Dan Mangan (born Daniel Mangan in Vancouver on April 28, 1983) is a Canadia… Read Full Bio ↴Dan Mangan (born Daniel Mangan in Vancouver on April 28, 1983) is a Canadian indie folk-rock singer-songwriter. He has done U.S. tours with The Walkmen, Decemberists and Okkervil River. In Europe he has performed twice at the Glastonbury Festival. In 2010 he gained a Polaris Music Prize short list nomination for his sophomore album Nice, Nice Very Nice. At the 2012 Juno Awards, Mangan was awarded New Artist of the Year and Alternative Album of the Year for Oh Fortune, and was also nominated for Songwriter of the Year for "About as Helpful As You Can Be Without Being Any Help at All", "Post-War Blues" and "Oh Fortune" and Video of the Year for the music video for "Rows of Houses" (directed by Jon Busby).

Pine for Cedars
Dan Mangan Lyrics

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She might be wearing
A green Chamise
And a hat that she bought
'Cause it matches her jeans

And the water she drinks
Oh it comes from the stream
By the house she might win

In that hospital lottery

And I might be stumbling
And cursing them all
When she picks me up
From the place that we both call

Disaster relief
For the rent must be paid
By the first of the month
Or in my case fifteenth

This is good
As far as I can tell
It's still heavy as hell
When it's good

And I do like the road
But I'd be better at home
I will pine for the oak streets
And pine for the cedars and you

Been around I suppose
I have chatted and chewed
I have loved my guitar
To the nice cafe blues

And when I come home
I am coming home
To this street
And these avenues

This is good
But as far as I can tell
It's still heavy as hell
When it's good

And I do like the road
But I'd be better at home

I will pine for the oak streets
Pine for the cedars and you

Overall Meaning

The song Pine for Cedars by Canadian musician Dan Mangan is a reflective piece that deals with the struggle between the desire for adventure and the longing for the comforts of home. The lyrics speak about a woman, perhaps the singer's love interest, who lives a simple life in the countryside wearing a green Chamise, a hat that matches her jeans, and drinking water from a nearby stream. The singer, on the other hand, is a musician whose life on the road takes him away from home and the familiarity of the oak streets and cedars. He describes his life as "heavy as hell" when it's good and expresses his desire to be home with his loved ones.

The second verse talks about the challenges of making a living as a musician, particularly the struggle to keep up with the rent. The singer describes himself as "stumbling and cursing" when he is picked up by the woman. Despite this, he acknowledges the good in his life and the opportunities that come with being a musician.

The chorus is a repetition of the title, expressing the singer's longing for home and his loved ones. The lyrics suggest that the singer is torn between his love for the road and his desire for the comforts of home. The song ends on a positive note, with the singer acknowledging that he has lived a rich life, but still misses the simple pleasures of home.

Line by Line Meaning

She might be wearing
There’s a chance that she is adorned in a green Chamise and a hat that goes well with her denim pants.

And the water she drinks
The water she consumes is sourced from the nearby stream that runs by the house that could possibly win in the hospital lottery.

And I might be stumbling
I could be struggling and vilifying everyone when she rescues me from the predicament we share.

Disaster relief
To make ends meet, we must pay rent by the first of the month, and in my situation, the fifteenth.

This is good
From what I can tell, this current situation is satisfactory.

When it's good
No matter how optimistic a situation might be, our problems will still weigh as much as they always have.

And I do like the road
Although I enjoy travelling, I fancy staying at home more than the constant movement.

I will pine for the oak streets
I will long for my native streets with oak trees and wish to return to them.

Been around I suppose
I have toured various locations, and I guess it's part of my job.

I have loved my guitar
I have a profound attachment to my guitar and playing the gentle Cafe blues on it.

And when I come home
Whenever I get back to my house, it feels like home.

To this street And these avenues
This path, this local community is where I belong and feel content.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Dan Mangan

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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