Following the dissolution of Red House Painters after the tumultuous release of their last album Old Ramon, Kozelek released a handful of solo recordings before forming Sun Kil Moon in 2002. Their debut album, Ghosts of the Great Highway, was written entirely by Kozelek, and released by Jetset Records in 2003. It is an album centered around the theme of memory, connecting Kozelek's haunting memories with the true-life stories of deceased boxers, such as featherweight champion Salvador Sanchez and flyweight Pancho Villa. Kozelek's music with Sun Kil Moon spans genres such as the simple acoustic country-folk of "Glenn Tipton" to the heavy, Crazy Horse-esque rock of "Salvador Sanchez" and the light-hearted "Lily And Parrots," onto the fourteen minute psychedelic tour de force, "Duk Koo Kim" (another homage to a deceased boxer) and the beautiful and haunting "Gentle Moon" and "Carry Me Ohio." Kozelek's voice is now more flexible and less downcast than in his work with Red House Painters, resulting in a resonant and often beautiful album.
The band's follow-up Tiny Cities was released on November 1st 2005 on Kozelek's own Caldo Verde label. The album covers eleven songs by the indie/alternative group Modest Mouse and, in its sparse production and spare instrumentation, is more or less a solo work by Kozelek.
Kozelek is known for covering songs from bands not normally associated to his genre of slow, introspective music. They are more than traditional covers, as they are extensively re-worked and re-interpreted to the point that they are often not recognizable to the originals, and take on a different meaning despite the lyrics remaining intact word-for-word. Kozelek's 2000 solo debut Rock 'n' Roll Singer featured covers of songs by AC/DC and John Denver.
His solo 2001 follow-up, What's Next to the Moon was an entire album of AC/DC songs done in his typically languid, hypnotically melancholy acoustic style. Even further back, Songs For A Blue Guitar, the 1996 Red House Painters album, featured covers of Yes's Long Distance Runaround, Paul McCartney & Wings's Silly Love Songs and The Cars' "All Mixed Up". Tiny Cities is very much in this tradition, taking the often frenetic, noisy songs of Modest Mouse and transforming them into haunting, acoustic guitar-dominated midtempo ballads filled with a deep-seated, haunting melancholy.
Young Love
Sun Kil Moon Lyrics
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Or even leave my bed, or put down my guitar
Or leave my master bedroom with it's view
Overlooking the mountains
On dark December days, I think of all my friends
From Washington to Maine, New York to Sweden
And how we've all grown closer with years
Icicles fall from my roof, burning stove, piles of firewood
Will we meet again in Cold Brook Park
In Cold Brook Park
On January days I walk into the town
Once or twice a day some peace out here I've found
My clothes are wet with rain and mountain mist
Oh how I love the quiet
When February rains I've gone another year
Chasing perfect poems and trying them in your ear
But I'm losing the will to chase them anymore
Across those lonesome oceans
Running deer stops at a fence, sniffing at the flowering iris
Will we meet again in Cold Brook Park
Cold Brook Park
Ghosts inhabit my mountain home
They don't frighten me, I sleep here alone
I shut out my friends, shut off the phone and
Late in the night I hear the echoes of young love
I walk downtown, saw her again
There on the corner, laughing with friends
The cool mountain air pinched her pink skin
And I walked on, aching with memories of young love
Youth walk by hand in hand
And there on the porch sits an old man
His back is tight, his splintered hands
And plain in his eyes, he envies the beauty of young love
The lyrics of Sun Kil Moon's song "Young Love" paint a vivid picture of a person's life on a mountain during the colder months. The first stanza sets the scene of the singer's reluctance to leave their warm and comfortable bed or their guitar, highlighting the coziness and isolation of the master bedroom with its view of the mountains. As the seasons change, the singer reflects on their relationships with friends, both growing closer and apart. But amidst the peacefulness of this mountain life, the singer grapples with the weight of loneliness and lost youth, hearing echoes of "young love" in the night.
The second and third stanzas continue to describe the singer's life in the mountain town, walking around in the rain and mist, as well as chasing after perfect poetry. But their resolve to do so is waning as they come to accept their solitude. The concluding stanza provides a bittersweet moment, where the singer sees a former lover laughing with friends, and is struck with memories of their own young love. The final lines also bring a sense of aging and longing for lost time, as the old man on the porch envies the beauty of youth.
Overall, "Young Love" captures the melancholic beauty of solitude and introspection, while also exploring the complex emotions of nostalgia, loneliness, and regret. The descriptions of the natural world, the changing seasons, and aging all add to the depth and poignancy of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
On cold November days don't like to stray too far
During cold November days, I prefer to stay indoors and just relax near my bed and guitar without going too far away from home.
Or even leave my bed, or put down my guitar
I don't even feel like getting out of my bed or abandoning my guitar for a while during these days.
Or leave my master bedroom with it's view
I don't like leaving my master bedroom that overlooks the mountains and provides me a fantastic view.
Overlooking the mountains
I love the picturesque view of mountains that my bedroom offers.
On dark December days, I think of all my friends
During dark December days, I reminisce about my friends living in Washington, Maine, New York, and Sweden.
From Washington to Maine, New York to Sweden
I have friends who reside in different parts of the world such as Washington, Maine, New York, and Sweden.
And how we've all grown closer with years
I look back upon how my relationships with my friends have matured over the years and brought us closer together.
Or how we've grown apart
On the other hand, I also recall how some of my friendships have faded away over time, and we've grown apart from each other.
Icicles fall from my roof, burning stove, piles of firewood
During winters, I witness icicles falling from my roof, and I keep my house warm by burning a stove and making piles of firewood.
Will we meet again in Cold Brook Park
I ponder about meeting my friends at Cold Brook Park again.
In Cold Brook Park
Cold Brook Park is a place where I'd like to reunite with my friends.
On January days I walk into the town
In January, I frequently go into the town for a walk.
Once or twice a day some peace out here I've found
Walking during the daytime gives me a sense of peace and tranquility.
My clothes are wet with rain and mountain mist
The mountain mist and rainfall often drench me, soaking my clothes.
Oh how I love the quiet
Despite the wet clothes, I enjoy and savor the silence of my surroundings.
When February rains I've gone another year
In February, I note how another year has passed by.
Chasing perfect poems and trying them in your ear
I keep striving to write ideal poems and continue reading them out to you.
But I'm losing the will to chase them anymore
However, I feel like my zeal and desire to pursue writing poetry is diminishing.
Across those lonesome oceans
I'm beginning to feel lonely while sailing across these oceans, searching for inspiration.
Running deer stops at a fence, sniffing at the flowering iris
During one such trip, I come across a deer that halts at a fence and sniffs the blooming iris flower.
Ghosts inhabit my mountain home
There are ghostly and eerie feels in my mountain home.
They don't frighten me, I sleep here alone
Despite the ghostly feel, I'm not afraid to sleep alone in my house.
I shut out my friends, shut off the phone and
Sometimes, I close myself off from my friends and disconnect my phone.
Late in the night I hear the echoes of young love
During such alone nights, I hear the sounds of young love that remind me of my youth and past experiences.
I walk downtown, saw her again
One day, I went downtown and saw her again.
There on the corner, laughing with friends
She was laughing and spending time with her friends on the street corner.
The cool mountain air pinched her pink skin
The cold mountain air made her skin pink and appear like it was pinched.
And I walked on, aching with memories of young love
I walked away from her, feeling pained, while recalling the memories of my past young love.
Youth walk by hand in hand
I see young couples holding hands while walking past me.
And there on the porch sits an old man
Also, on a porch, I see an old man sitting.
His back is tight, his splintered hands
The old man has a stiff back and splintered hands, which indicate his age.
And plain in his eyes, he envies the beauty of young love
I could see the old man's envy for the youthful beauty of love in his eyes.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Mark Edward Kozelek
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind