Their live performances, generally at smaller venues, showcase their use of three-part harmony and southern rock feel, and are admired for being intense, energetic, and soulful. The Avetts have been picking up steam opening for Dave Matthews Band and playing SXSW and Newport Folk Festival.
Yardsale
The Avett Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The blood wiped away to hide
How evil you grandfather was 'fore he died
But war can make monsters out of us all
I'm sure I'd become one if I was called
And then it would be my blade
Here at this yardsale
The neck it is warped and the saddle is through
I wonder if sweet music ever was played
From the hands of a boy to a girl in the shade
From this rickety ghost of a song
Here at this yardsale
A dollar for anything here on this quilt
A price tag for hands from which all things are built
A blanket of voices speak pleasure in shame
Flowers of plastic and fruit of the same
A basket of nothing at all
Here at this yardsale
So if I had the money I'd buy everything
And cover the whole lot with good gasoline
And burn it for all that I care for the past
And rid mother earth of what never should last
And give her the present of ash
Made of a yardsale
The Avett Brothers' Yardsale is a song that reflects on the transience of human existence and the impermanence of the material world. The song starts with a morbid reflection on a knife that was possibly used to kill someone. The songs suggest that even "good" people can be driven to monstrous acts, a theme that could be related to the effects of war but also to the darker aspects of human nature in general. The guitar the singer is holding is old and out of tune, and is a metaphor for the fragility of life, and how even the things we love (like sweet music) can fade away with time.
As the singer walks through the yardsale, they become increasingly disillusioned with the cheap, mass-produced goods that surround them. They notice some plastic flowers and fruits, which serve as a metaphor for the artificiality of our modern consumer culture. The singer ends with a desire to burn it all down, to rid the earth of the past and start over fresh. The final image of the yardsale as ash is a reminder that our material possessions will eventually turn to dust, and that only the memories and relationships we build in life will endure.
Line by Line Meaning
I wonder if this blade ran through someone's side
I am curious if this knife has been used to harm someone in the past.
The blood wiped away to hide
Any evidence of potential wrongdoing has been erased.
How evil your grandfather was 'fore he died
Your grandfather had a dark past, prior to his passing.
But war can make monsters out of us all
The stresses of war can cause even the best of people to turn evil.
I'm sure I'd become one if I was called
If I were in the same situation, I cannot guarantee that I would not turn into a monster as well.
And then it would be my blade
If I were to become a monster, I would be responsible for my own actions.
Here at this yardsale
At this particular location, which happens to be a yardsale.
The guitar I am holding is way out of tune
The guitar I am holding sounds unpleasant, as it is not correctly tuned.
The neck it is warped and the saddle is through
The guitar is also physically damaged, with a warped neck and worn-out saddle.
I wonder if sweet music ever was played
I wonder if this damaged guitar ever produced beautiful music in the past.
From the hands of a boy to a girl in the shade
Perhaps at one point, a boy may have serenaded a girl with this guitar in a peaceful setting.
From this rickety ghost of a song
The guitar is now a mere shadow of its former, well-functioning self.
Here at this yardsale
This damaged guitar is also located within the same yardsale.
A dollar for anything here on this quilt
All items for sale are priced at one dollar, and are located on this particular quilt.
A price tag for hands from which all things are built
Even the hands that crafted all of these items are not exempt from being sold, as they have been given a price tag.
A blanket of voices speak pleasure in shame
The many different objects for sale all carry their own stories, many of which may have been bought with intentions of pleasure, but are now being sold as unwanted items.
Flowers of plastic and fruit of the same
This yard sale includes a variety of items, from plastic flowers to fake fruit.
A basket of nothing at all
Some items for sale have no inherent value, such as an empty basket.
Here at this yardsale
All of these random items are being sold at this very yardsale.
So if I had the money I'd buy everything
If I had the funds necessary, I would purchase everything for sale.
And cover the whole lot with good gasoline
I would pour gasoline over all of these items.
And burn it for all that I care for the past
I would then set everything on fire as a way of getting rid of remnants of the past.
And rid mother earth of what never should last
By burning all these items, I would eliminate things that have no lasting value for the earth.
And give her the present of ash
In exchange for these unwanted items, the earth would receive a layer of ash.
Made of a yardsale
The ashes would ultimately be comprised of remnants from all of the items sold at the yardsale.
Contributed by Skyler W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Duck Thurgood
It's funny because this seems like a very innocent simple song if you just hear the notes and melody, but at times if you really listen you just kind of back up and think, 'whaaat?'
Taylor Schoenborn
WOW! Everyone should give this track a listen.
Irving Freely
Love it, have since the first time I heard it.
Duck Thurgood
I love this song. :) The next time I have a yardsale, I'll have this song playing the whole time. ;)
Khadeeja
Man, this is great.
T
I love this so much
nikki slick
This reminds me of my grandparents estate sale and two coffee cups and a wooden tea spoon.