The project originally came together with songs being written in 2005. It was not recorded until the fall of 2008 in Fall Creek, Wisconsin, USA.
Since then, Jon Mueller (Death Blues) and Thomas Wincek (of All Tiny Creatures) have left Collections of Colonies of Bees, but continue to be members of Volcano Choir. They have also added Matthew Skemp on bass, who also plays in All Tiny Creatures.
Island IS
Volcano Choir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a lone catapult and a song gently put to the side
And the tones he would push and the songs he would push to the side
when it all went to fuck in the snow that gets pushed to the side
Well your heart is a bush and it's talking to --with some size
When you already put all of the soup inside
They were all really smooshed with a calm steady push to the side
All that your heart finds
Sign up all your relatives
Only your heart would mind
And the serpentine
I'm the reaper of bonds
Called the arrival
Tear into the night
(?)
"Harder", said your boy
Conserve it with an omelette
And you're on it with the carpet
And you solved it, said you called it
Set your orbit, said you cough it
Said it's often that you're oh fits
And your old tits on your hard drive
The lyrics of Volcano Choir's song Island, IS are quite abstract and difficult to interpret, but they seem to reflect the feeling of being lost and disconnected from oneself and the world around them. The line "On with your home, the song said it all to the sky" suggests that the singer is trying to find their way back to a sense of belonging, but they are struggling to articulate their feelings. The image of the "lone catapult" and the "snow that gets pushed to the side" evoke a sense of isolation and detachment from others, as though the singer is trying to launch themselves into a new space but is struggling to get traction.
The chorus of the song is equally enigmatic, with lines like "All that your heart finds/Wrong with your own wife" suggesting an internal conflict between what the heart desires and what society expects of us. The references to "sign[ing] up all your relatives" and "the reaper of bonds" hint at a deeper sense of obligation and duty that the singer is struggling to reconcile with their own desires. The final verses of the song become increasingly fractured and surreal, with lines like "And your old tits on your hard drive" adding to the sense of disorientation and confusion.
Overall, Island, IS seems to be a song about the struggle to find one's place in the world and to reconcile the conflicting demands of the heart and the outside world. The surreal imagery and abstract lyrics suggest that this is a deeply personal journey, one that is not easily translated into words.
Line by Line Meaning
On with your home, the song said it all to the sky
Continue with your life, let the song express what words cannot
With a lone catapult and a song gently put to the side
With only a modest force, the song was put to the side
And the tones he would push and the songs he would push to the side
The musician was selective with which tones and songs he chose to highlight
when it all went to fuck in the snow that gets pushed to the side
When everything fell apart, it was like snow that was cleared out of the way
Well your heart is a bush and it's talking to --with some size
Your heart is full and alive, yearning to be heard
When you already put all of the soup inside
When you've already given your all to someone or something
They were all really smooshed with a calm steady push to the side
The musician gently and consistently pushed the sounds and ideas into the background
All that your heart finds
Everything that your heart discovers
Wrong with your own wife
That there's something amiss with even the closest relationships
Sign up all your relatives
Enlist everyone who matters to you
Only your heart would mind
Only your heart would take notice of the discrepancies
And the serpentine
The deceptive nature of things
I'm the reaper of bonds
I am the force that separates us
Called the arrival
The change that is coming
Tear into the night
Rip through the darkness
(?)
Unknown/unclear
"Harder", said your boy
Encouragement to push harder
Conserve it with an omelette
Preserve the essence of it
And you're on it with the carpet
You're working diligently on it
And you solved it, said you called it
You believe that you have found a resolution
Set your orbit, said you cough it
Control your own path, confront the outcome
Said it's often that you're oh fits
You're not always quite right
And your old tits on your hard drive
Old memories filed away on a computer
Writer(s): Justin Deyarmond Edison Vernon, Daniel Thomas Spack, Jonathan Edmund Mueller, James Frank Schoenecker Iii, Thomas John Wincek Jr, Christopher Michael Rosenau
Contributed by Christian W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jamille_Danae
Owen, you're home
The sun set it on to the sky
With a long catapult
And the salt that he put to the side
And the tones he would push and the songs he would push to the side
When it all went a fuck in the snow that gets pushed to the side
Well your heart is a bush and it's talking, too, with some size
When you already put all of the soot inside
They were already smushed with a calm steady push to the side
All that your heart finds
On with your own wife
Sign
Up
All
Your
Relatives
Only a harbor mind
In turpentine
I'm the reaper bahn
Calm the arrival
Tear it to the night
Heart is said, you boy
Come and serve it with an omelette
And you're on it
With the carpet
You solved it
Said you're corporate
Set your orbit
Set your coffin
Said its often
That your old fits
Are your old tits
On your hard drive
Bibeoboy
I will never forget this song.
Drew Bloodsoe
Probably one of the best songs I've ever heard.
Ciara Brehony
Sublime song. Five months listening to it and can't get enough of this album. Great video.
ProtestSong68
this video so hauntingly gorgeous.. the song is what ud expect out of little J V's head to come out: pure emotion
wraaaah
I'm utterly fascinated by this video and the music.
Jamille_Danae
Owen, you're home
The sun set it on to the sky
With a long catapult
And the salt that he put to the side
And the tones he would push and the songs he would push to the side
When it all went a fuck in the snow that gets pushed to the side
Well your heart is a bush and it's talking, too, with some size
When you already put all of the soot inside
They were already smushed with a calm steady push to the side
All that your heart finds
On with your own wife
Sign
Up
All
Your
Relatives
Only a harbor mind
In turpentine
I'm the reaper bahn
Calm the arrival
Tear it to the night
Heart is said, you boy
Come and serve it with an omelette
And you're on it
With the carpet
You solved it
Said you're corporate
Set your orbit
Set your coffin
Said its often
That your old fits
Are your old tits
On your hard drive
oscarkev190
This is honestly one of the best music videos ever. And I'm serious!
Jayda Watkins
awesome song! its so chill
Rachel Rose G
This video had to be insanely difficult to make! So worth it!
suck4cash
I love it! bon iver's for emma, forever ago was an awesome album. But this song has a different vibe and a set of good wheels on the instrumentals. A happy day finding this one.