McMorrow's second album, Post-Tropical, was released in January 2014. It was noted for its distinct shift in style from the nu-folk of his first album, leaning more towards electronica and ambient sounds. Two singles were released from the album - "Cavalier" and "Red Dust." The album reached the top 30 in the UK and the Netherlands; as well as peaking at number 2 on the Irish album charts.
From the Woods!!
James Vincent McMorrow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They are coming from the woods
Riding horses cloaked in gray
Make their way, to my door
Lay their boots upon my floor
Wash their hands and start to pray
But I am gone, I am not there
I have followed mountain bears
There I wait, by the mouth
As the smoke it flushes out
Then I'll slowly drag one home
All these things are ever lost
Stillness has brought my love to cost
From the woods, from the woods
Once a vision from the woods
At a point between two tracks
Bound by tape, and by wire
Bruised and beaten in the fire
So the metals faded black
Newer ropes, stronger nets
Have us plumbing further depths
For the wolves we'll never be
Should we go, would we die
If the weight it was to slide
Drag our secrets to the sea
All these things are ever lost
Stillness has brought my love to cost
I taste the sulfur on my breath
I see the blood pool on the step
The moon so thick, the wounds so fresh
And all is well
From the woods, from the woods, they are coming
From the woods
(Ah)
The song "From The Woods" by James Vincent McMorrow depicts a scene of people arriving at the singer's house, coming from the woods, riding horses that are cloaked in gray. They wash their hands and start to pray, but the singer is not present, as he has followed mountain bears to a cave of deepest tome, waiting there by the mouth as the smoke flushes out. Then he will slowly drag one home. The lyrics evoke a sense of unease and mystery, as the meaning behind the arrival of these visitors is unclear, while the singer's actions suggest a kind of primitive hunting ritual.
In the second verse, the lyrics paint a picture of a more modern world, where people are bound by tape and wire between two tracks, and where newer ropes and stronger nets allow us to plumb further depths. The wolves that we'll never be may refer to a desire to transcend our animal natures, to rise above base instincts, and to reach greater heights. However, the final lines of the verse suggest that our progress may come at a cost, as secrets can be dragged to the sea if the weight is too much to bear.
The chorus is repeated multiple times throughout the song, emphasizing the idea that all things are ever lost, and stillness has brought the singer's love to cost. The reference to lost love is a common theme in the genre of folk music, and it adds a melancholic tone to the lyrics. The song ends with the repetition of the line that the visitors are coming from the woods, adding to the feeling of mystery and unease that permeates the entire song.
Line by Line Meaning
From the woods, from the woods
They are coming from the woods
Riding horses cloaked in gray
They arrive on horses, dressed in gray
Make their way, to my door
They head towards my door
Lay their boots upon my floor
They enter my place and take off their boots
Wash their hands and start to pray
They wash their hands and begin to pray
But I am gone, I am not there
I am not present there anymore
I have followed mountain bears
I have chased mountain bears
To a cave of deepest tome
I have gone to a deep cave
There I wait, by the mouth
I wait by the entrance of the cave
As the smoke it flushes out
As the smoke clears out
Then I'll slowly drag one home
Then I will bring one of them back with me
All these things are ever lost
Everything keeps getting lost
Stillness has brought my love to cost
The silence has caused me to lose my loved one
Once a vision from the woods
Once a dream from the woods
At a point between two tracks
At a spot between two trails
Bound by tape, and by wire
Restricted by tape and wire
Bruised and beaten in the fire
Hurt and damaged in the flames
So the metals faded black
So the metal turned black
Newer ropes, stronger nets
Improved ropes and better nets
Have us plumbing further depths
Take us to explore deeper waters
For the wolves we'll never be
We will never be wolves
Should we go, would we die
If we leave, would we die?
If the weight it was to slide
If the burden was to fall
Drag our secrets to the sea
Our secrets would be lost to the sea
I taste the sulfur on my breath
I sense the strong, unpleasant smell of sulfur
I see the blood pool on the step
I observe a pool of blood on the stairs
The moon so thick, the wounds so fresh
The moon is bright and the wounds are recent
And all is well
Everything is fine
From the woods, from the woods, they are coming
They are coming from the woods
From the woods
From the woods
(Ah)
N/A
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES MCMORROW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tania Cordova Alvarez
From the woods, from the woods
They are coming from the woods
Riding horses cloaked in gray
Make their way to my door
Lay their boots upon my floor
Wash their hands and start to pray
But I am gone, I am not there
I have followed mountain bears
To a cave of deepest home
There I wait by the mouth
As the smoke it flushes out
Then I'll slowly drag one home
All these things are ever lost
Stillness has brought my love to cost
From the woods, from the woods
Once a vision from the woods
At a point between two tracks
Bound by tape and by wire
Bruised and beaten in the fire
So the metals faded black
Newer ropes, stronger nets
Have us plumbing further depths
For the wolves we'll never be
Should we go? Would we die?
If the weight it was to slide
Drag our secrets to the sea
All these things are ever lost
Stillness has brought my love to cost
I taste the sulfur on my breath
And I see the blood pool on the step
The moon so thick, the wounds so fresh
And all is well
From the woods, from the woods
They are coming from the woods
From the woods, from the woods
They are coming from the woods
From the woods, from the woods
They are coming from the woods
From the woods, from the woods
They are coming from the woods
From the woods, from the woods
They are coming from the woods
From the woods, from the woods
They are coming from the woods
mnj. t
From the woods, from the woods
They are coming from the woods
Riding horses cloaked in gray
Make their way, to my door
Lay their boots upon the floor
Wash their hands and start to pray
But I am gone, I am not there
I have followed mountain bears
To a cave of deepest home
Now I wait, by the mouth
As the smoke it flushes out
Then I'll slowly drag one home
All these things are ever lost
Stillness has brought my love to cost
From the woods, from the woods
Once a vision from the woods
At a point between two tracks
Bound by tape, and by wire
Bruised and beaten in the fire
So the metals faded black
Newer ropes, stronger nets
Have us plumbing further depths
For the wolves we'll never be
Should we go, would we die
If the weight it was to slide
Drag our secrets to the sea
All these things are ever lost
Stillness has brought my love to cost
And I taste the sulfur on my breath
And I see the blood pool on the step
The moon so thick, the wounds so fresh
And all is well...
From the woods, from the woods,
They are coming from the woods! (Ahhh)
[x6]
<3
Byancabb
Descobrindo essa música em 2021, assistindo Greys Anatomy 😍
amanda etges
Guys, we should create a space to discuss James' lyrics, they're practically poems... It would be nice to know what meanings people give to his songs
Sal Nasser
This should be a theme song to a show about a village in the olden days of Ireland that fears some creatures in the woods.
Andrea P
Grey's Anatomy made me find all these beautiful songs!
ThatShannonKid
Just stumbled across him yesterday and by god thank the lord Jesus I did. Holy Hell this man is brilliant and beautiful!!
kayleecog
Thank you Greys Anatomy for James, Andrew Belle and Greg Laswell. Would have never discovered them if no for that show.
no
Same. My friend posted "If I had a Boat" a few days ago on Facebook. Within a few hours, he was one of my favorite singers. That NEVER happens. This guy is phenomenal <3
ShreyaR
Beautiful song. Thank you Grey's Anatomy ^__^
Alisvolare
This is beyond beautiful! Music like this are truly treasures of the world♥
Sal Nasser
This should be a theme song to a show about a village in the olden days of Ireland that fears some creatures that come from the woods.