Albatross
Besnard Lakes Lyrics

The opening lines of Besnard Lakes’s “Albatross” poetically encapsulate how fast life can change, how easily we can steer ourselves off course, and how hard it can be to find one’s way back. The line “Subtight turned on a dime” refers to a sudden shift, or change in direction, and sets the stage for the rest of the song. The singer speaks to someone who they lost touch with and wishes they hadn’t lost the connection they once shared. They recall a time when they were taken to a new house “speeding along in a green machine,” and they reminisce about how much this person showed them, how many experiences they shared. The image of “riding the wake of another” implies that the singer may have relied on this person to guide them through life, to help them find their way.

The second verse acknowledges that “those days are long gone,” but the memory of this person still resonates with the singer, as they wish they had a photo of them to hold on to. They express a regret that they were never able to be true and help this person, a missed opportunity that still weighs on them. The song then shifts tone at the chorus, where the singer screams out “There goes my man,” repeating this refrain over and over. There is a sense of urgency, of loss, and the repetition of this line suggests the finality of what they’ve lost.