Widowspeak is a Brooklyn, New York, United States-based quartet that play h… Read Full Bio ↴Widowspeak is a Brooklyn, New York, United States-based quartet that play hazy atmospheric dream pop and shoegaze, formed in 2010.

There are aspects of the band's sound - abrasive guitar hooks, immediate drumming, and incessant codas - that speak to living in a big city. But there's also a dreary sparseness, a David Lynch-esque darkness, culled from the other members' native Washington.

The band's skeletal sound began to take shape, with Robert's rust-belt guitar parts lending a restless, sinister edge to Molly's subdued melodies and soft vocal style. Writing became a collaborative effort, and Widowspeak racked up an arsenal of songs. By fall the trio had recorded a six-track cassette using only a built-in laptop microphone and Garageband. The self-released October Tape, as it was called, fell into the hands of Brooklyn's Captured Tracks. Weeks later, after only their sixth show, Widowspeak recorded the 7" single Harsh Realm, in anticipation of a full LP.

Their eponymous debut LP was released on August 9th, 2011 on Captured Tracks.

http://widowspeak.bandcamp.com

Perennials
Widowspeak Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

We could stay last to the ground
Do you like hanging around?
We could stay for the season
Maybe I'd give you a reason to

Won't you return in a year
Don't you like living here?
You could stay for the season

Or are you without a reason to

And what of the roots we planted
And all what we take for granted
It withers away with the season
And leave without giving a reason why

I'm afraid that nothing lasts
Nothing lasts long enough
I'm afraid that nothing lasts
Nothing lasts long enough
I'm afraid that nothing lasts
Nothing lasts long enough
I'm afraid that nothing lasts
Nothing lasts long enough
I'm afraid that nothing lasts
Nothing lasts long enough
I'm afraid that nothing lasts

Nothing lasts long enough
I'm afraid that nothing lasts

Overall Meaning

The song "Perennials" by Widowspeak is a reflective and introspective piece about the transience of life, relationships, and nature. The lyrics express a desire to hold onto things, to stay rooted and connected, to find reasons to make things last. But ultimately, the song acknowledges that nothing lasts forever, and we must learn to let go and accept the impermanence of everything.

The first verse talks about hanging around and staying last to the ground, expressing a desire to stay rooted and connected to a place. The chorus repeats the line "I'm afraid that nothing lasts long enough" multiple times, emphasizing the fear of impermanence and acknowledging the inevitability of change. The second verse questions whether the subject of the song will return or stay, and again expresses a desire to find a reason to make things last. The bridge refers to planting roots that wither away, emphasizing the theme of impermanence and the idea that even the things we take for granted will eventually fade away.

Throughout the song, the tone is contemplative and mournful, but also accepting of the transience of life. The repetition of the chorus line "I'm afraid that nothing lasts long enough" drives home the message that we must appreciate the moments we have, even as they slip away from us.

Line by Line Meaning

We could stay last to the ground
We could continue to exist in our current circumstance and not make any progress

Do you like hanging around?
Do you enjoy being stagnant and not moving forward?

We could stay for the season
We could remain in our present state for a short period of time

Maybe I'd give you a reason to
Perhaps I could provide you with a motivation to persist

Won't you return in a year
Will you come back after a year has passed?

Don't you like living here?
Don't you enjoy the current situation you are in?

You could stay for the season
You can continue to exist in your current circumstance for a short period of time

Or are you without a reason to
Or do you not have a motivation to persist?

And what of the roots we planted
What will happen to the things we have established?

And all what we take for granted
And all the things we assume will always exist

It withers away with the season
It fades and deteriorates just like everything else

And leave without giving a reason why
And disappear without providing an explanation for why things changed