Parasol released her fifth album, “Tuesday Morning”, October 24th, 2023. The album captures the cool shadowy chic so often aligned with her music. A mélange of psych, yé-yé, Motown, garage and dark folk influences that were present in her third and fourth albums (Against the Sun / Color of Destruction) respectively, Parasol’s latest album continuous the steady path of opening up her sound. Listening to her work chronologically, one can hear the personal voyage in parallel to the musical one. Parasol is currently working on her 6th album ETA October 2025.
RIYL: The Velvet Underground, Nico, Lana Del Rey, Patti Smith, Jacques Dutronc
Take Only What You Can Carry
Rykarda Parasol Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
he didn't do no crime.
My daddy's daddy got shot -
he didn't do no crime.
"The city wall ain't nothing
But shackle & chain.
You better run, son, hide, before you
Tumble into a massive grave."
A witness done say,
He saw my grandma's doom:
"A shovel lay beside where
She'd dug her own tomb.
And we all saw the walking dead
Get on that train.
We held in the screams
But there's no hiding the pain."
I stand here now and
You all clap your hands.
Brava, brava. Hurray, hurray!
I stand here now,
Can I tell ya who I really am?
Why do you want me here?
It's hard to understand.
Brava, brava. Hurray, hurray!
"No fear," says daddy,
"Courage got me where I am."
Well, don't cry daddy i'll have baby someday
O, don't cry daddy i'll take the shame away.
And i don't care what that
Baby's daddy might have say.
Daddy, my baby gonna carry our family name.
When the city's on fire and the people rise on up
Will they rise up for any one of us?
When the city's on fire
Who ya thinks gonna get the blame?
Can you tell me please? I need to know if
Things around here have changed.
My daddy done fought to live
In this mean old world
And all i am is a silly little girl.
My daddy done fought to live
In this mean old world.
A round of applause if you will -
for the daddy of this little girl.
The song "Take Only What You Can Carry" by Rykarda Parasol is a haunting tale of a family's struggle to survive in a hostile and oppressive world. The lyrics paint a bleak picture of the past, present, and future of the singer's family, tracing a line from the murder of her grandfather for no apparent reason to the impending birth of her child, which offers a glimmer of hope amid the darkness.
The first stanza of the song sets the stage, with the singer recounting the senseless killing of her grandfather by unknown assailants. The imagery of the city wall as a symbol of imprisonment and oppression is a recurring theme throughout the song, while the warning to run and hide before tumbling into a massive grave underscores the brutal reality of life in this world.
The second stanza describes the fate of the singer's grandmother, who apparently dug her own grave before being taken away by the authorities. The reference to the walking dead getting on a train suggests that she, like many others in this world, was sent to a concentration camp or some other form of forced labor.
The third stanza is perhaps the most enigmatic, with the singer questioning why she is being applauded and asking if anyone really knows who she is. The reference to "baby's daddy" suggests that she is either pregnant or planning to have a child, and that she is determined to give her child a better life than she had. The final stanza is a tribute to the singer's father, who fought to survive in this mean old world, and a plea for recognition and respect for his struggle.
Overall, "Take Only What You Can Carry" is a powerful and poignant song that speaks to the resilience and determination of ordinary people in the face of oppression and hardship.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, my daddy's daddy got shot -
he didn't do no crime.
My grandfather was killed for no reason, he was innocent.
The city wall ain't nothing
But shackle & chain.
You better run, son, hide, before you
Tumble into a massive grave.
The city is like a prison, you must escape before you become a victim.
A witness done say,
He saw my grandma's doom:
"A shovel lay beside where
She'd dug her own tomb.
And we all saw the walking dead
Get on that train.
We held in the screams
But there's no hiding the pain."
My grandma was forced to dig her own grave and people were taken away like walking dead.
I stand here now and
You all clap your hands.
Brava, brava. Hurray, hurray!
I stand here now,
Can I tell ya who I really am?
Why do you want me here?
It's hard to understand.
Brava, brava. Hurray, hurray!
"No fear," says daddy,
"Courage got me where I am."
Despite all the applause, I still don't know why I'm here and who I really am. My father taught me to be fearless.
Well, don't cry daddy i'll have baby someday
O, don't cry daddy i'll take the shame away.
And i don't care what that
Baby's daddy might have say.
Daddy, my baby gonna carry our family name.
I will have a baby to make my father happy and I'll raise it to be proud of our family name.
When the city's on fire and the people rise on up
Will they rise up for any one of us?
When the city's on fire
Who ya thinks gonna get the blame?
Can you tell me please? I need to know if
Things around here have changed.
In times of chaos, will people stand together or turn against each other? Who will be blamed when everything falls apart? Will things ever change?
My daddy done fought to live
In this mean old world
And all i am is a silly little girl.
My daddy done fought to live
In this mean old world.
A round of applause if you will -
for the daddy of this little girl.
My father had to struggle to survive and all I can do is sing. Let's give a round of applause for my heroic father.
Contributed by David J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.