This Nederland, Colorado quintet are, needless to say, quite a sound to be experienced - especially when they fall into the pocket of a groove containing elements of gypsy, rock, Celtic, alt-country and folk.
"Where words fail... music speaks."
That simple line atop Elephant Revival's Facebook page contains only five words, but reveals volumes about the band's reason for being. Music unites us in ways that no other medium can. Even when we don't understand one another's languages - we can be moved by a rhythm, soothed by a song. Brought together by a unified sense of purpose - the spirit of five souls working as one, in harmony, creating sounds they could never produce alone.
Petals
Elephant Revival Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The woman that you've assumed me to be.
Thought that I had seen you,
Could feel me beneath you,
Beneath a distant longing
To arrive.
There′ll be no more waiting,
I'm sitting right where I've wanted to be.
I am and I am not
These petals pressed into
These pages unnumbered.
I am and I am not.
But then I remember.
And when I remember,
It seems that I become more of what I remember.
Which is not necessarily insanely related
Or jaded or tainted by bleak memory.
In fact I′m enjoying
The lifting of morning,
These petals intended for giving release.
The lyrics of Elephant Revival's "Petals" express a sense of self-discovery and acceptance. The singer rejects the image of herself that has been projected onto her by someone else, acknowledging that while changes will continue to occur, she will not give in to the expectations of others. She speaks of a longing to arrive, to find a place where she feels at peace. In this place, there is no more waiting, no more blaming. She is sitting right where she has wanted to be.
The singer then describes herself as both present and not present, using the metaphor of petals pressed into unnumbered pages. She remembers certain things that make her who she is, but becoming more of what she remembers does not necessarily mean that she is jaded or tainted by bleak memory. She is enjoying the lifting of morning, and the petals are intended to give release.
Overall, "Petals" is a song about embracing one's true self and letting go of the expectations of others. It encourages listeners to be true to themselves and to find joy in the present moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Changes will continue, but I’ll never give in to
Despite inevitable changes, I won't conform to the person you expect me to be.
The woman that you’ve assumed me to be.
I won't be who you unfairly assume me to be.
Thought that I had seen you,
I once thought I knew you,
Could feel me beneath you,
Like I was beneath you,
Beneath a distant longing to arrive.
But I've let go of my longing to be with you.
There’ll be no more waiting,
I won't wait anymore,
No sorrowful blaming.
And I won't blame anyone for my past sorrows.
I’m sitting right where I’ve wanted to be.
I'm finally in a place I want to be in life.
I am and I am not
I exist and don't exist at the same time.
These petals pressed into
I'm like a flower petal,
These pages unnumbered.
A blank book waiting to be filled.
But then I remember.
But my memories come back to me.
And when I remember,
And as I remember,
It seems that I become more of what I remember.
It's as if I'm shaped by my memories.
Which is not necessarily insanely related
But that doesn't necessarily define me,
Or jaded or tainted by bleak memory.
And my memories aren't all negative.
In fact I’m enjoying
In fact, I'm finding joy in
The lifting of morning,
The new beginnings of each day,
These petals intended for giving release.
And embracing the freedom symbolized by these flower petals.
Contributed by Christian T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@oliviajosephine7766
I love you guys. Thank you Bonnie, elephant crew, and Laura for expressing and creating this. You continue to touch and relate to me deeply. Petals has helped inspire the expression of these words from within me::
What have I learned from glimpsing and uncovering the past lives and imprints of my soul?
I am a witch
I am a dolphin
I am a fairy
I am a nun
I am Mary Magdalena
I am an oracle priestess
I am a Tibetan monk.
AND
I am not a witch.
I am not a Dolphin.
I am not a fairy.
I am not a nun.
I am not Mary Magdalena.
I am not an oracle priestess.
I am not a Tibetan monk.
I have not been burned at the stake
I have not been separated from my pod and left lonely and despondent to die from environmental toxins
I am not just a light body living as one with Natura
I have not had my child taken away from me
I do not have Jesus as my counterpart
I have not been drugged, raped, used, and possessed by demi-gods or priests
I am not to spend my life meditating in a cave and astrally projecting.
I am and I am not.
And, I am my mother’s daughter. Olivia Josephine Schneider.
I am here to consciously create and live something new, something only She can create and live…
I am not here to unconsciously re-create past, but to build on and be informed by my soul's wisdom.
Where have you been?
What does your soul yearn to create in THIS life?
@oliviajosephine7766
I love you guys. Thank you Bonnie, elephant crew, and Laura for expressing and creating this. You continue to touch and relate to me deeply. Petals has helped inspire the expression of these words from within me::
What have I learned from glimpsing and uncovering the past lives and imprints of my soul?
I am a witch
I am a dolphin
I am a fairy
I am a nun
I am Mary Magdalena
I am an oracle priestess
I am a Tibetan monk.
AND
I am not a witch.
I am not a Dolphin.
I am not a fairy.
I am not a nun.
I am not Mary Magdalena.
I am not an oracle priestess.
I am not a Tibetan monk.
I have not been burned at the stake
I have not been separated from my pod and left lonely and despondent to die from environmental toxins
I am not just a light body living as one with Natura
I have not had my child taken away from me
I do not have Jesus as my counterpart
I have not been drugged, raped, used, and possessed by demi-gods or priests
I am not to spend my life meditating in a cave and astrally projecting.
I am and I am not.
And, I am my mother’s daughter. Olivia Josephine Schneider.
I am here to consciously create and live something new, something only She can create and live…
I am not here to unconsciously re-create past, but to build on and be informed by my soul's wisdom.
Where have you been?
What does your soul yearn to create in THIS life?
@depressedslothonian7659
My little girl n I love this song it's great to listen to as it's raining outside or just taking in the productivity of the day✨
@ich-forum5056
HOLY... I just became a fan. 😮
@kadiehalstead9541
When I dream at night, there is always Elephant Revival playing as the soundtrack.
@skinny4070
Found you singing tool. You get me high
@FATmonkeyCHRIS
Gorgeous, moody, perfect. Thank you
@cynthiamason3744
Miss Elephant Revival
@jaysorensen7517
Saw them perform last night in Jackson Hole Wyoming, had never heard then before, I was totally impressed attitude, performance, the songs EVERYTHING! Don't pass on a chance to see them. Excellent video too!
@andreacatura3382
I am an elephant revival fan. How can I have not ever seen this before?
@SheaEugene
You owe it to yourself to watch this fully to the end while knowing the words