J. Robbins is an acclaimed rock musician who lives in Baltimore, MD. He runs the Magpie Cage recording studio. His work in the bands Jawbox, Government Issue, Burning Airlines, and Channels, has influenced countless musicians over the years.
Darren Zentek is an accomplished drummer who performed with Kerosene 454, Channels, and others.
Brooks Harlan is a multi-instrumentalist who also runs the successful amp/guitar repair shop Big Crunch, along with his partner Shawna Potter. He and Shawna play in two other highly-regarded bands, Avec and War on Women.
Gordon Withers is "the Jawbox on Cello guy". He now plays cello and guitar in Office of Future Plans.
Their debut 7", "Harden Your Heart", was successfully funded via fan contributions.
Lorelei
Office of Future Plans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The king of calculations,
Celebrating his salvation,
Sends out the doves,
At last in love.
Past and present: Complications.
Ambitions and way-stations.
Folie a deux,
The lost, in love.
I should close my eyes.
Who am I to moralize?
We could all survive,
The most violent divide.
When you la-la-lie,
Do you get the truth from Lorelei?
What you want, and what you've given;
You live in the division.
You get rebirth, forget redemption.
This kind of love,
I've seen enough.
The lyrics of Office of Future Plans's song Lorelei delve into the complexities of love and relationships. The first stanza sets the scene with the "tower of temptations" and the "king of calculations" celebrating his salvation by sending out doves as a symbol of release. It seems that this figure may have finally found love, as he is "at last in love." However, the second stanza raises concerns about the relationship. The lines "past and present: complications" and "ambitions and way-stations" hint at issues from both the past and present that may be complicating the relationship. Additionally, the line "is Lorelei losing her patience?" suggests that one of the people in the relationship may be struggling with the difficulties they are facing. The phrase "folie a deux" translates to "madness between two people," further emphasizing the intensity of the relationship. The chorus poses an interesting question, asking if you get the truth from Lorelei when she lies.
The final stanza comes across as a commentary on the nature of love, with the lines "what you want, and what you've given; you live in the division" highlighting how love can be both consuming and dividing. The phrase "you get rebirth, forget redemption" suggests that love is often worth it despite the challenges, perhaps because it can lead to new beginnings. However, the final line "this kind of love, I've seen enough" hints that the singer may be disillusioned with love altogether. Overall, the song paints a picture of an intense and complicated relationship, highlighting its challenges and complexities.
Line by Line Meaning
From the tower of temptations,
The king, who is deeply involved in complicated affairs, is making a great effort to save himself.
The king of calculations,
The ruler who is always calculating and thinking about his gains.
Celebrating his salvation,
He rejoices in the fact that he has been saved from his troubles.
Sends out the doves,
He sends out messengers to spread his message.
At last in love.
He has finally found love and is happy.
Past and present: Complications.
The troubles and complexities of the past and current times.
Ambitions and way-stations.
Goals and stops on the way to achieving those goals.
Is Lorelei losing her patience?
Is the singer’s love interest getting tired of waiting?
Folie a deux,
The shared madness of the singer and Lorelei.
The lost, in love.
The lovers, who are lost in each other's affection.
I should close my eyes.
The singer wonders if it would be easier to ignore the reality of the situation.
Who am I to moralize?
The singer believes he has no authority to dictate what is right or wrong.
We could all survive,
Unity is key for survival.
The most violent divide.
The most severe division in society.
When you la-la-lie,
When you speak sweet nothings and lies.
Do you get the truth from Lorelei?
The singer questions if he can trust his lover.
What you want, and what you've given;
What you desire, and what you have sacrificed to get it.
You live in the division.
Your life is plagued by disunity.
You get rebirth, forget redemption.
You can be reborn in love, but must forget your past mistakes.
This kind of love,
The singer doesn’t want this kind of fickle, unreliable love.
I've seen enough.
The singer has experienced enough to know he wants something more meaningful.
Contributed by Violet L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.