Vetiver is an American folk band headed by songwriter Andy Cabic and often … Read Full Bio ↴Vetiver is an American folk band headed by songwriter Andy Cabic and often joined by Devendra Banhart, cellist Alissa Anderson, and violinist Jim Gaylord. They released their debut album Vetiver in 2004 on the small indie folk label DiCristina. Since the album's release Vetiver has toured extensively, opening for and collaborating with Devendra Banhart and Joanna Newsom. Before moving to San Francisco Cabic was a member of the North Carolina indie rock band The Raymond Brake who released some records on the now-defunct Simple Machines label. The band is named after the grass, vetiver. Their music has been described as 'surreal', 'lullingly pleasant', 'tender and accessible' and 'quirky and warm'.

Arboretum
Vetiver Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Some mornings I drive to the
university with Dwight
Our route leads to the Arboretum

Oh, one Seattle superb of ours

The Arboretum's 250 acres are
artfully planted with shrubs

from all over the world

and in Spring
lawns are splashed with
flowering cherries
blooms upon millions
through the city lies
as far north is Saint John's

oh what of Saint John's?
what of Saint John's?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Vetiver's song Arboretum describe the experience of the singer driving to the university with Dwight in the mornings, taking a route that leads them to the Arboretum. The Arboretum is located in Seattle and has 250 acres of land that are beautifully planted with shrubs from various parts of the world. The singer seems to be in awe of the beauty of the Arboretum in the spring, as they mention the blooming of flowering cherries all over the lawns.

The last two lines of the song are intriguing as the singer asks about Saint John's, a location that hasn't been mentioned before. It could be speculated that Saint John's refers to a place far north of Seattle, but the meaning behind the question is left open to interpretation. The song's lyrics can be interpreted as a reflection on the beauty and wonder of nature and the importance of taking a moment to appreciate it in our daily lives.

Line by Line Meaning

Some mornings I drive to the university with Dwight
I sometimes commute with Dwight to the university

Our route leads to the Arboretum
We go to the Arboretum by following our route

Oh, one Seattle superb of ours
Seattle is one of the great places we have

The Arboretum's 250 acres are artfully planted with shrubs from all over the world
The Arboretum has 250 acres of land on which different shrubs from around the world are grown in a beautiful way

and in Spring lawns are splashed with flowering cherries
During Spring, the place looks beautiful with blossoming cherry flowers on the lawns

blooms upon millions through the city lies
The city is filled with millions of blooms

as far north is Saint John's
Saint John's is located in the northern part of the city

oh what of Saint John's?
What is there in Saint John's?

what of Saint John's?
What is there in Saint John's?

Contributed by Jackson R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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