Rogue Valley is an American americana-rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota… Read Full Bio ↴Rogue Valley is an American americana-rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, led by Chris Koza, with Peter Sieve, Luke Anderson, and Linnea Mohn. Already a prolific songwriter and performer, Koza envisioned a grandiose concept project: write and record four full-length albums, and release each one in consecutive seasons beginning in the spring of 2010. Working with his longtime musical comrades, the Spring album, “Crater Lake,” is being released on April 10th at a unique show at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, MN. Tentative release dates for the subsequent records are August 2010, November 2010, and Februrary 2011.
The albums tell a story that takes place primarily on the West coast, where the band has spent a lot of time touring in the past few years, and the seasons provide natural transition points in the telling of the tale. Crater Lake was recorded primarily in a tiny cabin in northern Minnesota.

Blueprints
Rogue Valley Lyrics

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I awoke inside an iron lung
Made of icicles and animal hides
Prodding my ears and eyes
Cradling the skin like the hands of the gatherer
Carrying me somewhere
I have never been
Someplace strange underground
But wide open

Every cell knows the way they decay
The blueprints rise like tears to my eyes
The old sun becomes a tiny light

Blinded my a mirror a requiem
For the fallen stars
The goddess appears
Where has the daylight gone?
I have never seen a night so long as this
A never-ending darkness
I have never seen a night so long
All or nothing

Every cell knows they way they decay
The blueprints rise like tears to my eyes
The new sun comes from a tiny light

A new season
All or nothing

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of Rogue Valley's song "Blueprints" are cryptic and evoke a sense of discomfort and disorientation. The singer awakes inside an iron lung made of icicles and animal hides, with things prodding at their ears and eyes. The image created here is one of being trapped and cold, surrounded by something that shouldn't be there. However, as the lyrics unfold, it becomes clear that this is a metaphor for a deeper state of mind rather than a literal situation.

The lyrics go on to describe a feeling of being carried somewhere new, somewhere strange and underground, but also wide open. This brings to mind an image of a dark, labyrinthine network of tunnels stretching out in all directions without end. The singer is afraid and disoriented, but there is also a sense of wonder and discovery. The imagery used throughout the song is abstract and surreal, but it creates a powerful emotional landscape that draws the listener in.

The chorus of the song is the most straightforward and poignant part of the lyrics. The singer speaks of blueprints rising like tears to their eyes, and how every cell knows how they decay. This can be interpreted as a reflection on mortality, and how every living thing is ultimately destined to break down and return to the earth. The old sun becomes a tiny light, and a new sun rises from it. This can be seen as a metaphorical representation of the cycle of life and death, how everything is connected and flows into one another.

Line by Line Meaning

I awoke inside an iron lung
I woke up trapped in a confined space like an iron lung.

Made of icicles and animal hides
This confined space was made up of sharp icicles and animal hides.

Prodding my ears and eyes
The surroundings were so cramped and sharp that it was causing discomfort to the ears and eyes.

Cradling the skin like the hands of the gatherer
The claustrophobic place was so cold and stiff that it felt like being held by a gatherer.

Carrying me somewhere
The cramped space was transporting me somewhere unknown.

I have never been
The place seemed new, unknown and unexplored.

Someplace strange underground
The place that it felt like going to was most likely deep underground - not on the surface.

But wide open
Despite being underground, it felt significantly open and empty.

Every cell knows the way they decay
The person recognizes the fact that every cell and organism follow the natural process of aging and gradual decay.

The blueprints rise like tears to my eyes
The patterns of decay and death come to the person's perception like tears to his eyes.

The old sun becomes a tiny light
The former source of light and warmth - the sun - appears almost insignificant in comparison to the darkness surrounding the person now.

Blinded my a mirror a requiem
The reflection of the person in a mirror (if present) would be almost shocking to see compared to how they looked before. It's like seeing their past life in tribute.

For the fallen stars
The tribute (requiem) is for the people, relationships, or things lost in time.

The goddess appears
The person sees a divine or spiritual presence that only appears in the darkest moments.

Where has the daylight gone?
The person wonders about the absence of light or the good times that have gone by.

I have never seen a night so long as this
The present is the darkest moment, and it feels like an eternity.

A never-ending darkness
The feeling of hopelessness and depression is so intense that it feels never-ending.

I have never seen a night so long
The person emphasizes the fact that they have never seen a night as dark and hopeless as this.

All or nothing
The person recognizes the ultimatum they face - they must move forward and make a change, or give themselves up completely to the darkness.

The new sun comes from a tiny light
A slight glimmer of hope or positivity gradually emerges, like a small spark of light from which a new start or season can be born.

A new season
The person moves towards a new chapter, implying that this is the end of the darkness and despair.

Contributed by Mila I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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