All music written and performed by Kevin on the followi… Read Full Bio ↴Liner notes:
All music written and performed by Kevin on the following instruments: his Gibson SG Special plugged into a Peavey Amplifier which ran through a Marshall Cabinet into an SM57 microphone, a vintage Ludwig snare drum (played with a drum stick), a tambourine, and a cardboard box (played with his hand), all of which were recorded with an Audix I5 microphone.
All lyrics written and performed by Jordan and dedicated to Jesse, for his immensely broad shoulders.
twelve
La Dispute Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In your kitchen, softly singing
"Someone carry me away"
If there's someone always leaving
Will we ever stop believing that the winter
Fits us perfectly?
Once the summer's up and running, won't you feel
Warm with me?
But we're so tired
Of when we don't make mistakes
But things get torn away
And we're so scared of losing faith
That we can't put things back together
When they break
Walked in to find you staring
Out the window at a city holding memories of
Older times and how'd she'd gone away
And we sang through smoke and rum and coke
And promised with our pity
Man, one day, I swear we'll be ok, we'll be ok
Walked in to find you sitting
In your kitchen, softly singing
"Someone carry me away"
The first verse of "Twelve" by La Dispute, presents us with a vivid description of a character who is longing to be carried away. The second verse of the song is a contemplation on love and loss, wondering if our relationships will ever truly fit us perfectly. The chorus speaks to the fear of making mistakes and losing faith that we all struggle with. The final verse finds the singer and another character looking out of a window, reflecting on their past and present.
Overall, "Twelve" is a song about the disillusionment of growing up, and the fear that our futures are out of our control. It is a mournful reflection on the past that we cannot change, and the future that is uncertain. The title of the song refers to the twelve hours on a clock, and the cyclical nature of time. The song's repetition of the phrase "someone carry me away" can be seen as a plea for escape from this cyclical nature.
Line by Line Meaning
Walked in to find you sitting
Entered the room to see you in a quiet, reflective posture
In your kitchen, softly singing
You were humming an emotional tune while in your kitchen
"Someone carry me away"
Expressing a desire to be rescued from an emotional burden
If there's someone always leaving
If there's always a person in one's life who departs
Will we ever stop believing that the winter
Can winter ever cease to be a metaphor for a difficult phase in life?
Fits us perfectly?
Does the hardship suit us?
And isn't someone always coming?
Isn't there always another person who enters our life to bring us comfort?
Once the summer's up and running, won't you feel
Once we escape the winter and immerse ourselves in more pleasant times, wouldn't you agree that
Warm with me?
we'll be cozy together?
But we're so tired
We're exasperated
Of when we don't make mistakes
Of times when we don't bring pain to our own selves
But things get torn away
But things are taken from us without our consent
And we're so scared of losing faith
And we're scared we'll lose hope
That we can't put things back together
To the point where we struggle to mend what's broken
When they break
When they're shattered beyond repair
Walked in to find you staring
Came across you, eyes fixed on something
Out the window at a city holding memories of
Looking outside at a city illustrating memories of
Older times and how'd she'd gone away
A time when a person left and didn't return
And we sang through smoke and rum and coke
We sang passionately despite the distraction of smoke and alcohol
And promised with our pity
And vowed with our empathy
Man, one day, I swear we'll be ok, we'll be ok
One day we'll overcome our pain and be whole again
Walked in to find you sitting
Entered the room to see you in a quiet, reflective posture
In your kitchen, softly singing
You were humming an emotional tune while in your kitchen
"Someone carry me away"
Expressing a desire to be rescued from an emotional burden
Contributed by Joshua H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@North0house
For some reason, I always think they're crowd-surfing a kayak in this picture. I know it's just a steel beam, but I like to think it's a kayak.
@TrevorCanToo
Same!!!! It took me tears to realize glad I’m not the only one
@Merrickrock
this song is just hits home with me. i see it being about being there for a friend and sharing his depression with him. i used to do that all the time with my best friend. we've grown so distant though, it just makes me miss those days. don't ever take anyone for granted. be there for your friends. being there in the worst of times makes your friendship so much greater.
@souvenir2990
This song kicked me right in the feels and never took it's foot away. :'(
I'm sorry, Nicole. I wish I could take it back.
@vmanus
Here,Hear is by far the best album. You see a completely different side of La Dispute. It shows a lot of the poetry that influences their later albums.
@erikawhite9701
They're back at it :D
@briehappy7194
My favorite thing on this planet is just sitting in the dark and having this play on repeat ♡
@mowrt620
I just love the duality of this band. Sometimes loud and frightening in lyricism, but earnest and real. Other times, inviting and sincere, and warm
@trashbandic00t
This and Nine are descriptions of every summer I've ever had.
@jekireyes8010
This song saved my life