Like many before him, Colin Meloy (The Decemberists) was a frustrated colle… Read Full Bio ↴Like many before him, Colin Meloy (The Decemberists) was a frustrated college student before he was an acclaimed songwriter. While majoring in English, with an emphasis on creative writing at the University of Montana, he also played in an alternative-countryish band called Tarkio from 1996 - 1999. Members included Colin Meloy, Gibson Hartwell, Louis Stein, and Brian Collins. In 2006, Kill Rock Stars released a 2-cd discography of Tarkio's material entitled "Omnibus".

Keeping Me Awake
Tarkio Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Summer, it came
like a light across the highlands
and we laid it down.
You wore a dress
made of light from the islands
and we sent postcards home.

In dying light

this was not to be forgotten
‘cause we are the chosen few.
Into the sea with the touch of softest cotton
Beneath this angel moon
Its been keeping me awake

Leaving this behind was my first mistake
and I'm not so strong
to be satisfied by all the things I've done
and the things it threw away.

You wrote your name
as we lay among the heather.
What you left behind
Following paths that would lead us both together
Let us lose our minds
Its been keeping me awake

Leaving this behind was my first mistake
and I'm not so strong
to be satisfied by all the things I've done
by the things it threw away.

Summer, it fell
and it coursed across the highlands
and so quickly gone.
Your faded dress for years now tied away and silent
and the night's late lullaby
has been keeping me awake.

Leaving this behind was my first mistake
and I'm not so strong
to be satisfied by all the things I've done
by all the things it threw away.
By all the things it threw away

By all the things it threw away
By all the things it threw away

Overall Meaning

The song "Keeping Me Awake" by Tarkio tells a story of a summer encounter between the singer and his lover in the Scottish Highlands. The lyrics vividly describe the picturesque locations and their romantic moments together. The song's chorus highlights the singer's regret for leaving it all behind and not being strong enough to move on from the memories. The line "Its been keeping me awake" emphasizes how the memory of summer love constantly occupies his mind, making it impossible for him to let it go and move on.

The singer describes that "Summer, it came like a light across the highlands," representing hope and passion that illuminates his life. "You wore a dress made of light from the islands" is a metaphor for his lover, who lit up his life during one of the most memorable summers he had. The reference to "sending postcards home" shows how the singer wants to capture the moment and share it with his loved ones.

The singer's regret is palpable in the chorus when he says that "Leaving this behind was my first mistake. And I'm not so strong to be satisfied by all the things I've done, and the things it threw away." The line "by all the things it threw away" shows that he has no control over his emotions, and the memories he is trying to leave behind keep coming back, keeping him awake.

Line by Line Meaning

Summer, it came like a light across the highlands and we laid it down.
The summer came, as if light was cast across the land, and we enjoyed it.

You wore a dress made of light from the islands and we sent postcards home.
You wore a dress that was bright like the light from islands and we sent postcards to remember the moment.

In dying light this was not to be forgotten ‘cause we are the chosen few.
As the light faded, we made sure that this moment would not be forgotten because we felt special.

Into the sea with the touch of softest cotton Beneath this angel moon Its been keeping me awake
We swam in the sea with the gentlest of touches and beneath the full moon, this memory has been keeping me awake.

Leaving this behind was my first mistake and I'm not so strong to be satisfied by all the things I've done and the things it threw away.
My mistake was leaving this moment behind, and I'm not strong enough to be content with all of the things I've accomplished when compared to what I've lost.

You wrote your name as we lay among the heather. What you left behind
You wrote your name as we rested in the heather, and that memory has stayed with me.

Following paths that would lead us both together Let us lose our minds
We followed paths that would bring us together, and in doing so, we allowed ourselves to let go of our worries.

Summer, it fell and it coursed across the highlands and so quickly gone.
The summer ended as quickly as it came, coursing across the highlands and leaving just as suddenly.

Your faded dress for years now tied away and silent and the night's late lullaby has been keeping me awake.
Your dress has been packed away, faded with time, and the memory of that summer night has stayed with me, keeping me awake.

By all the things it threw away By all the things it threw away By all the things it threw away
This line is a repeated refrain, emphasizing the weight of what was lost and the things that were thrown away.

Contributed by Emma P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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