Avalon
Eddie Berman Lyrics
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Beneath the trees of Avalon
The cursed troops we keep
Fall like apples around our feet
We feel them
With every fiber that we've got
We are cut from the same vines
And so we stumble on
The Hunter's veiled companions
Comparing two handed blades
Gambling on past harvests made
"But you see our girl here
She's circling the drain
And we just need something
To ease her on her way"
Then she speaks of where she came
Abandoned in the cane so tall
And she speaks of where she'll go
And how she doesn't really know at all
We laid her on the straw
In his room shaped like a mackinaw
The wounded captain woke
And from his perch he plainly spoke
You must yield now
To all that is new
And like a fountain
We'll raise our voices for you
And then she speaks of where she came
How she's got her mother's name and her charm
She speaks of where she'll go
And how she doesn't really know at all
The song "Avalon" by Eddie Berman is a hauntingly beautiful track that transports the listener into a dreamlike journey through the mythical land of Avalon. The first verse narrates a march beneath the trees of Avalon where the cursed troops fall like apples around the feet of the singer. The imagery used here is powerful as the apple is associated with knowledge, sin, love, and fertility, among other things, and the metaphorical use of it implies that the ripples of their actions will outlast them. The lines, "We are cut from the same vines where we're eaten or we rot" suggest that they are bound to Avalon, for better or for worse, and that there is no escaping it.
In the second verse, the Hunter's veiled companions appear and compare two-handed blades, gambling on past harvests made. The conversation takes a darker turn when they reveal that they need something to ease their girl on her way. The mystery around this girl deepens when she speaks of where she came and where she'll go, not really knowing where she's headed. The wounded captain wakes up and offers a voice of reason, asking them to yield to all that is new and to raise their voices like a fountain for her.
The song conveys a sense of mystery, nostalgia, and melancholy that leaves the listener wanting more of the story. The use of irony with the apple metaphor, the contrast between the two-handed blades and the wounded captain's voice, and the mysterious girl circling the drain all contribute to the intricate tapestry of the narrative.
Line by Line Meaning
So we march along
We continue moving forward
Beneath the trees of Avalon
Walking through Avalon's forest
The cursed troops we keep
Our group, who are ill-fated, we are with
Fall like apples around our feet
They drop dead around us
We feel them
We sense them close by
With every fiber that we've got
With each cell in our bodies
We are cut from the same vines
Our origins are similar
Where we're eaten or we rot
We either thrive or succumb
And so we stumble on
We continue moving clumsily
The Hunter's veiled companions
Traveling with the masked hunters
Comparing two handed blades
Analyzing two-edged weapons
Gambling on past harvests made
Taking risks based on previous achievements
"But you see our girl here
The girl who's with us
She's circling the drain
She's experiencing severe difficulty and approaching death
And we just need something
We require something to aid her
To ease her on her way"
To help her pass away comfortably
Then she speaks of where she came
Next, she shares her origin
Abandoned in the cane so tall
Left behind in the thick sugarcane fields
And she speaks of where she'll go
She talks about where she'll end up
And how she doesn't really know at all
Although, she's uncertain about it
We laid her on the straw
We placed her on a bedding of long dried grass
In his room shaped like a mackinaw
Inside the hunting jacket styled room
The wounded captain woke
The injured commander awakened
And from his perch he plainly spoke
He addressed from his elevated location
You must yield now
You must surrender
To all that is new
To unfamiliar things
And like a fountain
And with intensity
We'll raise our voices for you
We'll speak up on your behalf
And then she speaks of where she came
Again, she talks about her birthplace
How she's got her mother's name and her charm
She has her mother's identity and appeal
She speaks of where she'll go
She details where she'll end up
And how she doesn't really know at all
Although, she's uncertain about it
Contributed by Bailey F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.