This Old Dark Machine
James Vincent McMorrow Lyrics

Spring it came upon us, Every insect filled the air Dropped their wings upon my brother, Cast their shadows on his hair
As spring arrived, the air was filled with insects that dropped their wings on the singer's brother and cast shadows on his hair.

If we follow where they're leading, We will surely come before Some unseen and wondrous magic Made of visions to explore
If the singer and his brother follow the insects, they will discover a wondrous, unseen magic filled with visions to explore.

Near the town where we were living Was an old abandoned farm Every year we'd plant an orchid In the shelter of it's arm To protect us from the madness Of the future still to come It will be like this forever I will keep you safe from harm
Near their town was an old abandoned farm where the singer and his brother would plant an orchid every year to protect themselves from the future's madness. The singer promises to keep his brother safe from harm forever.

Then they caught us in the summer Dressed in fathers finest clothes You the hat he wore to market I the jacket filled with holes
During the summer, they got caught wearing their father's finest clothes, with the artist wearing a jacket filled with holes and his brother wearing a hat their father usually wore to market.

I've been searchins all these hours For a hand as pale as bone That would keep the strongest sunlight And reflect the brightest stone
The artist has been searching for a hand as pale as bone that could withstand the strongest sunlight and reflect the brightest stone.

Near the town where we were living Was a warm and fragrant smell Of the orchid we had planted Now a forest tall and well What a statue to our greatness What a story all will tell They'll remember us forever They'll remember where we fell
Near their town was a warm and fragrant smell of the orchid they planted which grew into a tall and well-formed forest. The singer believes this will be a statue to their greatness and a story that people will remember forever and where they fell.

This old dark machine, it shakes and it shudders Pulls to the left, then dies near the gutter But still in the road, the traffic is silent The people they stare, and then they turn violent If they should touch, the hem of your dress I would rise like a lion, strike out again The faithful they wait, the faithful they wait By the sign
The old, dark machine shakes and shudders, pulling to the left before dying near the gutter. Although the traffic is silent in the road, people stare and become violent. If anyone touched the hem of the singer's dress, he would rise like a lion and strike out again. The faithful wait by the sign.

Near the town where we were living Came a loud and joyous sound As the earth and all her beauty Picked us up from off the ground Carried far across the mountain To a kingdom never bound We will live like this forever I will love you I will love you I will love you
Near their town, a loud and joyous sound arose as the earth and its beauty picked them up from the ground and carried them across the mountains to a kingdom never bound. The artist promises to love his brother forever.