They're from Wisconsin.
I WONDER
Lonesome Wyatt and the Holy Spooks Lyrics
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It would never come again
I watched the snow through dusty windowpanes
Every time I dreamed at night
I woke up filled with terror
Silent things were floating in the air
And I wonder how you sleep
And I wonder how you breathe
I swear it’s not for me
The blood it seems to be now ankle deep
Ice is weighing down the trees,
They’re bending down their heads
I can’t remember anything you said
And I wonder how you sleep
And I wonder how you breathe
All the rusted cages that
I kept out in the yard
Those rabid feral creatures were set free
Now they circle ’round the house
And I can’t go outside
I’m running out of places I can hide
And I wonder how you sleep
And I wonder how you breathe
The lyrics of Lonesome Wyatt and the Holy Spooks's song I Wonder convey a sense of isolation and despair. The singer describes a winter that seems endless and fills them with terror. They cannot escape the haunting feeling that something is not right. They wonder about someone else's life, possibly a lover or friend, and ask if they sleep and breathe well. However, they quickly dismiss any notion that they might be responsible for the blood and cages they see in their mind's eye. The singer's sense of being trapped slowly increases as they describe the presence of feral creatures circling their home.
Overall, the lyrics present a bleak picture of someone facing their inner demons and the daunting prospect of overcoming them. The haunting imagery of the winter landscape and the disquiet about the creatures outside the house underline the feelings of despair and hopelessness that the singer is struggling with. The song's repetitive structure and eerie melodies add to the sense of unease conveyed in the lyrics, making for a haunting musical experience.
Line by Line Meaning
It seemed to me that summer
The singer thought that summer would never arrive again.
It would never come again
The singer believed that summer would never come back.
I watched the snow through dusty windowpanes
The singer gazed at the snow through dirty windows.
Every time I dreamed at night
The singer became terrified whenever they dreamed.
I woke up filled with terror
The singer experienced fear upon waking up.
Silent things were floating in the air
There were quiet objects drifting in the atmosphere.
And I wonder how you sleep
The singer is curious about another person's sleep habits.
And I wonder how you breathe
The singer is curious about another person's breathing patterns.
Do you have a tourniquet?
The singer asks if the other person has a device used to constrict blood flow.
I swear it’s not for me
The singer clarifies that they do not need the tourniquet.
The blood it seems to be now ankle deep
The amount of blood appears to be very deep, reaching up to the ankles.
Ice is weighing down the trees,
The trees are bending due to the weight of the ice on them.
They’re bending down their heads
The tops of the trees are leaning downward.
I can’t remember anything you said
The singer cannot recall anything that the other person said.
All the rusted cages that I kept out in the yard
The singer had many old, rusty animal pens in their yard.
Those rabid feral creatures were set free
The savage, untamed animals were released from the pens.
Now they circle ’round the house
The animals are moving around the singer's home in a circular path.
And I can’t go outside
The singer is stuck indoors and cannot leave the house.
I’m running out of places I can hide
There are very few hiding spots remaining for the singer.
And I wonder how you sleep
The singer is again curious about the other person's sleeping habits.
And I wonder how you breathe
The singer is again curious about the other person's breathing patterns.
Contributed by Kayla G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.