The Guild League has been cranking out their lyrical-indie-soul-folk since 2001 and have produced two fine albums Private Transport and Inner North. Several songs including Jetset Go and Siamese Couplets have received wide radio play. Currently recording their third album which will be released in 2008.
www.myspace.com/theguildleague
Albums released in the USA by Matinee Records.
Animals
The Guild League Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
halfway to my childhood home.
In the car and on my own,
white lines where the road is sewn.
Stitches holding down the car,
beside the sun under the stars.
Through the evening coloured so
La la la...
All the patterns of the past are gone.
Cutting down the dotted line I'm on.
Because we all begin with just our skin.
And we live enthralled just like animals.
Like animals.
Watching with a child's face.
The backseat used to be my place,
but now I put my foot down first
sweet memories won't quench this thirst,
for horizon on every side.
Now my eyes are open wide.
Fingers from the sky will find
the cloud of dust I've left behind.
La la la...
All the patterns of the past are gone.
Cutting down the dotted line I'm on.
Because we all begin with just our skin.
And we live enthralled just like animals.
Like animals, like animals.
Just like animals.
The Guild League's song “Animals” paints a vivid picture of a nostalgic road trip through memories of the past, with the realization that the patterns of the past have faded and paved the way to a new journey. The song starts with the lyrics “Clouds of feathers fleece and foam, halfway to my childhood home,” which set the tone for a dream-like state of mind, where the singer is lost in memories of their childhood. The line “In the car and on my own, white lines where the road is sewn” gives a hint that the singer is driving down the familiar road, as they take in the picturesque landscape through the windshield.
The next stanza, “Stitches holding down the car, beside the sun under the stars. Through the evening coloured so, like pink champagne and eye-shadow,” describes the singer's contemplative state and their thoughts of the shifting past, as all the patterns of the past have vanished. The line “like pink champagne and eye-shadow” creates an ambiance of a lush, fading evening that evokes memories connected to the passage of time.
The chorus “All the patterns of the past are gone. Cutting down the dotted line I'm on. Because we all begin with just our skin. And we live enthralled just like animals. Like animals,” centers on the idea that humans, at the foundational level, are no different from animals, and we are all tied to the natural order of things. The notion is encapsulated in the image of the dotted line, which separates the past from the present, and by cutting this line, it seems as if the singer has embarked on a new journey where one must trust their natural instincts.
Line by Line Meaning
Clouds of feathers fleece and foam,
Fluffy, light clouds pass me by as I recall memories from my childhood.
halfway to my childhood home.
I'm on the way home, but I'm caught up in the past.
In the car and on my own,
I'm taking this journey alone, feeling both free and isolated.
white lines where the road is sewn.
I follow the straight path marked on the road as I drive towards my future.
Stitches holding down the car,
The car is like a vessel carrying me on this journey, and I'm grateful for its reliability.
beside the sun under the stars.
The sun sets as the stars start to twinkle above me, and I am in awe of the natural world around me.
Through the evening coloured so like pink champagne and eye-shadow.
The sky has a beautiful pink hue that reminds me of champagne and the glamorous makeup of my past.
All the patterns of the past are gone.
I'm leaving behind the familiar patterns of my past and forging a new path forward.
Cutting down the dotted line I'm on.
I'm taking control of my own journey and veering off the beaten path.
Because we all begin with just our skin.
We start off as vulnerable human beings, at the mercy of the world around us.
And we live enthralled just like animals.
We are all just animals, living in this world that is both beautiful and savage.
Watching with a child's face.
I'm seeing the world with renewed wonder and curiosity, like a child experiencing everything for the first time.
The backseat used to be my place,
I used to be content with being a passenger, but now I'm taking the wheel.
but now I put my foot down first sweet memories won't quench this thirst,
I'm ready to take risks and chase my dreams, even if it means leaving behind sentimental memories of the past.
for horizon on every side.
I crave the unknown, the vastness of the horizon stretching out before me.
Now my eyes are open wide.
I'm awake, alive, and fully present in the moment.
Fingers from the sky will find the cloud of dust I've left behind.
I'm leaving a mark on the world, a trail of dust that signifies my passing.
Like animals, like animals.
We are all blazing our own trails, like animals in the wild.
Just like animals.
Our primal instincts drive us forward, pushing us to take risks and explore the unknown.
Contributed by Charlie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jamesrichards3964
I fell for this the full 5 fathoms.