Pedro the Lion is an indie rock band from Seattle, Washington. David Bazan … Read Full Bio ↴Pedro the Lion is an indie rock band from Seattle, Washington. David Bazan formed the band in 1995 and represented its main creative force, backed by a varying rotation of collaborating musicians. After a shifting lineup, Pedro the Lion finally eventually became a one-man outfit. That man is David Bazan. A Seattle native, Bazan cut his teeth playing in hardcore bands before forming Pedro in 1995, taking the band's name from a character he made up for a possible children's book. Under the moniker of Pedro the Lion, Bazan creates melodic pop in the vein of Bedhead, Hayden, and Sebadoh, with a lyrical focus on relationships -- with both other people and God.

The Longest Winter
Pedro the Lion Lyrics

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Spring comes slowly
To this old frame
Still I'm frozen
I still live alone

In time memories fade
Sense numb
One forgets how it feels

To have loved completely

Love well, young man
While you still can
Once your leaves turn
You won't love again

Is it special when you're lonely?
Will you spend your whole life
In a studio apartment
With a cat for a wife?

The seasons when they call you
Do you barricade the door?
Are you stubborn, stubborn,
Stubborn to the core?
Is it your way or the highway?

Then the longest winter is on her way

You called her without knowing it
And now it's too late

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Pedro the Lion's song, "The Longest Winter," are a contemplation about time and the loss of love through memory. The song opens with the lines that depict spring's long-awaited arrival in a slow and gradual way to this 'old frame' (referring to the physical body). It's a metaphor for being stuck in a winter-like state of mind, more forlorn despite the constant stream of time. He remains alone, remaining frozen and dormant in his life, despite the seasons moving forward.

As the song moves ahead, the lyrics grow more and more poignant, addressing how memories fade with time, how you lose your emotional sense, and eventually forget what it feels like to have loved completely. Looking back, the artist muses, "Love well, young man/ While you still can/ Once your leaves turn/ You won't love again." He warns young listeners not to take love for granted and appreciate it while it's there because it will not last forever. The song's final verses imagine the future of the listener alone, maybe contemplating how blindness to love leads to a lonely life, and whether one will barricade oneself when the seasons change.

In conclusion, the song is a melancholic ballad that reminds us of the inevitability of time and loss. The lyrics provide an honest reflection on love and what it means to have loved and let go. They compel us to embrace love and life when it is available to us, instead of taking it for granted, as we never know when it will be gone.

Line by Line Meaning

Spring comes slowly
Time passes by slowly.

To this old frame
To an aging person.

Still I'm frozen
They are still stuck in the past, unable to move on.

I still live alone
They have not found companionship, despite the passage of time.

In time memories fade
Over time, memories become less vivid.

Sense numb
Emotions become muted and distant.

One forgets how it feels
They do not remember the experience of loving someone completely.

To have loved completely
To have given oneself entirely to another person.

Love well, young man
Take advantage of your youth and love freely.

While you still can
While you are still young and able to love without reservation.

Once your leaves turn
Once you reach a certain age, you may stop being capable of love.