Michigan-based Northern Rock collective the Great Lakes Myth Society declar… Read Full Bio ↴Michigan-based Northern Rock collective the Great Lakes Myth Society declared itself a proper entity on January 1st 2003. The groups' previous incarnation as the "Original Brothers and Sisters of Love" yielded two critically-lauded albums (1999s The Legende of Jeb Minor and 2001's H.O.M.E.S.) for the Brooklyn, New York indie label The Telegraph Company (Kelley Stoltz, Stew, Finishing School) and successful appearances at New York City's Knitting Factory, CMJ, SXSW and Bostons NEMO Festival, but by 2002 the amicable departure of violinist and native New Zealander Elisabeth Auchinvole and the record company's untimely financial collapse had left the band with two gaping holes in its side and a mammoth completed record with no home. Rather than fold up their maps and head inward, Timothy Monger (accordion, guitar & vocals), James Monger (guitar & vocals), Gregory McIntosh (guitar & vocals), Scott McClintock (bass & vocals) and Fido Kennington (drums & vocals) adorned themselves in the most affordable black suits available, changed their name to reflect the region from which they drew their power and began to shop what would eventually become their formidable debut. It wasn't long before the newly minted "Great Lakes Myth Society" began sharing stages both locally and regionally with artists as diverse as Andrew Bird, Danielson, The Gourds, Saturday Looks Good to Me, The Hidden Cameras and The High Strung, eventually breaking through into the often impenetrable Detroit music scene with key shows at the Magic Stick, Lager House, Comerica TasteFest and finally a headlining slot at the first annual "Motor City Music Conference". Their eponymous debut, an alternately brooding and nostalgic blend of muscular English folk-rock, pine-kissed Northern Americana and Midwest Carny grit was released in April 2005 on the Boston-based label Stop, Pop & Roll (Paula Kelley, Ad Frank, Cathal Coughlan). Within weeks it had broken into the CMJ Top 200 and the band hit the road, bringing their consistently engaging and occasionally brutal live show to New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula, even putting in an appearance on NPR's "All Things Considered". The GLMS signed with Southeast Michigan-based publishing house, record label, web developer and video/television production company Quack!Media in 2006 with plans to release their second album, "Compass Rose Bouquet", in the Summer of 2007. An eponymous single followed in early 2008 featuring "Brablec Farms" and "She's Come Home To Steal Her Rainbows".

Days of Apple Pie
Great Lakes Myth Society Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I took a walk into the pines
I left a million trees behind
They closed the hill I used to climb
Here's my reward

Back in the days of apple pie
I'd lie along the mountainside
I'd watch the black flies fill the sky

Here's my reward

I found a friend one summer night
She'd lay her head down next to mine
We'd send the whippoorwills a flight
Here's my reward
Gray homes and endless highways

Down in the maple grove,
Ten times sweeter than the world above

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Great Lakes Myth Society's song "Days of Apple Pie" reflects nostalgia and the longing to return to the carefree days of one's youth. The opening line, "I took a walk into the pines, I left a million trees behind" reflects a sense of isolation and detachment from civilization, indicating that the singer seeks solace in nature. However, the following line "They closed the hill I used to climb, here's my reward" introduces a note of wistfulness since the hill represents a cherished memory now lost forever.

The following verse, "Back in the days of apple pie, I'd lie along the mountainside, I'd watch the black flies fill the sky, here's my reward" implies that the singer is reminiscing about a more innocent time when life seemed to be simpler and more carefree. The reference to the apple pie is quintessentially American, harking back to a bygone era when mom's apple pie was the epitome of good living. The verse is poignant because the past is long gone, but the singer is still mourning the loss of those sweet memories.

The chorus "Gray homes and endless highways, down in the maple grove, ten times sweeter than the world above" juxtaposes the soulless urban homes of today with the sweet respite that nature provides. The maple grove refers to a specific location that holds bittersweet memories for the singer.

Line by Line Meaning

I took a walk into the pines
I went for a walk into the forest

I left a million trees behind
I left behind a vast number of trees

They closed the hill I used to climb
The hill I used to climb is now inaccessible

Here's my reward
This is what I have to show for it

Back in the days of apple pie
A nostalgic reference to a bygone era

I'd lie along the mountainside
I used to recline on the side of the mountain

I'd watch the black flies fill the sky
I would observe the abundance of black flies in the air

Here's my reward
This is what I gained from those experiences

I found a friend one summer night
I made a new friend one warm evening

She'd lay her head down next to mine
She would rest her head close to mine

We'd send the whippoorwills a flight
We would startle the whippoorwills and they would fly away