Fever
Neko Case Lyrics


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In an open field at dusk, to footfalls I awoke
Marching ants across my temples, oh
Their feet had no intention
They followed some magnetic drum
Prisoners of their destination

From the slats of the factory come
Where once they did make rails
Old Death's peculiar songs
He didn't know I was listening
So he crowed out nice and long
To the spiders and the lumber
And the dust of his conquest
And his hunger and his lust

I heard his feet rejoice
I heard him tap his cane
As if he had his own review
On stage at the F and M

I caught his words in my open mouth
I gagged and choked and spit them out
I heard him turn his heated hear
My tiny heart beat in his ear
I was already running
Oh, I heard him coming

Shrapnel spitting from his wheels
His sobbing arms raked for my heels
I dove and rolled and hid my face
And I said these magic words
My dove is home
Her breast is warm
My dove is home
And I said these magic words
And fell down, down the ant hill for days

My dove is home
Her breast is warm
My dove is home

My dove is home




Her breast is warm
My dove is home

Overall Meaning

Neko Case's song "Fever" tells the story of the singer's encounter with Death. The lyrics begin with the singer waking up in an open field at dusk, feeling the footfalls of marching ants on their temples. The ants seem to be following some sort of magnetic force, "prisoners of their destination." The singer notices that the sound of the ants' movement is coming from the nearby factory, where Death's "peculiar songs" can also be heard. Death is unaware that the singer is listening as he sings to the spiders, lumber, and dust of his conquests, his hunger and lust.


The singer then talks about how they hear Death's feet rejoicing and him tapping his cane as if he is performing a review on stage. The singer hears his words in their mouth and tries to spit them out but ends up gagging and choking. Death turns his heated head and hears the singer's "tiny heart" beating in his ear. The singer starts running away from Death. Death's wheels start spitting shrapnel, and his sobbing arms rake for the singer's heels. The singer dives, rolls, and hides their face, saying magic words to protect themselves. The final lines repeat "My dove is home, her breast is warm," which could be interpreted in several ways, such as a reference to a loved one's embrace or a religious idea of a safe haven.


The lyrics of "Fever" leave room for interpretation, but they convey a sense of the inevitability of death and the struggle to hold onto life. The ants seem to represent the idea that everything is predetermined, and despite their lack of intention, they still follow a magnetic force towards their destination. Death is portrayed as a force that cannot be escaped, but the singer fights back with words of protection. The repetition of "My dove is home, her breast is warm" at the end of the song brings a sense of comfort in the face of death.


Line by Line Meaning

In an open field at dusk, to footfalls I awoke
I woke up to the sound of footsteps in a field at dusk.


Marching ants across my temples, oh
There were ants crawling on my temples.


Their feet had no intention
The ants were moving without purpose.


They followed some magnetic drum
The ants were following an unseen force.


Prisoners of their destination
The ants were trapped in their journey.


From the slats of the factory come
The sound was coming from the factory.


Where once they did make rails
Rails used to be made at the factory.


Old Death's peculiar songs
The sound was like a strange song about death.


He didn't know I was listening
The person making the sound was unaware of my presence.


So he crowed out nice and long
The sound was loud and long.


To the spiders and the lumber
The sound was heard by spiders and the wooden beams of the factory.


And the dust of his conquest
The sound was accompanied by dust.


And his hunger and his lust
The person making the sound was filled with desire and need.


I heard his feet rejoice
I could hear the joy in the footsteps.


I heard him tap his cane
There was a cane being tapped on the ground.


As if he had his own review
The person making the sound seemed to be putting on a show.


On stage at the F and M
It was like watching a performance on stage at a theater called F and M.


I caught his words in my open mouth
I heard the sound clearly as it entered my mouth.


I gagged and choked and spit them out
The sound made me feel uncomfortable and I had to expel it.


I heard him turn his heated hear
I could hear the person's excitement and emotion in the sound.


My tiny heart beat in his ear
I was afraid and my heartbeat was audible to the person making the sound.


I was already running
I started running away in fear.


Oh, I heard him coming
I could hear the person making the sound coming towards me.


Shrapnel spitting from his wheels
The person making the sound was moving quickly and leaving debris in their wake.


His sobbing arms raked for my heels
The person making the sound was trying to grab at my feet with outstretched arms.


I dove and rolled and hid my face
I tried to avoid the person making the sound by ducking and rolling.


And I said these magic words
I spoke these words as if casting a spell.


My dove is home
I repeated this phrase like an incantation.


Her breast is warm
I imagined the warm, comforting feeling of holding a dove.


And I said these magic words
I repeated the spell.


And fell down, down the ant hill for days
I finally fell down and was consumed by an ant hill.


My dove is home
I repeated the spell again.


Her breast is warm
I was seeking comfort and safety in the image of a dove.


My dove is home
I repeated the phrase yet again.




Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Neko Case, Paul Rigby

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

fire0wl s12

Death’s peculiar song, he didn’t know I was listening...

J Lansdale

Her best song next to porchlight

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