Mark Lenover is a singer/songwriter who has been writing and recording musi… Read Full Bio ↴Mark Lenover is a singer/songwriter who has been writing and recording music for over a decade. In that time he has independently released seven full length albums and three EPs. His material covers a wide variety of subjects, such as social reform, gender politics and mental illness and recovery.

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It Howls
Mark Lenover Lyrics

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It came up from the wetlands, under Waverly Hill
It came, quiet and crazy, then it stood perfectly still
It stunk of the tunnel, it stunk of dying too young
It had ash on it's eyelids and it had snow in it's lungs
And the evening came running, like a slave at it's beck and call

It's girls hide in letters, and they play in it's halls
It's boys sleep in garbage, and they come when they're called

It, cringing, comes at you it's teeth chattering in time
It cracks at it's sternum, and it's light of it's mind
It whispers and worries, as the vandals on watch unwind

It fell at Wood-haven, and lay splintered and cold
On a heavy foundation, sinking into the soil
It stinks of the tunnel, and it's casts are undone

It's got ash on it's eyelids, it's got blood on it's tongue
So in a bed of old rafters it takes the wind to it's lungs and howls'

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Mark Lenover's "It Howls" are eerie and mysterious. The song talks about a creature that comes up from the wetlands and stands still, stinking of tunnels and dying too young. The evening feels like it is running towards it, and it seems to be beckoned by the creature. The girls hide in letters and play in its halls, whereas boys sleep in garbage, and come when they are called. The creature cringes and comes at you, its teeth chattering in time, the light of its mind dulled as it whispers and worries, with vandals on watch unwinding.

The creature fell at Wood-haven and lay splintered and cold on a heavy foundation sinking into the soil. It stinks of the tunnel, and it's casts are undone, with ash on its eyelids and blood on its tongue. It takes the wind to its lungs and howls from a bed of old rafters. The lyrics seem to talk about a creature that is half-human, half-monster, whose form is almost animalistic, and whose mind is tormented by worries and whispers. It seems to be beckoning someone, whether humans or other creatures, and there's an ambiguous sense of danger lingering throughout the lyrics.

Overall, Mark Lenover's "It Howls" is a haunting song whose lyrics spark the imagination and leave the listener feeling uneasy, but intrigued at the same time.

Line by Line Meaning

It came up from the wetlands, under Waverly Hill
It originated from the swampy lowlands beneath Waverly Hill

It came, quiet and crazy, then it stood perfectly still
It arrived in a calm yet insane manner, then froze in place

It stunk of the tunnel, it stunk of dying too young
It emitted a foul odor of the tunnel and the tragedy of dying young

It had ash on it's eyelids and it had snow in it's lungs
It had residue on its eyes and snow lodged within its breath

And the evening came running, like a slave at it's beck and call
The night approached swiftly and obediently, responding to its summons

It's girls hide in letters, and they play in it's halls
The memories of girls are concealed within letters, and the halls are filled with their echoes

It's boys sleep in garbage, and they come when they're called
The spirits of boys slumber among trash, but rise when summoned

It, cringing, comes at you it's teeth chattering in time
It approaches in a submissive manner, with its teeth audibly clattering

It cracks at it's sternum, and it's light of it's mind
It experiences a physical and mental breakdown

It whispers and worries, as the vandals on watch unwind
It frets and murmurs while the vandals keeping watch become relaxed

It fell at Wood-haven, and lay splintered and cold
It collapsed at Wood-haven and lay broken and frigid

On a heavy foundation, sinking into the soil
It was constructed atop a weighty base that settled into the ground

It stinks of the tunnel, and it's casts are undone
It reeks of the tunnel and its molds have weakened

It's got ash on it's eyelids, it's got blood on it's tongue
It bears residue on its eyes and blood on its tongue

So in a bed of old rafters it takes the wind to it's lungs and howls
Thus, on a mattress of aged beams it inhales the breeze and issues a mournful cry

Contributed by Nathan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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