There are at least two groups using this name: 1) Lovers (US), an indie fol… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least two groups using this name: 1) Lovers (US), an indie folk project of Carolyn Berk 2) Lovers (Sweden), a Synth-pop / New Wave band.

(1) Lovers are the brain child of gifted lyricist and heartbroken hero Carolyn Berk (CUBBY), the doe-eyed, silken voiced vagabond whose intimate tales of love and loss have garnered her overwhelming critical acclaim. Torrents of emotion fill each song on Lovers' sophomore release, The Gutter and the Garden, but an unflinching, underlying kindness runs throughout. Achingly beautiful string arrangements, subtle vocal harmonies, and layered soundscapes create a perfect musical accompaniment to Berk's breath-taking imagery and nuanced narratives.
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Lovers have successfully followed their brilliant debut release Starlit Sunken Ship, over which the Boston Phoenix raved, "Carolyn Berk's songs are full of breathless melancholy and a sinking, infinite sadness. In them you hear hints of the circus-funeral magic-realist run-on folk song of Neutral Milk Hotel, the dreamy twilight grandeur of Mazzy Star, Bright Eyes' last-gasp heartstring soliloquies, and the ghosthaunted majesty of Magnetic Fields' loneliest highways. But I'll be damned if Berk isn't a more entrancing spell caster than any of them."

(2) Swedish project that released one album in 2013, Addicted To Drugs.

An Army of Lovers Cannot Fail
Lovers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I love you, baby, but I know you don't understand
When the good lord made me, he made me sad
The best i've felt my whole life is when I was in your hands
But you deserve better than what I have to give.

We slept under your mother's quilt
And drew pictures on paper bags
Of birds we'd seen in tennessee the time we lost our map

But there's bears in the balcony in the drunken dream I had
They climbed up there; they came for me and left only the whiskey glass.

I'll love you, baby, but I know you don't understand
When the highway takes me, I ain't coming back
The best I've slept in a long time is when I was in your bed
But tonight I'll whisper 'goodbye' as you lay there.

If they send the wolves I'll join the wolves
And I'll return some day with my teeth sharper and my blood hotter
I'll be the dog by your grave with a hanging tongue and a ribcage

And a chewed-up tail, howling with my last exhale
An army of lovers cannot fail.

Overall Meaning

The song "An Army of Lovers Cannot Fail" by Lovers is a poignant reflection on love, loss, and sacrifice. The lyrics convey a deep sense of sadness and resignation, as though the singer knows that their time with their lover is limited and that they must soon depart. The opening lines, "I love you, baby, but I know you don't understand / When the good lord made me, he made me sad," suggest that the singer is struggling with some kind of personal issue, perhaps depression or addiction, that prevents them from fully embracing their relationship.

The second verse paints a vivid picture of a past moment of happiness shared between the singer and their lover. They recall sleeping under the mother's quilt and drawing pictures of birds on paper bags, showcasing the simplicity and joy of their early relationship. However, the dream of bears in the balcony and the whiskey glass left behind suggests that this moment has passed and is now tinged with darkness and fear.

The final verse is the most striking, with the singer seemingly accepting that they must leave their lover behind and join a pack of wolves. The image of the "dog by your grave with a hanging tongue and a ribcage / And a chewed-up tail, howling with my last exhale" is haunting and powerful, conveying both loyalty and sacrifice. The line "An army of lovers cannot fail" suggests that despite the pain and hardship, love can still prevail.

Line by Line Meaning

I love you, baby, but I know you don't understand
I care for you deeply, but I know that you don't comprehend my feelings.

When the good lord made me, he made me sad
I feel as though a higher power created me with an inherent melancholy.

The best i've felt my whole life is when I was in your hands
Being held by you is the most significant and uplifting experience I've ever had.

But you deserve better than what I have to give.
I believe you are deserving of more than I can offer.

We slept under your mother's quilt
We shared an intimate moment beneath the familiar warmth of a blanket passed down from your family.

And drew pictures on paper bags
We had fun creating art on simple, everyday items.

Of birds we'd seen in tennessee the time we lost our map
We reminisced about the birds we encountered during a trip to Tennessee where we also became lost.

But there's bears in the balcony in the drunken dream I had
In a drunken state, I had a surreal dream where bears were present on a balcony.

They climbed up there; they came for me and left only the whiskey glass.
The bears climbed to the balcony and took me away, leaving only the now-empty whiskey glass behind.

If they send the wolves I'll join the wolves
If faced with a challenge, I will align myself with those who instigate it.

And I'll return some day with my teeth sharper and my blood hotter
After facing adversity, I will emerge stronger and more resilient.

I'll be the dog by your grave with a hanging tongue and a ribcage
In death, I will remain loyal and committed to you, even if I am a mere skeleton of my former self.

And a chewed-up tail, howling with my last exhale
Even in my final moments, I will continue to express my love and devotion for you, even if it means being in pain.

An army of lovers cannot fail.
When a group of individuals who genuinely love and care for one another join forces, they will be unbeatable.

Contributed by Stella G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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