Born to two neuroscientists, Ritter bought his first guitar from the local K-MART after hearing the Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash classic Girl From The North Country. He started at Oberlin College with the intent to follow in his parents' scientist footsteps, but instead discovered songwriting, and the music of artists like Gillian Welch, Townes Van Zandt, and Leonard Cohen. He graduated and then moved east, favoring its close proximity to historic folk clubs such as "Club Passim" in Boston. On a shoestring budget he recorded his critically acclaimed breakthrough album Golden Age of Radio in 2002 at various tiny, one-room studios on the East Coast. He has continued to grow from there, further developing his sound on subsequent albums.
Josh has recorded several records and E.P.s. In chronological order, they are:
Josh Ritter (Self Titled) (2000)
Golden Age of Radio (2001)
Come and Find Me EP (2003)
Hello Starling (2003)
4 Songs Live E.P. (2005)
The Animal Years (2006)
Girl In The War E.P. (2006)
Good Man E.P. (2006)
In The Dark: Live At Vicar Street (2006)
The Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter (2007)
Live at the Record Exchange EP (2008)
So Runs the World Away (2010)
To the Yet Unknowing World (2011)
Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band, Live at The Iveagh Gardens (April 2011)
The Beast In Its Tracks (2013)
Acoustic Live, Vol.1 (2015)
Sermon on the Rocks (2015)
Lark
Josh Ritter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The stairs ascending round themselves
The trees rustle as if to kneel and listen
To the heartbeat of a lark or the lark in my heartbeat
The oxygen in priestly green
The answers dressed in labyrinthine
The telescopes atop the mountains of ecstatic vision listening
I am assured, yes I am assured yes
I am assured that peace will come to me
A peace that can yes surpass the speed yes
Of my understanding and my need
The meteoric warp and went
In counterbalance to the spark ever ascending
The arrow time shoots forward though it moves through repetition
To the heartbeat of a lark or the lark in my heartbeat
What is it that drives the driven snow now?
Upon whose temples with I rest my weary hopes now?
The rain distills down steeples fills the ears of lonely church mice with the
Heartbeat of a lark or the lark in my heartbeat
I am assured yes I am assured yes
I am assured that peace will come to me
A peace that can yes surpass the speed yes
Of my understanding and my need
The lyrics of Josh Ritter's "Lark" are beautifully poetic, weaving together nature imagery and existential questions. The first stanza references the golden ratio in nature and the spiral shape of a shell. The image of stairs ascending round themselves also evokes a sense of infinity and cyclical motion. The rustling trees seem to be listening to the sound of a lark's heartbeat, but this may also represent the singer's own heartbeat, which is in tune with nature.
The second stanza describes the color of plants in "priestly green" and the enigmatic answers that are hidden in labyrinths. The telescopes that listen atop mountains of "ecstatic vision" suggest a sense of reaching for transcendence or enlightenment. The lark's heartbeat is again mentioned, and it seems to be a grounding force amid all the metaphysical imagery.
The chorus repeats the phrase "I am assured" three times, emphasizing the singer's certainty that peace will come to them. This peace is described as surpassing the speed of their understanding and need, suggesting that it is a transformative and profound experience.
The third stanza mentions a "meteoric warp and went," which could refer to the unpredictability of life and the way that even sudden changes can be balanced out by something enduring. The arrow of time moves forward through repetition, but the lark's heartbeat remains constant.
The final stanza poses a series of questions about what drives the snow, where one can rest weary hopes, and how rain fills church steeples. The answer seems to be the sound of the lark's heartbeat, which is both comforting and mysterious. The chorus is repeated again, ending the song on a note of hope and certainty.
Overall, "Lark" is a complex and thought-provoking song that uses vivid imagery to explore big ideas about nature, time, and spirituality.
Line by Line Meaning
The golden ratio the shell
The perfect balance in nature and beauty is exemplified in the spiral shell and the golden ratio
The stairs ascending round themselves
The possibility of continuous self-improvement and growth, symbolized by climbing stairs that seem to go in a circle
The trees rustle as if to kneel and listen
The trees seem to reverence and pay attention to something mystical or spiritual
To the heartbeat of a lark or the lark in my heartbeat
Nature seems to respond and harmonize with the rhythm of the artist's heartbeat or vice versa
The oxygen in priestly green
The life-giving element that permeates and sustains everything can be seen in the greenness of plants, which symbolizes renewal and growth
The answers dressed in labyrinthine
Truth and understanding are often difficult to find and may seem like a maze that one has to explore and navigate through with patience and persistence
The telescopes atop the mountains of ecstatic vision listening
A symbol of curiosity and the desire to perceive things beyond one's normal range and capacity, suggesting a sense of wonder and transcendence
I am assured, yes I am assured yes
The repetition of this phrase affirms the artist's conviction and assurance of something positive and hopeful
I am assured that peace will come to me
The artist hopes for and believes in the possibility of peace in his/her life
A peace that can yes surpass the speed yes
The peace that the artist envisions is so powerful and transformative that it can overcome and surpass any obstacle or limitation that may arise
Of my understanding and my need
The singer recognizes that some things may be beyond his/her understanding or control, but still longs for them deeply
The meteoric warp and went
An image of sudden movement and transformation, suggesting the fleeting and transitory nature of things
In counterbalance to the spark ever ascending
A reminder that change and evolution often involve a delicate balance between opposing forces or impulses
The arrow time shoots forward though it moves through repetition
Time seems to be both linear and cyclical, with moments repeating themselves but also propelling forward
What is it that drives the driven snow now?
A rhetorical question that points to the mystery and unpredictability of life's forces and motivations
Upon whose temples with I rest my weary hopes now?
A reflection on the fragility of human desires and aspirations, which need a solid foundation or support to be sustained
The rain distills down steeples fills the ears of lonely church mice with the
A vivid image of how nature's elements can interact with human-made structures and create unexpected connections or associations
Heartbeat of a lark or the lark in my heartbeat
The idea repeated from earlier, but now encapsulating the sense of interconnectedness and harmony between all things in the world
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bad Rabbit
Love this song so much
Spark Haritalama
my internet name is lark lol
cuchalainn
Just hit me
Josh's nod to
Paul Simon
So good thanks
The cities opened well
The light s are tall n were all swell again
Metaphors lifted until the end it seems
Her heartbreaks with the wind n blows away
God hopes she goes the right way
But hell this is a hope
For the end
Not a death wish but a curious lament
Hey hey hey hey hey
All your Tomorrow s are still better than all your yesterdays
My friend
So don t chase it all away
Cause it's all we really get in this world
Guaranteed happiness
Is so far away.
Late at night I hope n pray
To come back to life again
Hey hey hey hey hey