Holland 1945
Neutral Milk Hotel Lyrics


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The only girl I've ever loved
Was born with roses in her eyes
But then they buried her alive
One evening in 1945
With just her sister at her side
And only weeks before the guns
All came and rained on everyone
Now she's a little boy in Spain
Playing pianos filled with flames
On empty rings around the sun
I'll sing to say my dream has come

But now we must pack up every piece
Of the life we used to love
Just to keep ourselves
At least enough to carry on

And now we ride the circus wheel
With your dark brother wrapped in white
Says it was good to be alive
But now he rides a comet's flame
And won't be coming back again
The Earth looks better from a star
That's right above from where you are
He didn't mean to make you cry
With sparks that ring and bullets fly
On empty rings around your heart
The world just screams and falls apart

But now we must pack up every piece
Of the life we used to love
Just to keep ourselves
At least enough to carry on

And here's where your mother sleeps
And here is the room where your brothers were born
Indentations in the sheets
Where their bodies once moved but don't move anymore
And it's so sad to see the world agree




That they'd rather see their faces filled with flies
All when I'd want to keep white roses in their eyes

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Holland 1945 by Neutral Milk Hotel tell a story of loss and tragedy in the midst of war. The singer declares that the only girl he ever loved was buried alive in 1945 during the chaos of war, with only her sister by her side. The singer then imagines her reborn as a little boy in Spain, playing pianos filled with flames in a surreal and disturbing image. The singer dreams that he can sing to say that his dream of her being reborn has come true.


The chorus of the song speaks to the aftermath of the war, where everyone must pack up every piece of the life they used to love just to keep moving forward. The metaphor of riding a circus wheel with the dark brother wrapped in white suggests the cyclical nature of life and death, and how we must find a way to carry on despite the tragedies that befall us. The final verse mourns the loss of loved ones, with the singer describing the room where his brothers were born and the indentations on the sheets where their bodies once lay.


Holland 1945 is a powerful and emotional song that deals with heavy themes of war and loss, but its surreal and almost whimsical imagery adds a layer of complexity and depth to the storytelling. It's a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is still beauty to be found in art and music.


Line by Line Meaning

The only girl I've ever loved
The singer is in love with someone who was unique and special to them.


Was born with roses in her eyes
The girl was born with an unusual and striking quality.


But then they buried her alive
The girl was killed in a horrific and cruel manner.


One evening in 1945
The year and time frame of the girl's death.


With just her sister at her side
The girl's sister was the only one with her at the time of her death.


And only weeks before the guns
The time period preceding a significant attack or conflict.


All came and rained on everyone
A violent and devastating event occured in the near future.


Now she's a little boy in Spain
The girl was reincarnated as a boy in a particular location.


Playing pianos filled with flames
The boy is an unusual and talented musician.


On empty rings around the sun
The boy's music echoes into space and reaches others in the galaxy.


I'll sing to say my dream has come
The singer sings to express their emotions and celebrate the reunion with the girl/boy.


But now we must pack up every piece
The artist must let go of their past and move forward.


Of the life we used to love
The singer must give up everything that they hold dear.


Just to keep ourselves
The singer must work hard to maintain their own survival.


At least enough to carry on
The singer must find the strength to survive and persevere.


And now we ride the circus wheel
The artist endures a strange and unpredictable life.


With your dark brother wrapped in white
The artist's brother is dressed in a strange and unexpected manner.


Says it was good to be alive
The singer's brother has a unique outlook on life and death.


But now he rides a comet's flame
The singer's brother has departed and will not return.


And won't be coming back again
The artist's brother has left the physical world permanently.


The Earth looks better from a star
The artist has gained an outsider's perspective on the world.


That's right above from where you are
The artist sees the world from a cosmic view.


He didn't mean to make you cry
The singer's brother did not intend to cause emotional distress.


With sparks that ring and bullets fly
The brother's actions caused chaos and turmoil.


On empty rings around your heart
The singer's emotional pain echoes throughout the universe.


The world just screams and falls apart
The world is in chaos and unhappiness.


And here's where your mother sleeps
The location where the singer's mother rests at death.


And here is the room where your brothers were born
The room where the artist's brothers were brought into the world.


Indentations in the sheets
Physical remnants of the artist's brothers' presence.


Where their bodies once moved but don't move anymore
A reminder that the singer's brothers are no longer alive.


And it's so sad to see the world agree
The singer is lamenting the collective experience of sadness and mourning.


That they'd rather see their faces filled with flies
People would rather see decay and destruction than remember the beauty of life.


All when I'd want to keep white roses in their eyes
Despite the pain and loss, the artist longs to preserve the beautiful memories of their loved ones.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jeffery Nye Mangum

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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