Hop Along is an American indie rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, f… Read Full Bio ↴Hop Along is an American indie rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formerly known as Hop Along, Queen Ansleis.

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.

The Fox in Motion
Hop Along Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The youngest but that does not matter now
She and her sister laugh
I was asleep with my mouth open the whole drive down
On a sheet on the beach
Small lunatic birds
We watch them as they rush and retreat

No I wasn't changed tonight

Or it has not yet been recognized

When we saw the fox run
Just a few feet in front of us
I thought something must be wrong
She looked like decay in motion
We saw the fox run, like a ghost
Lost and embarrassed
I thought something must be wrong
She must be sick

Cousin take me home
All the way off in the city
His distant regret
Cousin take me home
All the way off in the city
His distant regret

The youngest but that does not matter now
Her sister and I on opposite ends of the beach
Island after island
Go the thoughts within
Each of us off on our own in the dark scavenging
And me on my phone scavenging

Cousin take me home
All the way off in the city
His distant regret
Cousin take me home
All the way off in the city
His distant regret

How can I explain it?
Having been seen
What would that mean?
I can't explain it
Having been seen
What would that mean?

How can I explain it?
Having been seen
What would that mean?
I can't explain it
Having been seen
What would that mean?
I can't explain it
Having been seen
What would that mean?
I can't explain it
Having been seen
What would that mean?

Cousin take me home (I cannot explain it)
Cousin take me home (Having been seen)
Cousin take me home (What would that mean?)

Cousin take me home (I can't explain it)
Cousin take me, cousin take me home (Having been seen)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "The Fox in Motion" by Hop Along depict a narrator reflecting on a peculiar experience while on a beach trip with their sister and cousin. The youngest sister seems to be at the center of attention, as she and her sister laugh together. The singer, however, feels somewhat detached from the moment, mentioning that they were asleep with their mouth open during the drive down. As they lay on a sheet on the beach, they observe small lunatic birds rushing and retreating.

The song takes a more ominous turn when the singer witnesses a fox running just a few feet in front of them. The fox's appearance unsettles the singer, as it seems sick and decaying in motion, almost ghostly. This sighting raises concern and prompts the thought that something must be wrong with the fox. The singer then addresses their cousin, requesting to be taken home, all the way back to the city, possibly seeking an escape from the strange and unsettling experience. The repetition of the phrase "Cousin take me home" indicates a deep desire for a sense of safety and familiarity.

In the following verses, the youngest sister and the singer's focus diverges as they wander off alone on the beach, each submerged in their own thoughts. The singer mentions being on their phone, seemingly busy in some kind of scavenging activity. The song ends with a repetition of the phrase "How can I explain it? Having been seen, what would that mean?" The singer is grappling with the significance of the sighting, struggling to find words to express or understand the impact it has had on them.

Overall, "The Fox in Motion" explores themes of detachment, unease, and the difficulty of expressing or understanding profound experiences. The presence of the fox acts as a catalyst for introspection and raises questions about the singer's perception of reality.

Line by Line Meaning

The youngest but that does not matter now
Although she is the youngest, it is not relevant at the moment

She and her sister laugh
She and her sister find amusement together

I was asleep with my mouth open the whole drive down
Throughout the entire journey, I was sound asleep with my mouth wide open

On a sheet on the beach
Resting on a piece of fabric on the sandy shore

Small lunatic birds
Tiny birds that seem crazy or erratic

We watch them as they rush and retreat
We observe them as they quickly approach and then move away

No I wasn't changed tonight
No, I have not undergone any transformation this evening

Or it has not yet been recognized
Or perhaps the transformation has not been acknowledged yet

When we saw the fox run
Upon witnessing the fox running

Just a few feet in front of us
Only a short distance ahead of us

I thought something must be wrong
I believed that something must be amiss

She looked like decay in motion
Her appearance resembled the movement of decay

We saw the fox run, like a ghost
We observed the fox run, almost like a ghost

Lost and embarrassed
Confused and ashamed

I thought something must be wrong
Once again, I believed that something must be amiss

She must be sick
She probably has an illness or ailment

Cousin take me home
Dear cousin, please bring me back to where I belong

All the way off in the city
Far away, situated in the city

His distant regret
His feeling of remorse from afar

The youngest but that does not matter now
Once again, her youth is not relevant at this moment

Her sister and I on opposite ends of the beach
Her sister and I situated at complete opposite sides of the beach

Island after island
One after another, like a series of islands

Go the thoughts within
The thoughts inside us continue to progress

Each of us off on our own in the dark scavenging
Individually, we search for something in the darkness

And me on my phone scavenging
While everyone searches, I do so on my phone

How can I explain it?
In what way can I describe or clarify it?

Having been seen
After being witnessed

What would that mean?
What significance or interpretation would that hold?

I can't explain it
I am unable to convey it with words

Cousin take me home (I cannot explain it)
Dear cousin, bring me back to where I belong (since I cannot articulate it)

Cousin take me home (Having been seen)
Dear cousin, bring me back to where I belong (after being witnessed)

Cousin take me home (What would that mean?)
Dear cousin, bring me back to where I belong (what implications would that have?)

Cousin take me home (I can't explain it)
Dear cousin, bring me back to where I belong (I cannot articulate it)

Cousin take me, cousin take me home (Having been seen)
Dear cousin, bring me back, oh dear cousin, bring me back to where I belong (after being witnessed)

Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Written by: Christine Frances Quinlan

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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01How Simple3:48

02Somewhere a Judge3:52

03How You Got Your Limp2:36

04Not Abel4:36

05The Fox in Motion3:59

PT3M59S

Hop Along

06One That Suits Me5:16

07What the Writer Meant4:07

08Look of Love6:12

09Prior Things5:43

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@Emilydigi

4y↑18

The youngest
But that does not matter now
She and her sister laugh
I was asleep with my mouth open the whole drive down
On a sheet on the beach
Small lunatic birds
We watch them as they rush and retreat
No I wasn't changed tonight
Or it has not yet been recognized
When we saw the fox run
Just a few feet in front of us
I thought something must be wrong;
She looked like decay in motion
We saw the fox run, like a ghost
Lost and embarrassed
I thought something must be wrong
She must be sick
Cousin take me home
All the way off in the city
His distant regret
Cousin take me home
All the way off in the city
His distant regret
The youngest
But that does not matter now
Her sister and I on opposite ends of the beach
Island after island
Go the thoughts within
Each of us on our own in the dark scavenging
And me on my phone scavenging
Cousin take me home
All the way off in the city
His distant regret
Cousin take me home
All the way off in the city
His distant regret
How can I explain it?
Having been seen
What would that mean?
I can't explain it
Having been seen
What would that mean?
How can I explain it?
Having been seen
What would that mean?
I can't explain it
Having been seen
What would that mean?
How can I explain it?
Having been seen
What would that mean?
I can't explain it
Having been seen
What would that mean?
Cousin take me home
Cousin take
Cousin take me home
Cousin take me home
Cousin take
Cousin take me home

All comments from YouTube:

@benbaby100

4y↑10

Yo, Frances is a hit machine. She really gets music in an amazing way. Next time I go to LA I'm going to advocate for her in person. This group and her solo work are my favorite.