Line by Line Meaning
Johanna drove slowly into the city
Johanna drove at a leisurely pace into the city
The Hudson river all filled with snow
The Hudson river was fully covered with snow
She spied the ring on his honor's finger
She noticed the ring on his finger that signified his honor
Oh, oh, oh
Expressing a realization or understanding that is not fully explained
A thousand years in one piece of silver
The silver piece held a thousand years' worth of value
She took it from his lily white hand
She took the silver piece from his pale hand
Showed no fear she'd seen the thing
She did not appear scared as she had seen the silver piece before
In the young men's wing at Sloan Kettering
She saw the silver piece in the hospital ward for young men at Sloan Kettering
Look outside at the raincoats coming, say oh
Looking at the people passing by wearing raincoats and realizing something
Hey, hey, hey, hey
A playful or excited expression, with no specific meaning
His honor drove southward seeking exotica
The honorable person drove southwards in search of something exotic or unique
Down to the pueblo huts of New Mexico
He went to the traditional-style dwellings of New Mexico to find the exotic thing he was looking for
Cut his teeth on turquoise harmonicas
He practiced or gained experience with turquoise harmonicas
I saw Johanna down in the subway
The singer saw Johanna in the subway
She took an apartment in Washington Heights
Johanna rented an apartment in Washington Heights
Half of the ring lies here with me
The artist has half of the silver ring with him
But the other half's at the bottom of the sea
The other half of the silver ring is at the sea's bottom
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, NOTHING BUT NETS MUSIC, FARO MUSIC
Written by: Christopher Joseph Baio, Christopher William Tomson, Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jrfrank2048
LYRICS
Johanna drove slowly into the city
The Hudson River all filled with snow
She spied the ring on His Honor's finger
Oh-oh-oh
A thousand years in one piece of silver
She took it from his lilywhite hand
Showed no fear – she'd seen the thing
In the Young Men's Wing at Sloan-Kettering
Look outside at the raincoats coming, say OH
His Honor drove southward seeking exotica
Down to the Pueblo huts of New Mexico
Cut his teeth on turquoise harmonicas
Oh-oh-oh
I saw Johanna down in the subway
She took an apartment in Washington Heights
Half of the ring lies here with me
But the other half's at the bottom of the sea.
@celisrivera
Johanna drove slowly into the city
The Hudson River all filled with snow
She spied the ring on His Honor's finger
Oh-oh-oh
A thousand years in one piece of silver
She took it from his lilywhite hand
Showed no fear - she'd seen the thing
In the Young Men's Wing at Sloan-Kettering
Look outside at the raincoats coming, say oh
Look outside at the raincoats coming, say oh
Ay-ay-ay-ay
Ay-ay-ay
His Honor drove southward seeking exotica
Down to the Pueblo huts of New Mexico
Cut his teeth on turquoise harmonicas
Oh-oh-oh
I saw Johanna down in the subway
She took an apartment in Washington Heights
Half of the ring lies here with me
But the other half's at the bottom of the sea
Look outside at the raincoats coming, say oh
Look outside at the raincoats coming, say oh
Look outside at the raincoats coming, say oh
Look outside at the raincoats coming, say oh
Ay-ay-ay-ay
Ay-ay-ay-ay
@danielaaguilar3017
Accurate representation of my last 4 brain cells in period of finals.
@jrdnsgrarchvs9163
HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHHAHAHSHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHJAJAHA
@telephonic
Good luck.
@edsongranados4318
Iguaal
@BrownsTown
Jesus buddy don't hurt yourself damn.
@alfieb7423
Women.
@NeKe4rl
when I hear the name vampire weekend I think of somekind of weird goth band, this is like the opposite of that
@antifragiIed
Louis van Loon me
@nataliemae2356
Yeah, it's just a normal weird band
@wyzapple
Natalie Mae Haha,..."a normal weird band"...that's awesome.