Lay of the Last Survivor
Okkervil River Lyrics

She went out
The singer of the song sets out to look for her father

And found
She succeeds in locating her father

Her father face down on the ground
Her father is lying downwards flat on the ground

Out in the cold
This scene takes place in a cold environment

Walked her way 'round
She walked around a hill

A hill where the sun's sinking down
The sun sets behind the hill, from her viewpoint

Into the snow
The sun sets behind the snow-covered hill

Oh, white caps of the waves slap
The white tips of waves hit each other

Like last hand claps
The sound of the clapping waves is compared to the last applause at a show

And the dark
The water is dark

Water dies in the crash
The water loses its energy and drops after the collision with the solid surface

Is sucked back with a moan
The water recedes with a moaning sound

Smoke on the coast
Smoke is visible near the coast

And old, piled fathers
Elderly people who've experienced a lot

Soft-sighing daughters
Women expressing sadness are around these elders

Where does it go
The question is raised about the end point of something

It's a dream now
The situation being described is now considered a dream

I'll describe
The singer proceeds to describe this dream

Let your mind drift on down
The listener is instructed to relax and imagine the described scene

Like so
In this manner

To when the world was young
The dream takes the listener to a time when the world was still new

Big sky
The sky was very large, wide and blue

Blue with a dead
The blue sky is accentuated by the presence of the dead

Bachelor's tongue
Referring to a type of flower called a bachelor's button which was known to have a tongue-like shape

Blood-red bloom on the rose
A rose bush covered in flowers with a blood red color

So, some line someone told
A sentence that somebody shared with the singer

Says, 'Even light can get old'
The shared statement is 'Even light can age'

Oh, slobbering lovers
To describe couples who exhibit great affection with each other

Drink-clinking brothers
A reference to males who engage in clinking drinks in celebration together

They don't have to tell us
There is no need for an explanation or word of mouth

'Cause we know
Everyone receiving this message is already aware of the concept being referred to

'What a way down
An expression used to describe a deep descent in life

What a ride
Used to indicate a wild or exciting journey

What a slide
An occurrence that was very fast and downward

Spin around
A movement that involves spinning or circling

What a life to have known
Referring to a life story or a journey filled with interesting experiences

What a time'
Used to encapsulate a significant and/or sentimental moment

And how
Referring to a rough period of time

I was singing out in a crowd
The author was performing in front of a large group

Of a thousand of the most frightening faces I've known
The author is blocked by unfamiliar faces and becomes frightened

When the lighthouse
Describing a moment when a lighthouse was present

Lending a sight, finally went out
The lighthouse that was previously present, is no longer perceptible

What a fright we felt in that night
A reference to the singer and others around him/her who felt frightened when the lighthouse went out

Friends, just shout it all out
Telling friends to speak freely about the situation

All the 'why's and 'no-no's
Encouraging everybody to ask questions and share their shock

All the cries in your throat
People's screams and crying

How right
Describing a perfect moment or event

We felt
Describing a collectives sense of feeling

With our hands tightly closed
The singer and friends have a tight grasp of something

Around something we broke
They are holding something that they had just broken

And then our whimpering sisters
Female relatives or friends who are crying quietly

Sobbing well-wishers
Additional close friends - crying and showing emotion

Well, it's over
Referring to the end of an event or situation

Just let my hand go
Encouragement to stop holding on to the past and letting go