Elegy for Elsabet
The Weakerthans Lyrics
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Where the scary scarecrow stands
Sees her holding up horizons with her hands
She's so tired of reading daddy's lips
That essay on a frown
Watch her memories of human voices drown
Make grasses' swish meet the crickets' ring
Let every sound consecrate our whispering
The words that Betta never heard
So the back lanes tie the city down
A mess of dirty string
Winter dies the same way every spring
As the sky tries on its uniform
Of turned off TV gray
And the ways we watched her watch us walk away
Let every rain clatter down at groaning streets
Make footsteps tick, talk to echoed walls
Let every sound consecrate our whispering
The words that Betta never heard
Let every wind howl and creak the creaking doors
To rooms that too much has happened in
Let every sound consecrate our whispering
The words that Betta never heard
The Weakerthans' song Elegy for Elsabet is a profound and emotive tribute to an unknown subject named Betta. The opening lines describe the barren landscape of post-harvest fields, accompanied by the eerie presence of a scarecrow, an image that perfectly sets the tone for the song's mournful atmosphere. Betta is portrayed as a tired and disillusioned figure who is sick of her father's lectures and longs for a world beyond his narrow-mindedness. The line "See her holding up horizons with her hands" is an allusion to Betta's desire to reach for something beyond her current circumstances, as if she could literally hold up the horizon and see beyond the limits of her reality.
The chorus of the song is a deeply moving call to memorialize Betta's unheard words. The repetition of the phrase "Let every sound consecrate our whispering / The words that Betta never heard" is a plea to make the most of the sounds that surround us, to cherish the fleeting moments of communication that we take for granted. The verses that follow describe the city, a place that connects people in ways that are both intimate and fleeting. The winter dies each year, and the sky puts on a "uniform of turned off TV gray," an image that perfectly captures the dullness and monotony of urban life. Betta's voice is silent in the city, drowned out by the cacophony of urban noise. But even in her absence, her presence is felt, consecrated by the sounds that surround us.
Interestingly, the song's title is spelt incorrectly in the lyrics, it should have been "Elegy for Elisabet". Another interesting thing to note is that "Betta" is a nickname for an unknown person - this allows the song to be a more universal tribute to anybody that has felt voiceless in their life. Additionally, the song was partially inspired by a newspaper obituary, which John K. Samson (the songwriter) found in Canada's National Post newspaper. The article mentioned an undefined woman named Elisabet who had passed away - this was the catalyst for the song's creation. The song features drums from drummer Jason Tait, whose kit includes suitcase drums, an octoban, and a bucket thrown in for good measure. The song is also notable for its reference to Horus, the ancient Egyptian god of the sky. Finally, the chord progression of the song is not publicly available, as the band members have not released the official chords.
In summary, Elegy for Elsabet is a deeply affecting tribute to a person who never had the chance to share their story. The song's haunting imagery and poignant lyrics make it an unforgettable piece of music.
Chords: Unavailable.
Line by Line Meaning
So the fields are stubble, the garden's done
The fields are bare and the garden is finished for the season.
Where the scary scarecrow stands
A scarecrow is standing in the field.
Sees her holding up horizons with her hands
The scarecrow sees Betta holding out her arms, as if embracing the world.
She's so tired of reading daddy's lips
Betta is tired of hearing the same unfulfilled promises from her father.
That essay on a frown
The expression her father wears most often.
Watch her memories of human voices drown
Her memories of kind and caring people fade as she is stuck in a loveless household.
Let horsey bray break between the thunder boom
The sound of a horse neighing interrupts the sound of thunder.
Make grasses' swish meet the crickets' ring
The sound of grass rustling is in harmony with the sound of crickets chirping.
Let every sound consecrate our whispering
Let every sound in the world reverberate with the love we didn't express to Betta while she was alive.
The words that Betta never heard
The loving words we never shared with Betta while she was alive.
So the back lanes tie the city down
The narrow alleys make the city feel small, oppressive, and inescapable.
A mess of dirty string
The alleys are cluttered and unkempt, like a pile of tangled string.
Winter dies the same way every spring
Every year, winter turns to spring and everything starts anew--but Betta isn't here to experience it.
As the sky tries on its uniform
The sky is gray and unchanging.
Of turned off TV gray
The gray color of a television screen when it's turned off, suggesting a lack of life and vitality.
And the ways we watched her watch us walk away
We left Betta to suffer in silence, knowing that we were breaking her heart.
Let every rain clatter down at groaning streets
The sound of rain echoes through the empty city streets.
Make footsteps tick, talk to echoed walls
The sound of footsteps resonates through the empty and unresponsive city buildings.
Let every wind howl and creak the creaking doors
The sound of the wind through creaky doors mirrors the emptiness and desolation of Betta's life.
To rooms that too much has happened in
Rooms that have seen too much sadness and pain, Betta's included.
The words that Betta never heard
Our love for Betta, which we never expressed to her while she was alive.
Lyrics © O/B/O CAPASSO
Written by: John K Samson, Stephen Carroll, Jason Tait, John P. Sutton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gryffin
on Virtute the Cat Explains Her Departure
It had something to do with the rain
It was a rainy day when Virtute left
Leaching loamy dirt
The dirt becoming muddy and wet due to the rain.
And the way the back lane came alive
The rain bringing life to the back alley and making it more vibrant.
Half moon whispered go
Personification of the half-moon; Virtute believed it told her to leave
For a while I heard you
The cat heard its owner's footsteps for a brief period.
Missing steps in the street
The owner was upset and confused, stumbling while walking in the street, looking for her.
And your anger pleading
The owner's anger begging for something; perhaps Virtute's return
In an uncertain key
The owner's tone being unsure and lacking confidence.
Singing the sound that you found for me
Virtute's owner is calling out her name in an attempt to find her
When the winter took the tips of my ears
In winter, Virtute lost the tips of her ears to the cold
Found this noisy home
The cat found a new place to live.
Full of pigeons and places to hide
The new place was abundant in pigeons and had many good hiding spots.
And when the voices died
When everything became silent.
I emerged to watch abandoned machines
The cat came out of hiding to look at the machines that had been abandoned.
Waiting for their men
The machines were waiting for someone to come and use them.
To return, I remember the way
The cat remembers how the owner would look for her and she misses him.
I would wait for you
The cat used to wait for her owner to come back.
To arrive with kibble
The owner used to bring kibble for the cat to eat.
And a box full of beer
The owner used to have beer with him when he came back home.
How I'd scratch the empties
The cat remembers how she used to scratch the empty beer cans and bottles for hours to entertain herself.
Desperate to hear
The cat was desperate to hear the familiar sounds of her owner's presence.
You make the sound that you found for me
Virtute longed to hear her owner say her name, to be acknowledged by the person who left her alone for so long.
After scrapping with the ferals and the tabby
After fighting with other cats in the area.
Let you brush my matted fur
Allowed the owner to groom her matted fur.
How I'd knead into your chest while you were sleeping
The cat remembers how she used to knead into her owner's chest while he slept.
Shallow breathing made me purr
The cat would purr while feeling her owner's shallow breathing and being comforted by it.
But I can't remember the sound that you found for me
The cat can no longer remember the name her owner gave her, and it makes her sad and confused.
I can't remember the sound that you found for me
Reinforcing the fact that the cat can no longer remember her name.
I can't remember the sound
The cat can't seem to remember anything about the owner's voice and it vexes her.