The introductory lines portray a youthful imagination, as a child you can pretend to be any character you chose. The ‘tower’ tarot card is representative of an ill omen, foreshadowing the coming verses. Rattlesnakes, relative to Christianity, are viewed as deathly evil so it’s interesting to deem them ‘holy.’
“When you were young you were the king of carrot flowers”, in the context of the Tarot (see: “The Fool”) is a contradiction. The king in tarot cards represents mastery of whatever type of card it is, and carrot flowers are carrots that grew real old. How can someone young be the master of growing old? They then built a Tower (which in tarot cards actually represents danger, crisis, destruction, and liberation) on that lie which of course tumbles when people realize the lie they’re telling.
The “holy rattlesnakes” can refer to the snakes used in snake-handling by some Pentecostal churches, although the idea of ‘holy’ rattlesnakes can also be found in America’s indigenous religions. To their imagination the lightning in the sky was similar to a serpent and was therefore considered holy.
As is the case with most of Jeff Mangum’s lyrics, we are left without a definitive explanation. We have, however, learned that Mangum’s parents did have a unstable relationship, and, on one occasion, his mother stabbed his father with a fork, who then threw the garbage can across the floor. Considering this, Mangum may be personifying two distinct parts of his personality. Whether this is body and soul, innocence and wisdom, or any other pairing, we will not know.
It is also possible that Mangum is placing this story in an alternate setting, in which two step-sibling’s parents are arguing.
There’s a stark juxtaposition here between the negative (violence and hatred) and the much more positive (love and sexuality) functions of the body, which is a common theme throughout the album. (See, specifically, “Oh Comely” for other examples).
The distinction between just “mom” and the more endearing and loving (and in modern times, sexual) “daddy” is a reference to Anne’s preference for her father Otto while she felt cold and even hostile to her mother.
It’s possible that the image of “mom” stabbing “daddy” with a fork comes from Infinite Jest, in which this is one of numerous examples of casual acts of domestic violence that David Foster Wallace describes to create an overall picture of dysfunctional families.
This is a reference to scenes in "The Diary of a Young Girl" where Anne explores her body and her sexuality, accompanied or not by Peter.
Beautifully articulated, the two share a sexual relationship that exceeds a physical touch and transcends to their souls harmonizing into one. Also, tying it together with the ode to Anne Frank that rolls through the album, this line could simply represent Jeff reading Anne’s diary. Sinking into her soul (the book) and reading her secrets, where no one ever goes most times.
The parents continue to loathe themselves and their relationship, with alcoholism and suicide being central to their unfulfilled lives. The song is full of love and disdain, contradicting one another in each verse.
King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1
Neutral Milk Hotel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You were the king of carrot flowers
And how you built a tower tumbling through the trees
In holy rattlesnakes that fell all around your feet
And your mom would stick a fork right into daddy's shoulder
And dad would throw the garbage all across the floor
As we would lay and learn what each other's bodies were for
And this is the room
One afternoon I knew I could love you
And from above you, how I sank into your soul
Into that secret place where no one dares to go
And your mom would drink until she was no longer speaking
And dad would dream of all the different ways to die
Each one a little more than he could dare to try
The opening lines of Neutral Milk Hotel's song "King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1" refer to a time when the singer was young and carefree. He compares himself to a king of carrot flowers, a character who is both glorious and ephemeral. He also constructed a tower that tumbled through the trees, a metaphor for the fragility of youth and the passage of time. The holy rattlesnakes that fell around his feet are a reminder of the dangers that lurk in the natural world, as well as the religious connotations of the serpent.
The narrative then shifts to a more troubled place, with the mention of the singer's parents. His mother would stick a fork into his father's shoulder, and his father would react by throwing garbage around the floor. This is a disturbing image of domestic violence that the singer witnessed, and it suggests that his childhood was not as idyllic as the opening lines might suggest. However, he also remembers lying with someone and discovering what their bodies were for, highlighting the importance of human connection and the exploration of physical pleasure.
The final lines of the verse paint a picture of dysfunctionality and despair. The singer's mother drinks until she can no longer speak, and his father dreams of different ways to die. Each dream is more daring than the last, highlighting his father's desperation and perhaps his mental instability. The song thus switches from an idealised memory of youth to a more complex and troubling examination of family life.
Line by Line Meaning
When you were young
During a time in the past when you were a child
You were the king of carrot flowers
You held an imaginary or pretend title of royalty as a child
And how you built a tower tumbling through the trees
You created and imagined a world that was your own, with a tower that was a part of it
In holy rattlesnakes that fell all around your feet
Your imagination included elements of danger and mysticism, such as rattlesnakes that fell around you
And your mom would stick a fork right into daddy's shoulder
Your parents had a destructive and toxic relationship that involved physical violence
And dad would throw the garbage all across the floor
Your father had a tendency to cause chaos or destruction in the household
As we would lay and learn what each other's bodies were for
As young people, you and another person explored and discovered the physical aspects of intimacy and sexuality
And this is the room
The world or setting in which these experiences and memories were created
One afternoon I knew I could love you
At a specific moment in time, you realized that you had feelings of love towards another person
And from above you, how I sank into your soul
You felt deeply connected to this person, spiritually or emotionally
Into that secret place where no one dares to go
You reached a level of intimacy or understanding with this person that is rarely experienced or acknowledged
And your mom would drink until she was no longer speaking
Your mother had a problem with alcohol abuse that affected her ability to communicate verbally
And dad would dream of all the different ways to die
Your father struggled with depression or suicidal thoughts
Each one a little more than he could dare to try
Your father felt trapped in his suffering and was unable to seek help or make changes in his life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jeff Mangum
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind