After signing with Secretly Canadian, they released the 1998 debut EP Hiddenforbidden, which featured an abrasive yet catchy sound and songs that barely passed the two-minute mark. Their sprawling debut album, Today It's You, arrived early the following year and broadened the band's sound (even though the length of their songs stayed as short as ever). In 2001, the band returned with Record in Red, a darker, trippier set of songs; the following year's Mishawaka EP featured cleaner production, more abstract soundwriting, and more detailed arrangements. Marmoset went on hiatus for a few years, during which time Whittaker released a self-titled solo album in 2003.
The band resurfaced, minus Ellrich, on the 2006 Indiana indie rock compilation Delicious Berries and contributed a cover of Jens Lekman's "Sky Phenomenon" to Secretly Canadian's SC100 collection in 2007. Florist Fired, which recalled Today It's You's freewheeling art pop, arrived later that year. Whittaker and company moved to Joyful Noise Recordings for Tea Tornado, released in August 2009.
Walking Thru the Lake
Marmoset Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Easiest way to hit the bone
It's here to see
Coming on strong and you got to say that
It's living on dust and it's not afraid
Too near for me
Saving up sense in a (danta) damn is the
Easiest way to meet to ban
Walking through the lake, the feeling: bad dream
Won't take my mind away
Coming on strong and you got to say that
It's here tomorrow and it's not today
It's here to see
Loving on sauce so you gotta know that
I lay it on quick cause it's easier to
Feel so free
Going home some cause I wanna know that
I'm living on dust so it's not afraid to
Feel for me
Walking through the lake, the feeling: bad dream
Won't take my mind away
That feeling bad dream won't take my mind away
Walking through the lake, the feeling: bad dream
Won't take my mind away
That feeling bad dream won't take my mind away
Won't take my mind away
The lyrics of Marmoset's "Walking Thru the Lake" are open to interpretation, but it seems to be a song about escape and finding freedom through unhealthy means. The opening lines speak about living on dust, which could be a metaphor for living in poverty or struggling to get by. The next line about hitting the bone suggests a sense of desperation and using drugs to cope. The second verse talks about saving up sense in a "danta" damn, which is unclear what it means exactly, but could suggest trying to save money in difficult circumstances.
The chorus of the song, "Walking through the lake, the feeling: bad dream, won't take my mind away," adds to the sense of wanting to escape reality. The lake might be a symbol of a soothing or peaceful place, but the "bad dream" feeling suggests that even in that place, the character cannot escape their problems. The second verse seems to continue the theme of escape through drugs or alcohol, with the line "Loving on sauce so you gotta know that, I lay it on quick cause it's easier to feel so free." Living on dust and loving on sauce both suggest escaping through substances, and the idea of laying it on quick suggests a lack of patience or impulse control.
Ultimately, the song seems to be about the desire to escape, but the inability to do so through unhealthy means. The character is stuck in a bad dream and even the idea of the peaceful lake cannot take their mind away. The lyrics suggest a sense of hopelessness or desperation, but also a sense of resignation that this is their reality.
Line by Line Meaning
Living on dust when you're all alone is the Easiest way to hit the bone
Being isolated and hopeless can often lead one to dangerous habits, like substance abuse.
It's here to see Coming on strong and you got to say that It's living on dust and it's not afraid Too near for me
The danger of addiction is very real and present, and cannot be ignored for long.
Saving up sense in a (danta) damn is the Easiest way to meet to ban Too queer to me
Suppressing one's true feelings and thoughts can only lead to repression and deeper emotional turmoil.
Walking through the lake, the feeling: bad dream Won't take my mind away
Even though the present situation is painful and disorienting, one must face it head on instead of running away from it.
Coming on strong and you got to say that It's here tomorrow and it's not today It's here to see
One cannot delay dealing with their problems for long, as the consequences will inevitably catch up to them.
Loving on sauce so you gotta know that I lay it on quick cause it's easier to Feel so free
It can be tempting to seek temporary relief from pain through substance use, as it feels liberating in the moment.
Going home some cause I wanna know that I'm living on dust so it's not afraid to Feel for me
Returning to one's roots can provide clarity and a sense of groundedness, even if it means facing difficult emotions.
That feeling bad dream won't take my mind away
Distractions and escapism are not long-term solutions to one's problems, and must be confronted eventually.
Contributed by Kennedy F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.