Holly McNarland (born in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a Canadian singer-songwrite… Read Full Bio ↴Holly McNarland (born in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Her more noteworthy songs include "Stormy," "Elmo," and "Numb."

She collaborated with Matthew Good for his song "Flight Recorder From Viking 7," which can be found on his album "Loser Anthems" and with fellow Canucks of The Tea Party on "Wishing you would stay".

The Box
Holly McNarland Lyrics

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I had a box
A box that could talk
We looked inside and found
A yellow ribbon

So I took that box
For a long, long walk
And we had a talk

And went to look for a friend

And I had to eat you
We went shopping
The whole while talking
We fell upon a little egg
And the egg started talking

Could this be true
Have I really found you
To stop this box from talking
Well I must eat you

And I had to eat you
Have I really found you

The egg is terrified
But not to my surprise
But I had to stop him
This box from talking

So I said goodbye
And I see you both next time
And I'll be along my way
But the ribbons will always stay

And I had to eat you
Have I really found you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "The Box" by Holly McNarland seem to be a surreal story of a person's experience with a talking box, a yellow ribbon, and an egg. The box becomes a companion, and they go for a walk and have a conversation, trying to find a friend. The egg joins them, and they continue their journey together. The singer realizes that they must eat the egg to silence the talking box. The egg pleads for its life, but the singer remains firm and eats the egg. The song ends with the promise of seeing the box and the ribbon again and the ribbons will always stay. The lyrics, although seemingly nonsensical, can be interpreted as a metaphor for making tough choices and sacrificing something in return for gaining something valuable.

Apart from the lyrics, the melody of the song is also haunting and eerie, which adds to the surreal atmosphere of the song. Holly McNarland's voice is deep and emotional and adds to the overall feeling of the song.

Line by Line Meaning

I had a box
I possessed a box

A box that could talk
The box had the ability to talk

We looked inside and found
Upon examination, we discovered

A yellow ribbon
There was a yellow ribbon inside the box

So I took that box
I decided to take the box

For a long, long walk
We went on an extended walk

And we had a talk
We engaged in conversation

And went to look for a friend
We went on a search for a friend

And I had to eat you
I was required to consume you

We went shopping
We went shopping

The whole while talking
We conversed the whole time