The Call
Parade Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well into the desert you must go
So into the desert we go
Call it a ritual
Call it whatever you will

And you will grow out of me
As naturally
As branches from a tree
Call it a ritual
Call it whatever you will

And you know
They will swing, swing their swords for show
While you turn your flower petals so slow

You said the desert will eat us alive
I said I'll make the decisions, you just drive
You just drive

And I saw the windmill wings were gone
And I heard the wind come creepin' around
Call it an act of easy mercy
To tear the structure down

Call it whatever you will
Call it whatever you will

'Cause you know
They will swing, swing their swords for show
While you turn your flower petals so slow

But I am amazed at how they go
I am amazed at how they go, I am amazed at how they go
I am amazed at how they go, I am amazed at how they go
I am amazed at how they go, I am amazed at how they go
I am amazed at how they go, I am amazed at how they go

So call it whatever you will
Call it a ritual
Call it whatever you will





You know
They will swing, swing their swords for show

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Parade's "The Call" seem to be about a journey into the desert that involves a ritualistic transformation. The singer describes the necessity of going deep into the desert and refers to it as a ritual. Despite the change, the singer resigns themselves to parting ways with someone they cared about, as expressed in the line, "And you will grow out of me / As naturally / As branches from a tree."


Other lines in the lyrics speak of the dangers of the desert and the need to take responsibility, but it's not clear if the dangers are physical or symbolic. The line, "You said the desert will eat us alive / I said I'll make the decisions, you just drive" suggests that the singer is willing to take control of the situation and make decisions to survive.


The lines, "And I saw the windmill wings were gone / And I heard the wind come creepin' around / Call it an act of easy mercy / To tear the structure down," suggest that some form of structure, perhaps a windmill, has been dismantled. It's not clear what this structure represents or why its dismantling is necessary.



Line by Line Meaning

Well into the desert you must go
We must venture deeply into a barren wasteland


So into the desert we go
We are embarking on a journey through the arid desert


Call it a ritual
Name this journey whatever you like, perhaps a custom or observance


Call it whatever you will
Use whatever label you choose to describe this event


And you will grow out of me
You will naturally develop away from me


As naturally
Without any external influence, purely organic


As branches from a tree
Like new limbs on a tree, part of its growth


You know
It is understood by us


They will swing, swing their swords for show
Others will make grand displays of force for entertainment purposes


While you turn your flower petals so slow
Meanwhile, you move at a gentler pace, savoring every moment


You said the desert will eat us alive
You expressed concerns that the harsh environment would consume us


I said I'll make the decisions, you just drive
I assured you that I would take charge of the choices, while you focus on the driving


And I saw the windmill wings were gone
I noticed that the blades of the windmill had vanished


And I heard the wind come creepin' around
I heard the breeze silently approaching


Call it an act of easy mercy
Consider the act of dismantling the windmill as a kind and simple thing to do


To tear the structure down
Taking apart the windmill was the necessary course of action


'Cause you know
Because you are aware


But I am amazed at how they go
I am astounded by their mannerisms


So call it whatever you will
Use any terminology you desire to describe these actions


They will swing, swing their swords for show
Others will continue putting on flashy demonstrations of force




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Arlen Thompson, Dan Boeckner, Hadji Bakara, Spencer Kyle Krug

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

Suzette Anaya

This is amazing!! He’s so amazing!! I got chills at the end :^)

Aly💖

Incredible interpretation!!

Kristyn Dodge

Any chance of you posting All the Wasted Time? That's my favorite scene.

Jessica Long

There is a full length video of this entire production on here.

Kristyn Dodge

@Jessica Long  I'm aware, thank you. A couple of song clips had been made and I was making a casual inquiry about that one.

alva

Now I think all southerners in all countries are like these. Really annoying

Crack Baby Clyde

Reminder that there were 4 jews on Frank's jury, & they all decided he was guilty. He wasn't a victim of antisemitism, he was a monster who got what he deserved.

More Versions