The Queen Of The Rummage Sale
Bishop Allen Lyrics

She was the queen of the rummage sale
She was the expert at rummage sales, the one who knew how to find treasures amidst the trash

The curator of a great collage
She had an eye for art and was able to compile seemingly unrelated things to create something beautiful

She would rescue every beautiful thing
She had a tendency to save things that were still good but others may have thrown away

The brick-a-brack, the hodgepodge
She collected various items of all shapes and sizes, without caring if they matched or not

And stack the boxes in her parents' garage
She stored her many treasures in her parents' garage, possibly for future use or sale

I had to learn how to travel light
The singer realised that they had to leave behind some possessions while travelling, due to the abundance of things they had gathered in the past

With a satchel and an old suitcase
The singer had to make do with just a small bag and a suitcase, as opposed to previously having many boxes of items

It really wears you down
The process of carrying heavy possessions can take a toll on one's body or mind over time

To carry on at that pace
To keep travelling and carrying belongings around can become tiring and exhausting

Cause you're never standing in one place
When travelling frequently, one is unable to stay in one place for an extended period of time

Odds and ends held together with safety pins
She took items that were broken or missing parts and held them together with safety pins to make them whole again or usable

I know there's a lot to fix
The artist acknowledges that things may be broken or incomplete, but they want to take the time to fix them

So I'm taking it stitch by stitch
The singer plans to fix everything bit by bit, without feeling overwhelmed

If we can, gonna build us a promised land
By fixing what is broken, the singer hopes to create a future place where things are at their best

It comes to us secondhand
The items they find are often used, but still have value or meaning to the singer

I think we'll do fine
The artist is optimistic about the outcome of their efforts, and believes things will work out

Now we're driving down the palisades
The artist and the rummage sale expert are travelling down a scenic route

It feels good to get out of town
Travelling and exploring new areas can be refreshing and rejuvenating

And we're stopping at every yard sale sign
The rummage sale expert is eager to explore every possible place where she can find interesting items

Or use the classified to track ‘em down.
The rummage sale expert also looks through newspapers and other ads to find hidden items

She takes my hand and leads me around
The rummage sale expert shows the artist all of the interesting things that she has found

These are colors that I've never seen
The artist is amazed by the variety of new colors and patterns they are encountering

So sudden and so bright
The excitement of discovering unexpected and unique things can be overwhelming

In the places that I've been before
The artist has travelled before, but has never seen anything quite like this before

And I realize that I'm looking through her eyes
The rummage sale expert has opened the singer's eyes to new things, experiences and ways of seeing the world

I carry boxes up a hundred stairs
The singer is helping the rummage sale expert carry her haul from the sales back to their dwelling

And she unpacks and laughs and cheers
The rummage sale expert is thrilled to find new treasures, and shares her excitement with the singer

And I finally put my suitcase down
The artist is officially settling down, which is a relief after carrying heavy items around for so long

Between the picture frames and souvenirs
The artist's belongings are nestled in with meaningful and personal items, creating a homey feeling

I think I'll stay for a thousand years
The singer is happy in their new surroundings, and plans to stay there for a long time

Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey.
A chorus to the song that is meant to be catchy

And if we fail we can follow a bread crumb trail
The artist is optimistic that their efforts will pay off, but if they don't, they will try to find another way to succeed

Drop a coin in a wishing well
A traditional method of wishing for good luck and hope

And in the end we'll be calling up all our friends
If everything goes according to plan, the artist and their partner will be excited to share their success with others in their life

All our friends think we'll do fine
The singer's friends are supportive of their goals and believe that they will succeed