Lull
Andrew Bird Lyrics
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It can be quite romantic
Like Jacques Cousteau
Underneath the Atlantic
A fantastic voyage
To parts unknown
Going to depths were the suns never shown
And I fascinate myself
When I'm alone
So I go a little overboard
But hang onto the hull
While I'm airbrushing fantasy art on my life
That's really kinda dull
Oh, I'm in a lull
I'm all for moderation
But somtimes it seems
Moderation itself can be kind of extreme
So I join the congregation
Join the softball team
I went in for my conformation
Where incense looks like steam
I start conjugating proverbs
Where there once were nouns
This whole damn rhyme scheme's
Starting to get me down
Oh, I'm in a lull
I'm in a lull
Being alone
It can be quite romantic
Like Jacques Cousteau
Underneath the Atlantic
A fantastic voyage
To parts unknown
Going to depths were the suns never shown
And I fascinate myself
When I'm alone
I'm rambling on rather self consciously
While I'm stirring these condiments into my tea
And I'm so lame
I bet I think this song is about me
Don't I, don't I, don't I,
I'm in a lull
The lyrics of Andrew Bird's song "Lull" centers around the theme of being alone, which can be both romantic and suffocating. The song opens with comparisons to Jacques Cousteau, the famous ocean explorer, who delves into parts unknown and into the depths where the sun has never shown. Cousteau's expeditions are romantic to those who find solitude intriguing. However, this theme then turns morbid, with suggestions that being alone for an extended duration could be suffocating, taking a turn from travel and discovery to confinement and isolation.
In the second and third paragraphs, Andrew Bird speaks about his loneliness and the extremes he finds himself going to escape boredom. He speaks about fantasizing and romanticizing his life to escape its dullness, taking himself way too far in the process. Bird is conscious of the fact that life is about balance and so he tries to find that point of equilibrium. He attempts to find compaionship by joining softball teams and going to church events, but that leaves him even more conscious of his loneliness since he doesn't always fit in fully, leaving him to feel even more alone. And so life becomes complicated - what was supposed to be a source of comfort ends up becoming a source of even greater discomfort.
Throughout the entire song, Andrew Bird ponders the meaning and significance of his life, ultimately realizing that he is caught up in a "lull". He has an introspective understanding of his existence, yet it is his self-awareness that helps him escape this "lull."
Line by Line Meaning
Being alone
The experience of being alone
It can be quite romantic
Being alone can be an experience that is emotionally charged and romantic
Like Jacques Cousteau
Similar to the way in which the oceanographer Jacques Cousteau explored beneath the ocean
Underneath the Atlantic
In the depths of the Atlantic Ocean
A fantastic voyage
An amazing and surreal journey
To parts unknown
To unknown and unexplored places
Going to depths were the suns never shown
Going to such depths that the light from the sun cannot penetrate
And I fascinate myself
Being alone leads to a state of introspection and self-fascination
When I'm alone
When left by oneself
So I go a little overboard
The desire to push the boundaries, to venture beyond the ordinary and familiar
But hang onto the hull
Trying to maintain balance while taking endeavors to explore
While I'm airbrushing fantasy art on my life
Imagining and creating an idealized version of one's own life
That's really kinda dull
Realizing that the idealized version of one's life is not ideal at all
Oh, I'm in a lull
Feeling low and demotivated
I'm all for moderation
Believing that moderation is important
But somtimes it seems
But at times, it appears
Moderation itself can be kind of extreme
Moderation can become extreme and illogical
So I join the congregation
Trying to find something to belong to
Join the softball team
Joining an ordinary, everyday team
I went in for my conformation
Going in for an official affirmation of one's belief
Where incense looks like steam
Describing the setting in a church where the incense appears like steam
I start conjugating proverbs
Learning and using wise sayings
Where there once were nouns
Replacing unnecessary, abstract nouns with meaningful phrases and expressions
This whole damn rhyme scheme's Starting to get me down
Even this creative process of songwriting feels like a burden and losing its charm
I'm rambling on rather self consciously
Writing without a clear structure, feeling unsure and self-conscious
While I'm stirring these condiments into my tea
Performing mundane and trivial tasks while trying to create something special
And I'm so lame
Feeling inadequate and insufficient
I bet I think this song is about me
Feeling like the song is speaking directly to one's situation
Don't I, don't I, don't I,
Am I right, am I right, am I right
I'm in a lull
Feeling low and uninspired
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ANDREW WEGMAN BIRD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@The-Aion
Being alone it can be quite romantic
like Jacques Cousteau underneath the atlantic
a fantastic voyage to parts unknown
going to depths where the sun's never shone
and i fascinate myself when i'm alone
so i go a little overboard but hang on to the hull
while i'm airbrushing fantasy art on a life
that's really kind of dull
oh, i'm in a lull
i'm all for moderation but sometimes it seems
moderation itself can be a kind of extreme
so i joined the congregation
i joined the softball team
i went in for my confirmation
where incense looks like steam
i start conjugating proverbs
where once there were nouns
this whole damn rhyme scheme's starting to get me down
oh, i'm in a lull
i'm in a lull
being alone it can be quite romantic
like jacques cousteau underneath the atlantic
a fantastic voyage to parts unknown
going to depths where the sun's never shone
and i fascinate myself when i'm alone
i'm rambling on rather self consciously
while i'm stirring these condiments into my tea
and i think i'm so lame
i bet i think this song's about me
don't i don't i don't i ?
i'm in a lull
@whales
Dianogah would be my first choice as a backing band as well. I couldn't believe this was recorded live the fist time I heard it.
@laurensadler4238
I love his reference to Carly Simon's song You're So Vain with his lyric "and I think I'm so lame I bet I'll think this song is about me" 4:34
@sidDkid87
rambling on rather self consciously , aren't you? ; )`
@thenew22
This is one of Youtube's hidden gems
@CailoFilms
One of my favorite songs... Andrew Bird, may your sound spread and bring joy to the world...
@jj88ju
when i was 12, i was just getting into andrew bird and this video always freaked me out in the best way. i'm in my second year of college and i still think about it to this day
@ptwonline
This is one of the most strange, disturbing, and yet hauntingly beautiful things I have ever seen. The editing to put the song and the film together really make it look like they were meant for each other. Bravo all-around.
@SeanLongstreet
Bird's videos are always so fitting for his unique music. What an inspiration he is to us all. Peace
@biror1135
I cried in the end.
@abryant73
This made me cry. Oh my god the music was beautiful, the animation was beautiful. And I can certainly connect with the song.