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.
Rabbit
The Essex Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To find what fell from me.
I walked those streets
I heard those spires.
From Chambersburg to Berkeley Springs,
To where the Youghiogheny sinks.
And as the highway rolls,
In Monterey, Virginia,
My initials lay.
I drove on 33,
A rabbit next to me,
While Sandy sang.
Avella I cannot go,
All my memories your valley will not hold.
Though peoples white as snow,
All on the land of coal.
I went to see York and Carlisle,
to find what fell from me
The lyrics to The Essex Green’s song “Rabbit” paint a picture of a journey through the American northeast, filled with reflective nostalgia and a sense of longing. The song opens with the singer reminiscing about a pilgrimage to the towns of York and Carlisle, likely in Pennsylvania, in an attempt to reconnect with something that they have lost. The next verse describes a journey through the small towns of Chambersburg and Berkeley Springs, eventually following the Potomac River towards their destination. The lyrics are imbued with a sense of wistfulness and the search for something meaningful.
The song takes a more introspective turn in the next verse, with the singer reflecting on their own past and the memories they carry with them. They mention a town called Monterey, Virginia, where they’ve left their initials as a marker of their passing. The singer is accompanied on their travels by a rabbit, possibly a symbol of their own search for meaning and purpose. The final verse is the most enigmatic, referring to a town called Avella, which the singer seems uncertain about returning to. They describe the people as “white as snow,” possibly alluding to a sense of detachment or disconnect. The song leaves a feeling of mystery and yearning, with its evocative descriptions of Americana and a deeper emotional search.
Line by Line Meaning
I went to see York and Carlisle,
I traveled to York and Carlisle to search for something that I lost.
To find what fell from me.
I wanted to find whatever it was that I lost, which had fallen away from me.
I walked those streets
I strolled through the streets of York and Carlisle to explore their character.
I heard those spires.
I was able to hear the bell towers and steeples in those towns.
From Chambersburg to Berkeley Springs,
I journeyed from Chambersburg to Berkeley Springs in search of what I lost.
To where the Youghiogheny sinks.
I traveled all the way to where the Youghiogheny River flows into something else, looking to find what I lost.
And as the highway rolls,
As the road stretched out before me,
Potomac shows me the way.
I followed the Potomac River as it directed me on how to find what I was seeking.
In Monterey, Virginia,
I went to Monterey, Virginia,
My initials lay.
I found my initials somewhere nearby there.
On 33 I drove,
I traveled on Route 33.
A rabbit next to me,
There was a rabbit that was near me as I traveled.
While Sandy sang.
I listened to Sandy singing.
Avella I cannot go,
I'm not able to go to Avella.
All my memories your valley will not hold.
My memories won't remain in Avella's valley.
Though peoples white as snow,
Even though the people there were very white,
All on the land of coal.
they all lived on the land of coal, which was not something I desired.
Contributed by Anna V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.