Patterns of Fairytales
The National Lyrics


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tonight there isn't any light under your door
I guess you must be somewhere breathing
where skin and everything still know what they are for
and blood remembers where to go

I fell in love with you no matter what you say
but you were right about the reasons
to turn a magdeline into the month of May
I shoulda known the magdeline was me

so I'm turning on the stereo
and I'm lining up the names
on the mixes I made before you
and I'm turning into fairytales
with glitter and some glue
everything we ever planned to ever do

tonight there isn't any light under your door
I guess you must be somewhere breathing
in patterns unfamiliar to the one you're underneath
I pinned those patterns in my coat

so I'm turning on the stereo
and I'm turning into fairytales




yes I'm turning on the stereo
and I'm turning into you

Overall Meaning

The National's song Patterns of Fairytales is a melancholic reflection on love and loss. The lyrics are poignant and introspective, dealing with the themes of unrequited love, the power of memory and the desire to hold onto the past.


The opening lines set a somber tone, describing a dark and empty room with no light under the door. The singer assumes that the person whom he/she loves is away, breathing somewhere else. In the next line, the singer describes the primal and essential aspects of being human, where skin and everything still knows what they are for, and blood remembers where to go, indicating a sense of physical longing.


The second verse begins with a confession of falling in love with someone, irrespective of what they say. The person was right about the reasons perhaps for not reciprocating his/her love, and instead converting the singer into a "magdeline into the month of May." Magdalene has biblical allusions to a woman who was a close follower of Jesus and witnessed his crucifixion and resurrection, and May is the month of spring representing renewal and rebirth. The singer regrets not knowing that he/she was the magdeline, perhaps indicating a sense of self-discovery and self-awareness. The singer then turns on the stereo, lining up the mixtapes from the past, and immerses himself/herself in fairytales, with glitter and some glue, perhaps seeking solace in an imaginary world of possibilities and optimism.


The lyrics in the final verse continue to reflect the same sense of longing and desire to hold onto the past. The singer imagines patterns unfamiliar to the one he/she is underneath and pins them in his/her coat, indicating a sense of cherishing the memories. The song ends with the declaration of turning into the person he/she loves, perhaps symbolizing a sense of acceptance and moving on.


Line by Line Meaning

tonight there isn't any light under your door
I can see that your room is dark, suggesting that you are not there.


I guess you must be somewhere breathing
I imagine that you are somewhere alive and well, simply not here.


where skin and everything still know what they are for
Wherever you are, I imagine that the people there have a clear sense of their identity and purpose.


and blood remembers where to go
I also imagine that they are in touch with their instincts and able to follow them without question.


I fell in love with you no matter what you say
Despite any objections or reservations you may have expressed, I have fallen deeply in love with you.


but you were right about the reasons
I acknowledge that you had valid concerns about our relationship.


to turn a magdeline into the month of May
You suggested that I should not idealize our relationship, comparing it to the transition from a difficult time to a more pleasant one.


I shoulda known the magdeline was me
In hindsight, I see that you were suggesting that I was the one who needed to change, rather than projecting my feelings onto the relationship itself.


so I'm turning on the stereo
Feeling nostalgic, I am choosing to listen to music as a way of coping with our separation.


and I'm lining up the names
I am organizing my music collection, perhaps as a way of trying to regain a sense of order and control.


on the mixes I made before you
I am focused on the music that I loved before you came into my life.


and I'm turning into fairytales
I am using the power of imagination to escape from the pain of reality.


with glitter and some glue
In my mind's eye, I am creating a flawless, idealized vision of our relationship.


everything we ever planned to ever do
In my fairy tale, nothing went wrong, and our plans for the future came to fruition.


in patterns unfamiliar to the one you're underneath
I am aware that the reality of your life and experiences may be vastly different from how I am imagining them, and that I may not truly understand your perspective.


I pinned those patterns in my coat
Nevertheless, I am determined to cling to my idealized vision of you and our relationship, even if it means ignoring reality.


yes I'm turning on the stereo
Once again, I am seeking solace in music as a way of coping with the pain of our separation.


and I'm turning into you
In my mind, I am embodying your spirit, trying to imagine what it would be like to be you and to understand you fully.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: AARON DESSNER, MATTHEW BERNINGER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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