This song sets up the tone of the aftermath of loss for the whole album, as well as the themes of using nature as a way to cope with emotion and the overwhelming feeling that something big has been lost.
This track was featured on the Song Exploder podcast, in which Phil dissects the musical and lyrical development of the song.
“I don’t remember what got me thinking about storms as a metaphor for emotional turmoil, but there were a bunch of songs on this theme. This one I remember writing, discovering the guitar line, sitting on the guest bed in my friend Mirah’s parents’ house outside Philadelphia in the fall of 2000 in the middle of a long tour. Life at home was confusing and stagnant and so ‘I want wind to blow.…’ means ‘I want crazy events to happen to me. I’m tired of gray. Give me black or white.’ Also, my hometown, Anacortes, is more exposed and more windy on its island than the basin holding Olympia, where I lived at the time. I missed home.”
The Believer – PHIL ELVERUM ON SIX OF HIS SONGS
I Want Wind to Blow
The Microphones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The rain dried up
The lightning let up
The clacking shutters just shut up
There's no black or white
No change in the light
No night, no golden sun
The awful feeling of electric heat
Under fluorescent lights, they sacrifice
There's hard feelings, there's pointless waste
I want wind (Ah)
To blow
My clothes off me, sweep me off my feet
Take me out, don't bring me back
Oh, where I can see days passed by me
I have no head to hold in grief
But there's no hope for me, I've been set free
There's no breeze, there's no ship on my sea
The Microphones' song "I Want Wind to Blow" is a hauntingly beautiful piece that speaks of the desire to be swept away. The opening lines speak of the aftermath of a thunderstorm, in which the silence that follows is only interrupted by the sound of clacking shutters. This sets the tone for the rest of the song, which is a meditation on the emptiness of modern life.
The lyrics talk of the absence of color, change, and life in the world. The sound of cars and the smell of bars only add to this feeling of emptiness. The electric heat, fluorescent lights, and sacrifice further emphasize the idea of soullessness. The singer in the song longs for something to break this monotony, to take them away from this hopeless existence.
This is where the chorus comes in - "I want wind to blow." The singer desires to be swept away, to be free from this empty existence. They want to be taken to a place where they can see days pass by them, without any grief holding them back. The absence of wind, of a ship on their sea, speaks to the idea that the singer feels alone and trapped.
Overall, "I Want Wind to Blow" is a poignant commentary on modern life and the desire for freedom and escape. The use of natural imagery and the contrast between the silence after a storm and the emptiness of modern life make for a powerful and affecting piece.
Line by Line Meaning
The thunder clouds broke up
The dark clouds that indicate a storm are starting to dissipate
The rain dried up
The rain has stopped and the ground is starting to dry
The lightning let up
The lightning has ceased and there are no more bright flashes in the sky
The clacking shutters just shut up
The sound that the shutters make during a storm has ceased and there is now silence
There's no black or white
The situation is not clear cut and there are no definite answers
No change in the light
The lighting conditions have remained the same, and there is no noticeable change
No night, no golden sun
The weather is dull and there is no variation in the lighting throughout the day
The sound of cars, the smell of bars
The surroundings feel normal but a sense of monotony is creeping up
The awful feeling of electric heat
The heat is very oppressive and uncomfortable, almost unbearable
Under fluorescent lights, they sacrifice
People are working very hard and sacrificing their time, health and energy for mundane tasks
There's hard feelings, there's pointless waste
There is bitterness and resentment towards something that is not worth it
I want wind (Ah) To blow
The artist desires a change of atmosphere and mood
My clothes off me, sweep me off my feet
The singer wants to be liberated from the mundane, and be taken away from their present circumstances
Take me out, don't bring me back
The singer wants to leave permanently, and have no reason to return
Oh, where I can see days passed by me
The singer wants to have a change of scenery, to experience new things and to have memories to look back on
I have no head to hold in grief
The artist does not want to worry anymore, and wants to leave all their problems behind
But there's no hope for me, I've been set free
The artist recognizes that they have nothing left to hold onto in their present situation, and feels that they have no hope for better circumstances
There's no breeze, there's no ship on my sea
Metaphorically, the singer feels like they are stuck in one place with no direction or hope for an escape plan
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