The Wild Kindness
Silver Jews Lyrics
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on a classic nitrogen afternoon.
Some power that hardly looked like power
said I'm only perfect in an empty room.
Four dogs in the distance
each stands for a kindness.
Bluebirds lodged in an evergreen altar…
I'm gonna shine out in the wild silence
and spurn the sin of giving in.
Oil paintings of x-rated picnics.
Behind the walls of medication I'm free.
Every falling leaf in a compact mirror
hits a target that we can't see.
Grass grows in the icebox.
The year ends in the next room
It is autumn and my camouflage is dying
instead of time there will be lateness
and let forever be delayed.
I died my hair in a motel void
met the coroner at the Dreamgate Frontier
He took may hand said I'll help you boy
ff you really want to disappear
Four dogs in the distance
each stands for a silence.
Bluebirds lodged in an evergreen altar…
I'm gonna shine out in the wild kindness
and hold the world to its word.
In "The Wild Kindness," David Berman, the frontman of the American indie rock band Silver Jews, explores themes of isolation, self-reflection, and the beauty of nature. The song begins with the singer writing a letter to a wildflower on a peaceful afternoon, feeling a sense of powerlessness but also recognizing the beauty in imperfection. The four dogs in the distance represent kindness, while the bluebirds symbolize a spiritual presence in the natural world. The singer resolves to reject the temptation to give in to sin and instead embrace the wild silence and shine out in the world.
The lyrics then turn to more surreal imagery, with oil paintings of x-rated picnics and falling leaves in a compact mirror hitting targets that can't be seen. The grass grows in the icebox, and the singer confronts the inevitability of his own mortality as his camouflage dies with autumn. He dies his hair in a motel void and encounters a coroner who offers to help him disappear if he really wants to.
The song ends on a hopeful note, with the singer holding the world to its word and shining out in the wild kindness. The lyrics suggest that even in the face of isolation and mortality, there is beauty and spiritual connection to be found in the natural world.
Line by Line Meaning
I wrote a letter to a wildflower
I expressed my thoughts and feelings to something wild and untamed.
on a classic nitrogen afternoon.
On an ordinary day, with nothing extraordinary happening.
Some power that hardly looked like power
An inexplicable force, which doesn't seem powerful, but is.
said I'm only perfect in an empty room.
This power told me that my imperfections are only noticeable when I'm around others.
Four dogs in the distance
Four different types of kindness, far away and yet close enough to make a difference.
each stands for a kindness.
Each of those dogs represents a different form of kindness.
Bluebirds lodged in an evergreen altar…
Birds that live in a sacred place of nature, where they can always find shelter.
I'm gonna shine out in the wild silence
I'll be radiant, in the beauty and stillness of nature.
and spurn the sin of giving in.
I'll refuse to accept defeat, and fight against my own weaknesses.
Oil paintings of x-rated picnics.
Art that depicts sensual pleasures in a vulgar and graphic way.
Behind the walls of medication I'm free.
I find liberation from my pain and struggles, by taking medication.
Every falling leaf in a compact mirror
Every single loss and change can be reflected in a small, personal way.
hits a target that we can't see.
It affects us in ways we cannot comprehend or fully understand.
Grass grows in the icebox.
Even in the harshest and coldest of environments, life finds a way.
The year ends in the next room
The end is so close, we can already feel it looming over us.
It is autumn and my camouflage is dying
The season of transformation is here, and I need to let go of my protective façade.
instead of time there will be lateness
I'll keep procrastinating, even though I know time is running out.
and let forever be delayed.
I'll avoid making difficult choices, and postpone the inevitable.
I died my hair in a motel void
I made a change to my appearance in a meaningless and empty place.
met the coroner at the Dreamgate Frontier
I confronted death and faced my fears at a point of no return.
He took my hand said I'll help you boy
Death offered me reassurance and guidance, in a strange and unexpected way.
If you really want to disappear
If I truly choose to let go and vanish from this world.
Four dogs in the distance
The same four types of kindness, still far away but now with added depth.
each stands for a silence.
Each of those dogs represents a different kind of peace and tranquility.
Bluebirds lodged in an evergreen altar…
The same birds that live in a sacred place of nature, still seeking shelter and solace.
I'm gonna shine out in the wild kindness
I'll radiate kindness and compassion, in the raw and untamed world.
and hold the world to its word.
I'll demand the world lives up to its highest ideals, even if it seems impossible.
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind