Indiana
Adrianne Lenker & Buck Meek Lyrics
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Said "you know you really don't need it, leave the fame for the road"
I remember when I was leaving, I was only six years old
Oh how my heart was beatin', about ready to explode
One shot honey collect it all, the dust inside the rusted souls
You should get a ride cause you can't control the heart that beats under the bone
Come on my combat chameleon give it up, you've got your life to attend to,
buttercup, you're entertaining the talk that is told through the teeth of the mouths of
Little do they know
Said the Mississippi river won't kill you, unless you stand too close my dear
Take you to Louisiana a long long way from here
And the war's been a long time coming, yes a long long war's gonna come
We're standing at the end of a story, at the foot of a palindrome
One shot honey collect it all, the dust inside the rusted souls
You should get a ride cause you can't control the hear that beats under the bone
Come on my combat chameleon give it up, you've got your life to attend to,
buttercup, you're entertaining the talk that is told through the teeth of the mouths of
the millions dyin' to meet ya—
Little do they know
The song "Indiana" by Adrianne Lenker and Buck Meek is a hauntingly beautiful ballad about the struggles of leaving home and venturing out into the unknown. The song opens with the singer's father urging her to leave Indiana and pursue her dreams, even though it means risking everything she has known and loved. The lyrics paint a picture of how difficult it was for her to leave, and how her heart was pounding with fear and excitement as she set out on her journey.
As the song progresses, the lyrics take on a more metaphoric tone, suggesting that the road to success is fraught with danger and uncertainty. The singer implores her listeners to take risks and embrace the challenges of life, even though they may be difficult and painful. The line "the Mississippi river won't kill you, unless you stand too close my dear / take you to Louisiana a long long way from here" is particularly poignant, as it suggests that the road to success can be full of danger and adventure, but also full of beauty and wonder.
Overall, "Indiana" is a powerful and heartfelt song that captures the struggles and triumphs of the human experience. It reminds us that even though life can be difficult and uncertain, we should never stop striving for our dreams and embracing the challenges that come our way.
Line by Line Meaning
Daddy wanted me to leave it, Indiana, Indiana in the cold
My father urged me to leave Indiana behind, to go out into the world and face the challenges of the unknown.
Said "you know you really don't need it, leave the fame for the road"
He told me that I didn't need the comforts of home, and that I should embrace the challenges and opportunities that come with traveling and performing.
I remember when I was leaving, I was only six years old
I recall the moment that I left Indiana as a young child, my heart full of anticipation and fear.
Oh how my heart was beatin', about ready to explode
My heart was filled with excitement and anxiety at the prospect of leaving my familiar surroundings and facing the unknown.
One shot honey collect it all, the dust inside the rusted souls
Life is fleeting, and we must make the most of every opportunity we have to gather experiences and memories.
You should get a ride cause you can't control the heart that beats under the bone
Life is unpredictable, and we must accept that we cannot control all of our experiences and emotions.
Come on my combat chameleon give it up, you've got your life to attend to, buttercup, you're entertaining the talk that is told through the teeth of the mouths of the millions dyin' to meet ya— Little do they know
People may be drawn to the idea of fame and celebrity, but they don't understand the reality of the sacrifices and challenges that come with it.
Said the Mississippi river won't kill you, unless you stand too close my dear
We must be cautious and aware of the risks that come with life, especially when pursuing our dreams.
Take you to Louisiana a long long way from here
There are many opportunities and experiences awaiting us if we are willing to take risks and explore the world beyond our familiar surroundings.
And the war's been a long time coming, yes a long long war's gonna come
Our lives are filled with endless struggles and challenges, and we must be prepared to face them with strength and courage.
We're standing at the end of a story, at the foot of a palindrome
Life is cyclical, and we must be mindful of the way our past, present, and future are interconnected.
Contributed by Daniel D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@tororor
Daddy wanted me to leave it, Indiana, Indiana in the cold
Said "you know you really don't need it, leave the fame for the road"
I remember when I was leaving, I was only six years old
Oh how my heart was beatin', about ready to explode
One shot honey collect it all, the dust inside the rusted souls
You should get a ride cause you can't control the heart that beats under the bone
Come on my combat chameleon give it up, you've got your life to attend to,
Buttercup, you're entertaining the talk that is told through the teeth of the mouths of
The millions dyin' to meet ya—
Little do they know
Said the Mississippi river won't kill you, unless you stand too close my dear
Take you to Louisiana a long long way from here
And the war's been a long time coming, yes a long long war's gonna come
We're standing at the end of a story, at the foot of a palindrome
One shot honey collect it all, the dust inside the rusted souls
You should get a ride cause you can't control the hear that beats under the bone
Come on my combat chameleon give it up, you've got your life to attend to,
Buttercup, you're entertaining the talk that is told through the teeth of the mouths of
The millions dyin' to meet ya—
Little do they know
@Chris505
One of my favourite songs of all time, yet hardly a soul knows it. We are the lucky ones.
@garyives1218
I, like I imagine most of my 50ish year old peers kinda gave up on music before the new millennium. I began searching for new stuff about 7 years ago. NPR Tiny Desk and KEXP turned me on to IMHO some exceptional stuff. I probably discovered Big Thief through one of those and now they're one one my favorites and I have all the widely available albums......even James' recently released one. I think Adrianne is on par with any singer songwriter I've ever listened to, and I'm really really not getting tired of listening to Buck's album. I love that too. It really grows on ya.
@duglepine
Shhh!!
@ssalloom11
Me too man. One of my favorites and I listen to loads of music and am getting pretty old. I have listened to every version available. It is solid gold, it is one of the most magic, it is in the realm of the best songs on Astral Weeks and Neil Young’s On The Beach. It’s like Helpless or Campaigner. I hope this song never gets lost because it would be like losing a piece of the Golden Age— solid gold song.
@tororor
Daddy wanted me to leave it, Indiana, Indiana in the cold
Said "you know you really don't need it, leave the fame for the road"
I remember when I was leaving, I was only six years old
Oh how my heart was beatin', about ready to explode
One shot honey collect it all, the dust inside the rusted souls
You should get a ride cause you can't control the heart that beats under the bone
Come on my combat chameleon give it up, you've got your life to attend to,
Buttercup, you're entertaining the talk that is told through the teeth of the mouths of
The millions dyin' to meet ya—
Little do they know
Said the Mississippi river won't kill you, unless you stand too close my dear
Take you to Louisiana a long long way from here
And the war's been a long time coming, yes a long long war's gonna come
We're standing at the end of a story, at the foot of a palindrome
One shot honey collect it all, the dust inside the rusted souls
You should get a ride cause you can't control the hear that beats under the bone
Come on my combat chameleon give it up, you've got your life to attend to,
Buttercup, you're entertaining the talk that is told through the teeth of the mouths of
The millions dyin' to meet ya—
Little do they know
@adriftofwords
I was supposed to see Jenny Lewis at the Bluebird in Bloomington, IN about 4 or 5 years ago. Well, I missed her but I got to see Big Thief perform instead. I had never heard of them but I was completely awed by their performances. Especially Adrianne's. It is always inspiring to see a female with that much passion when she sings and plays the guitar. In fact, all of the members seemed pretty passionate during their performances. I fell in love with this song when they played it. I was front row and center, as I love to be at any show I attend. Definitely pulled my heart strings and I will never forget it!
@mauricelangley5033
I would've Loved to be there for that. I like Big Thief too.
@honkytears
Wow. This is top shelf songwriting. Blessings.
@mattnumber
There should be comments here. This is a wonderful song
@s0ulvibes_
This made me cry just now, what a beautiful song. 💙