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.
Sister Cities
Hop Along Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He's hauling up a sagging net
It's full of eels twisting through
The eye sockets of a horse's head
And this fiend has no family
So he will outlive you and me
In the hospital, you talked about
And the false friend kept his back turned!
That's when you learned the fierceness of man
Again, again, again!
How long it took to reach the Sister Cities
And then somehow make it back
Just to tell me, "Yeah, I guess I'm still pretty mad."
Every other day, the same
Long road to the old man down the street
Neither one of you knows
What the flowers in your hand are supposed to mean
Red flowers against your, red flowers against your
Painted shut window
Help! My uncle's gone insane!
In his room he sits shaking a geranium!
Outside, the old dog resigned
Leaves heavy tracks for the father dragging the rifle to find
Every other day, the same
Long road to the old man down the street
Do you think someday, through all the flowers
Your eyes finally will meet?
Where he'll tell you
"Honey, you know I had to shoot that dog you loved so much
You know I had to do it"
"Aw, honey you know I had to shoot that dog you loved so much
You know I had to do it"
"Oh yeah, I know you had to shoot that dog I loved so much!
I know you had to do it!"
The lyrics of "Sister Cities" by Hop Along are open to different interpretations, as is often the case with abstract and poetic lyrics. However, one way to make sense of them is through the themes of death, loss, and the complexity of human emotions. The first stanza sets a mysterious and eerie tone, with the image of an old man hauling up a net full of eels, twisting through the eye sockets of a horse's head. The lyrics suggest that this old man has no family and will outlive others, hinting at the inevitability of death and loneliness. The next stanza shifts to a hospital scene where a false friend turns his back on the singer, revealing the "fierceness of man." The lyrics repeat the line "again, again, again" suggesting the cyclical and repetitive nature of life and human behavior. The singer then refers to "Sister Cities," and how it takes a long time to reach them and come back, just to say "I guess I'm still pretty mad." The lyrics leave it up to interpretation what this anger refers to--perhaps it's directed toward the false friend, or a lost love, or life itself.
The chorus-like section interjects the imagery of red flowers against a blue jean shirt and an uncle who has gone insane, shaking a geranium. The lyrics shift perspectives to describe the father dragging a rifle to shoot a dog that the singer presumably loved. The final section returns to the repetition of the same long road to the old man down the street, and asks whether the two characters will ever meet and confront the emotions they carry. The lyrics end with the resigned acceptance of the singer's knowledge that the dog had to be shot, indicating that sometimes the complexities of life require difficult choices.
Line by Line Meaning
See the old man
On the bridge
He's hauling up a sagging net
It's full of eels
Twisting through the eye sockets of a horse's head
And this fiend has no family
So he will outlive you and me
Observing an old man on a bridge pulling up a drooping net that contains squirming eels and traverses through a horse's head, with the evident truth that this man is without any family, and will outlast both of us.
In the hospital you talked about
Thumbing down that truck ride
For the first time
And the false friend
Kept his back turned
That's when you learned
The fierceness of man
Again, again, again
How long it took to reach the
Sister Cities
And then somehow make it back
Just to tell me,yeah, I guess I'm still pretty mad
During a hospitalization, reminiscing about turning down a ride, and the false friend ignores you, and that's when you realize again and again the intensity of humankind, and it took a while to visit the designated Sister Cities locations but managed to, yet surprisedly returns just to express how furious you still are.
Every other day
The same long road to
The old man down the street
Neither one of you knows
What the flowers in your hand
Are supposed to mean
Red flowers against your
Red flowers against your
Blue jean shirt
Frequently, you head to the same area, to the old man across the street, both of you unaware what the flowers you carry represent, and the red flowers intensely contrast your blue jean shirt.
Help
My uncle's gone insane
In his room he sits
Shaking a geranium
Outside, the old dog, resigned
Leaves heavy tracks
For the father dragging the rifle to find
Requesting aid, your uncle has gone insane and is seated in his room, trembling a geranium and the old dog, having accepted the situation, leaves deep impressions on the ground for the father to track using his rifle.
Every other day
The same long road to
The old man down the street
Do you think someday
Through all the flowers
Your eyes finally will meet
Where he'll tell you
Honey, you know I had to shoot that dog you loved so much
You know I had to do it
Aw, honey you know I had to shoot that dog you loved so much
You know I had to do it
Yeah, I know you had to shoot that dog I loved so much
I know you had to do it
Traveling to the old man repeatedly, do you believe one day you'll make eye contact through all the flowers, and he'll express the unpleasant truth that he had to shoot your beloved dog, and you comprehend it fully.
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Christine Frances Quinlan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Brianna Simpkins
See the old man?
On the bridge?
He's
Hauling up a sagging net.
It's full of eels
Twisting through the eye sockets of a horse's head
And this fiend has no family
So he will outlive
You and me.
In the hospital you talked about
Thumbing down that truck ride
For the first time
And the false friend
Kept his back turned
That's when you learned
The fierceness of man
Again.
How long it took to reach the
Sister Cities
And then somehow make it back
Just to tell me, "Yeah, I guess I'm still
Pretty mad."
Every other day
The same long road to
The old man down the street.
Neither one of you knows
What the flowers in your hand
Are supposed to mean.
Help! My uncle's gone insane,
In his room he sits
Shaking a geranium!
Outside, the old dog, resigned,
Leaves heavy tracks for the father
Dragging the rifle to find.
Every other day the same
Long road to the old man down the street.
Do you think someday, through all the flowers,
Your eyes finally will meet?
Where he'll tell you, "Honey, you know I had to shoot that dog
You loved so much. You know I had to do it. Aw, honey you know I had
To shoot that dog you loved so much, you know I had to do it."
"Yeah, I know you had to shoot that dog I loved so much
I know you had to do it
Brianna Simpkins
See the old man?
On the bridge?
He's
Hauling up a sagging net.
It's full of eels
Twisting through the eye sockets of a horse's head
And this fiend has no family
So he will outlive
You and me.
In the hospital you talked about
Thumbing down that truck ride
For the first time
And the false friend
Kept his back turned
That's when you learned
The fierceness of man
Again.
How long it took to reach the
Sister Cities
And then somehow make it back
Just to tell me, "Yeah, I guess I'm still
Pretty mad."
Every other day
The same long road to
The old man down the street.
Neither one of you knows
What the flowers in your hand
Are supposed to mean.
Help! My uncle's gone insane,
In his room he sits
Shaking a geranium!
Outside, the old dog, resigned,
Leaves heavy tracks for the father
Dragging the rifle to find.
Every other day the same
Long road to the old man down the street.
Do you think someday, through all the flowers,
Your eyes finally will meet?
Where he'll tell you, "Honey, you know I had to shoot that dog
You loved so much. You know I had to do it. Aw, honey you know I had
To shoot that dog you loved so much, you know I had to do it."
"Yeah, I know you had to shoot that dog I loved so much
I know you had to do it
Leah Liddle
Quinlan's voice is one of the most incredible instruments I've ever heard, but honestly this song is a tour de force from Reinhart on guitar. The way he weaves throughout all the vamps is sublime.
Norma jean Sherer
Hop Along has some of the most deeply personal songs I've ever heard. Jesus, it shatters my soul.
Colin Long
NIce! I've been mixing a different take of this track with my fellow audio recordnig students and honestly I love this take so much more. Great Song!
Ted Gabbard
This rerecording is really great and has quite a bit more character than the original but I gotta say I'm missing the Rhodes and Vibraphone a little bit.
darryl vien
where can one find that version ?
Justin Difrummolo
Iam in love with the vocal style."i will be creepin on you so hard" standout trake tibetan pop star.definitely a decent band to check out.
Danilo Guarniero
i can't decide which version i like more. but still my favorite song anyways, in any version
Stephanie Renner
This is awesome. ( :
MIZZTOLLY
this remake is incredible