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.
Rue de Lis
The Essex Green Lyrics
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The day is neverending 'til the darkness begun
Hearing from the lightman's house upon 43
Sun is breaking dust along the rusty Rue de Lis
Now he's down the Rue de Lis
He's down the Rue de Lis
We walked him down the Rue de Lis last night
We heard he was a soldier from a muskateer time
Kept all his secrets guarded in wine
Never spend his money, not a nickel or a franc
Wouldn't trust his sister any more than the bank
Now he's down the Rue de Lis
He's down the Rue de Lis
We walked him down the Rue de Lis last night
After the procession no one dared to make a sound
Counted all his money and every note they found
Came written an inscription only his hand would have seen
I live my life like my brothers at sea
Down the Rue de Lis
They're down the Rue de Lis
We walked him down the Rue de Lis last night
Walk down the Rue die Lis
Down the Rue de Lis
We walked him down the Rue de Lis last night
The lyrics of The Essex Green's song, Rue de Lis, tell a story of a man who lived a mysterious life and was finally laid to rest. The song talks about how it has been too long since they had sunny mornings and how the darkness seems to never end. The lightman's house on 43 is mentioned, which could be a reference to a lighthouse.
The man who passed away was said to be a soldier from a musketeer time and he kept all his secrets guarded in wine. He was also known for never spending his money and not trusting his own sister. The chorus talks about how he was walked down the Rue de Lis last night, which could indicate a funeral procession.
After the man's death, his money was counted, and an inscription that only he could have written was found, which read "I live my life like my brothers at sea." This could imply that he lived a life of freedom and adventure.
Overall, the song Rue de Lis depicts a story of a man with a mysterious past who lived by his own rules and was remembered through a quiet funeral procession down the Rue de Lis.
Line by Line Meaning
It's been too many mornings since the mornings in the sun
It's been too long since we've had happy times
The day is neverending 'til the darkness begun
The day feels long and never seems to end until nightfall
Hearing from the lightman's house upon 43
Listening to the sounds coming from the lightman's house on 43rd street
Sun is breaking dust along the rusty Rue de Lis
The sun's rays are shining through the dust on Rue de Lis
Now he's down the Rue de Lis
He is currently walking down Rue de Lis
We walked him down the Rue de Lis last night
We accompanied him on a walk down Rue de Lis the previous night
We heard he was a soldier from a muskateer time
We were told he was a soldier from a long time ago
Kept all his secrets guarded in wine
He kept his secrets hidden and shared them only when drunk
Never spend his money, not a nickel or a franc
He never spent his money, not even a small amount
Wouldn't trust his sister any more than the bank
He didn't trust his sister at all, just like he didn't trust banks
After the procession no one dared to make a sound
After the ceremony, nobody wanted to disturb the silence
Counted all his money and every note they found
They counted all the money they could find
Came written an inscription only his hand would have seen
An inscription was found that only he could have written
I live my life like my brothers at sea
I live my life like a sailor, following their way of life
Down the Rue de Lis
Walking down Rue de Lis
Contributed by James T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.