After the release of some EPs and singles, the group signed with Merge Records who released their second album, Long Goodbye, in 2003. After a world tour, they headed back to the studio in fall of 2005 to begin work on their third album, Cannibal Sea, which was released in March of 2006.
Elsinore
The Essex Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Left me numb
You wanna shake your mind up
I want a change of scene
My face was a thousand
Shades of red
And I'll paint me a new backdrop
I can still feel desire
As the cornerstone caves in
My stomach was reeling
(my stomach was reeling)
To the maritime
We'll look for peace of mind in the dark
Horizontal lines
And I saw that your finger
(your fingers were bleeding)
was bleeding dry
(coulda been more kind)
and I could have been a bit more kind
to your malady
I can still be reminded not to take so thoughtlessly
because
I'm stuck on the rainy side of Elsinore,
Picking fights and talking back
And I just wanna hold you tight
And listen long
All the strength of your quiet side
Out in the stairwell three flights down
I can hear the echo of the sound of water
My will breaking down
Well I missed it the first time,
Like the willing blind
Yeah I had my eyes glued shut,
My fist balled up tight
But I'm willing to open
Turn my song around, yeah
Time is getting wise to my ways
Maybe you'll understand
I'm stuck on the rainy side of Elsinore,
Picking fights and talking back
And I just wanna hold you tight
And listen long
All the strength of your quiet side
I'm stuck on the rainy side
of Elsinore refers to the singer feeling stuck in a negative state of mind. The line "Got the notice this morning, left me numb" suggests that the singer received some bad news that left them feeling emotionally paralyzed. They want a change of scene, as their current environment is not helping them to move forward. The line "I can still feel desire as the cornerstone caves in" suggests that even though things are falling apart, the singer still has hope and wants something better.
In the second verse, the singer reflects on a past situation where they could have been kinder to someone experiencing a malady (an illness). They still feel regret about their behavior, but they have learned from the experience and are trying to be more thoughtful going forward. The chorus repeats the idea that the singer feels stuck in a negative cycle, but ultimately just wants to hold someone they care about and connect with their positive, quiet side. The final verse says that the singer missed an opportunity in the past because they were being stubborn, but they are now open to change and hope that others will understand.
Line by Line Meaning
Got the notice this morning,
Received a message this morning,
Left me numb
Feeling emotionally detached
You wanna shake your mind up
You desire to change your way of thinking
I want a change of scene
I desire a physical change in my surroundings
My face was a thousand Shades of red
I felt extremely embarrassed and flushed
And I'll paint me a new backdrop
I will create a new environment for myself
So we all blend in
So that we can all fit in and belong
I can still feel desire
I still feel passion
As the cornerstone caves in
As the foundation fails
My stomach was reeling
I felt sick to my stomach
(my stomach was reeling)
Reiteration of previous line
To the maritime
To the sea
We'll look for peace of mind in the dark
We will search for emotional calmness in the unknown
And I saw that your finger
I noticed that your finger
(your fingers were bleeding)
Your fingers were bleeding
was bleeding dry
Had lost all of its blood
(coulda been more kind)
I could have been more compassionate
and I could have been a bit more kind
I should have been more empathetic
to your malady
To your illness or affliction
I can still be reminded not to take so thoughtlessly
I can learn from my mistakes and be more considerate
because
For this reason
I'm stuck on the rainy side of Elsinore,
I am trapped in a depressing and gloomy place
Picking fights and talking back
Engaging in unnecessary arguments and being disrespectful
And I just wanna hold you tight
I simply want to embrace you closely
And listen long
And pay close attention to what you have to say
All the strength of your quiet side
All the power of your introverted nature
Out in the stairwell three flights down
Outside, in the staircase three levels lower
I can hear the echo of the sound of water
I can hear the reverberation of the water's noise
My will breaking down
My determination giving way
Well I missed it the first time,
I failed to notice it the first time
Like the willing blind
Like someone who is eager to ignore the obvious
Yeah I had my eyes glued shut,
I purposely refused to see
My fist balled up tight
I was angry and ready to strike
But I'm willing to open
However, I am willing to unlock myself
Turn my song around, yeah
Change my attitude and behavior
Time is getting wise to my ways
Time is helping me become wiser about my actions
Maybe you'll understand
Perhaps you will comprehend
Contributed by Skyler C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.