The band began as an acoustic freak-folk solo project Hop Along, Queen Ansleis in 2004, during Frances Quinlan's senior year in high school. The album Freshman Year was released in the summer of 2005. Three years later, in 2008, drummer Mark Quinlan (Frances Quinlan's brother) joined the project, followed by bassist Tyler Long in 2009. In light of the new formation, the name was shortened, possibly to better reflect the change from solo project to full band. Thus far, Hop Along has released one EP, Wretches, in 2009, and one full-length LP, entitled Get Disowned, which was released on May 5, 2012 to a highly positive critical response from independent music press. During the this time, Joe Reinhart (Algernon Cadwallader) was added on second guitar. In October 2014, Hop Along signed to indie rock label Saddle Creek Records, releasing Painted Shut in 2015.
Hop Along's third album Bark Your Head Off, Dog was released in 2018, incorporating strings and more varied instrumentation, as well as a brighter, more expansive sound.
Diamond Mine
Hop Along Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"I had to do it!" She said
If you let a child
Be a child, you ain't
Doing her no favors in the end
Which brings us to her portrait
The photograph
Of the orphan they ripped
And left what was left
In the forest a hell
Of which there is
No name
Most love comes around
Second hand
It's a strange age better take
Take what you can and
Maybe you've been orphaned
Unforgivably - if so, i bet you know
Of some traditional wretch you left
To catch her death out in the snow
So
Unhappy child
Flash me your
Rottweiler smile
Don't let no
Modern kind of love bring you down
There's plenty of
Decent tail in this town
Did you grow up in a trailer park
Did you grow up
In an immaculate and humorless place
Where the holy spirit, when you came crawling in
Turned away from his face
There are some parents
Whose children long for divorce
Now that you've buried your head
In this time
Where dust sharp and fine
Rises from the mouth
Of the diamond mine
Where hungry pickaxes tear at the rind
And cut men up from the inside
Oh gun toting urchin
What do you need
Of it's nothing
She ain't coming
Back to me
Marrow knowing orphan
What can i bring
Oh it's nothing
He already took
Everything
The lyrics to Hop Along’s song Diamond Mine touch on deep themes such as childhood trauma, broken relationships, and the struggles of growing up. The opening verse talks about a “waxen nun” who says “I had to do it”. The context of this statement is unknown but suggests the nun had to do something drastic to protect someone. The following lines say that it’s not doing a child any favors by letting them be a child, which brings us to “the photograph” of an orphan that was ripped in half and left in the forest. The line “a hell of which there is no name” describes the tragic and unimaginable circumstances that many orphans may face. This verse suggests a theme of childhood trauma and the long-lasting effects it can have on someone.
The second verse talks about the many ways in which people experience love. The line “Most love comes around second hand” suggests that many people experience love through relationships that they observe or learn about from others, rather than through first-hand experience. The verse continues to suggest that sometimes people feel that they’ve been orphaned “unforgivably” and may know of someone who has been left out in the cold to die. The verse suggests a theme of broken relationships and the ways in which they can shape a person’s outlook on love and life.
The final verse of the song talks about the struggles of growing up and the different environments that people come from. The lines “did you grow up in a trailer park, did you grow up in an immaculate and humorless place” suggest the vast differences in living situations that people have experienced. The line “where hungry pickaxes tear at the rind and cut men up from the inside” is a metaphor for the struggles of growing up and dealing with the harsh realities of life. The song ends with the lines “Oh gun toting urchin, what do you need, of its nothing she ain’t coming back to me. Marrow knowing orphan, what can I bring, oh it’s nothing, he already took everything” which suggest a feeling of helplessness and loss.
Overall, Hop Along’s Diamond Mine touches on deep and heavy themes such as childhood trauma, broken relationships, and the struggles of growing up. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the different experiences people can have during their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Waxen nun in her bed
An old lady, frail and lifeless, lying in her bed.
"I had to do it!" She said
The old lady confessing to a crime she thinks was necessary.
If you let a child
Raising a child with too much protection and not allowing them to experience life can hinder their growth.
Be a child, you ain't
Not giving the freedom of a childhood may cause harm instead of benefit in the long run.
Doing her no favors in the end
What may seem as a good intention at first may turn out to be harmful in the long run.
Which brings us to her portrait
The attention is brought to a painting.
The photograph
An image captured by a camera in time.
Of the orphan they ripped
A picture of a child who was separated from their family.
In half
Split into two parts.
And left what was left
The remaining part of the orphan after being separated from their family.
In the forest a hell
An unpleasant place known for its suffering.
Of which there is
It's an area that is so miserable that it is indescribable.
No name
It doesn't have an official name but it's still a place of suffering.
Most love comes around
Love most often appears in unexpected ways and at unexpected times.
Second hand
It can be given to someone else with love's grace.
It's a strange age better take
In this peculiar era, it's better to seize what opportunities you can get.
Take what you can and
Get the most of what you currently have.
Maybe you've been orphaned
Perhaps you were once abandoned or separated from those who were once close to you.
Unforgivably - if so, i bet you know
If this is the case, it's an unforgivable act, and you're aware of the consequences.
Of some traditional wretch you left
You've abandoned someone you've known for a long time, and they're suffering from it.
To catch her death out in the snow
The person you left is now left to die in the cold.
Unhappy child
A child who is not satisfied and unhappy.
Flash me your
Show me
Rottweiler smile
A smile that exposes a fierce nature like a Rottweiler dog.
Don't let no
Don't allow anything to bring you down.
Modern kind of love bring you down
Do not let modern troubles and dramas destroy you.
There's plenty of
There is an abundance of
Decent tail in this town
In this district, there are many good options.
Did you grow up in a trailer park
Did you live in a mobile home community?
Did you grow up
Did you come of age
In an immaculate and humorless place
In a place that is clean, neat and tidy, but with no humor, irony or sarcasm.
Where the holy spirit, when you came crawling in
When you needed spiritual support or guidance, you received nothing in return.
Turned away from his face
You were rejected by the holy spirit.
There are some parents
Some parents
Whose children long for divorce
Whose children want separation from their parents.
Now that you've buried your head
Now that you've ignored your current reality.
In this time
In this current era.
Where dust sharp and fine
Where there is sharp and small pieces of dirt and dust.
Rises from the mouth
Is launched out of the pit
Of the diamond mine
Where diamonds were dug up.
Where hungry pickaxes tear at the rind
Where hungry and desperate people are using pickaxes to cut through the rough exterior.
And cut men up from the inside
Because of the dangerous working conditions, it's possible that these people are being cut or injured from the labor.
Oh gun toting urchin
Oh street child with guns.
What do you need
What is necessary for you?
Of it's nothing
If there isn't anything to gain.
She ain't coming
The person you're waiting for may not come.
Back to me
They won't come back to you.
Marrow knowing orphan
An orphan who knows everything deep down to the bone.
What can i bring
What can I offer you?
Oh it's nothing
There's no significant gift I can present.
He already took
Life has already taken everything from you.
Everything
All that there was to be taken.
Contributed by Amelia I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.