Since a young age, Michigan resident Thomas Meluch has been fascinated with… Read Full Bio ↴Since a young age, Michigan resident Thomas Meluch has been fascinated with the sounds of nature and tape decay—through almost a decade of recordings, he has fostered an infatuation with a sort of sonic density that combines remnants of pop song structures with the lushness and unpredictability of field recordings. A veteran drummer of a half dozen bands, Meluch chose guitar and voice as the primary instruments for his work as Benoît Pioulard.

A Coin on the Tongue
Benoît Pioulard Lyrics

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Say hello to the end and its big fucking jack-o-lantern grin
Stay (how long) 'til the end and dilute the blood beneath my skin

Blackened nails and acumen
Lacerated fists full of arrowheads
Arid bones and hollow men
Lie down on marrow beds

Say hello to the end and its open hand to pull you in

Stay (how long) 'til the end beckons furlough floes to melt again

Overall Meaning

In Benoît Pioulard's song "A Coin on the Tongue," the lyrics explore themes of mortality and the inevitability of death. The first two lines, "Say hello to the end and its big fucking jack-o-lantern grin / Stay (how long) 'til the end and dilute the blood beneath my skin," suggest that the end is something to be confronted head-on, with a sort of defiance. It is a powerful image to introduce the song, and sets the tone for the rest of the lyrics.

The next two lines, "Blackened nails and acumen / Lacerated fists full of arrowheads," describe physical deterioration and a sense of aggression. The image of "arrowheads" suggests a kind of battle taking place, perhaps with the forces of death. The following two lines, "Arid bones and hollow men / Lie down on marrow beds," continue the theme of physical decay and suggest a kind of resignation, as though the singer is acknowledging that death is inevitable and accepting it.

The final two lines, "Say hello to the end and its open hand to pull you in / Stay (how long) 'til the end beckons furlough floes to melt again," suggest a sort of surrender to death, with the "open hand" of the end pulling the singer in. The image of the "furlough floes" melting again suggests a cyclical nature to life and death, as though the end is not a finality but rather a recurring phenomenon.

Line by Line Meaning

Say hello to the end and its big fucking jack-o-lantern grin
Acknowledge the inevitability of death and its intimidating appearance.

Stay (how long) 'til the end and dilute the blood beneath my skin
Accept and endure the process of dying, allowing the life force to slowly fade away.

Blackened nails and acumen
Physical decay and mental sharpness coexisting.

Lacerated fists full of arrowheads
The scars of past battles and the weapons of past victories.

Arid bones and hollow men
The dryness of the body and the emptiness of the spirit.

Lie down on marrow beds
Embrace death and surrender to the inevitable decay of the body.

Say hello to the end and its open hand to pull you in
Death invites you to its embrace, to merge with the universe once again.

Stay (how long) 'til the end beckons furlough floes to melt again
Endure until the final call of death, when all frozen aspects of life will melt and become fluid once again.

Contributed by Natalie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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