Everything Is Connected and Everything Matters
Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate)Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) Lyrics
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you lowered your head to bear an uneven compromise.
how your voice held steel, make sharp by the sound of it aloud!
you were drunk on each syllable; you could not even hear what it sang.
when you were young, you spent your summers in maine.
and stripped of the friends you made,
you gorged yourself on frost and hemingway.
when you came back to michigan,
you would walk with words you did not speak
and dress yourself with an air we couldn't reach.
so when you go back to maine, i hope that you stay
(where you have corned truth and beauty).
and each borrowed refrain you sing, you sing,
you sing will sound the same to the lonely, lonely sea.
The lyrics of Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate)'s song "Everything Is Connected and Everything Matters" convey a sense of nostalgia and longing for the past. The song captures a moment in time, a late spring day that marked the beginning of summer. The singer of the song appears to be struggling with an "uneven compromise" and is drunk with the sound of their own voice. The lyrics seem to suggest that the singer is actively choosing words that evoke a sense of melancholy and longing.
The second verse of the song brings up memories of the singer's past. They had spent summers in Maine when they were young, and even though they were surrounded by nature, they were stripped of the friends they had made. In the absence of friends, the singer indulged in reading and consumed the works of literary giants like Ernest Hemingway. The memories of those summers are now tinged with a sense of sadness and unattainability. When the singer returned to Michigan, they carried themselves with an air that could not be reached by those around them.
The final verse expresses the hope that the singer goes back to Maine and stays there, where they have found "truth and beauty". The borrowed refrains that they sing will sound the same to the "lonely, lonely sea". The song uses imagery of the sea, the frost, and the air to evoke a sense of longing and elusive beauty.
Line by Line Meaning
on a late spring day, when summer began to take shape,
The beginning of summer and its potential was evident on a late spring day.
you lowered your head to bear an uneven compromise.
You reluctantly accepted a compromise that was not fair or balanced.
how your voice held steel, make sharp by the sound of it aloud!
Your voice was strong and determined, amplified by speaking it aloud.
you were drunk on each syllable; you could not even hear what it sang.
You were so consumed by each word that you did not fully comprehend their meaning.
when you were young, you spent your summers in maine.
During childhood, summer holidays were spent in Maine.
and stripped of the friends you made, you gorged yourself on frost and hemingway.
Without the company of friends, you immersed yourself in literature and poetry.
when you came back to michigan, you would walk with words you did not speak
Returning to Michigan, you carried literary and poetic thoughts that were unexpressed.
and dress yourself with an air we couldn't reach.
You projected an image or attitude that was unattainable for those around you.
so when you go back to maine, i hope that you stay
The hope is that when Maine is revisited, it becomes a permanent residence.
(where you have corned truth and beauty).
Maine is a place that has enabled the discovery of truth and beauty.
and each borrowed refrain you sing, you sing, you sing will sound the same to the lonely, lonely sea.
Every song that is sung, no matter how many times repeated, will resonate with the vast, isolated sea.
Contributed by Jake B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
zzz Sss
At the start of this song his voice is the best voice in the world
Filipomnomnom
i still remember hearing this for the first time, unbelievable takes me 20 seconds to get hit by every single emotion
Tomyo
These guys and Snowing have been my obsession.
chris brandsema
+Tomyo Listen to Algernon Cadwallder.
qwert
i always fall in love with these songs that it hurts to be unable to listen to all the songs i enjoy at once
feels sad man
dayum
I love this band so much, you can really tell they're in it for the music, with all the songs they've produced and yet such a tiny/"underground" fanbase. And, to boot, they're awesome people.
Ragim M.
Love this band, meaningful and beautiful
mexichicana
Beautiful lyrics, amazing band.
Slender Mahn
I personally think it's cause there isn't really any tension. Like any competing genre. No other band that rises over the other. It's really about the music, and that's what people fail to realize. It's a shame.
VinnyCx
Has it really been ten years after promoting from elementary. Since then I couldn't ever find this song again. Ah the nostalgic memories hitting all at once. I sure do miss being a kid... I wish I held onto this song.