Wasner and Stack have been playing music together and apart in Baltimore, MD, and chose their name from the honorary state tree of Maryland. If Children is the culmination of many months of recording, polishing and perfecting to achieve what Any Given Tuesday best described as, “. .. . mingling in a room full of shoegaze, alt-country, folk, and noise, shaking hands, kissing cheeks, and making friends with everyone.” If Children is an exuberant debut – noisy and restrained in turn, Wye Oak describe their philosophy: "We'd like to think that if a song is good enough, it'll stand on its own regardless of how much noise you pile on top. On the other hand, we do like noise." Listen, and we think you will have to agree!
The droll tone and fleeting sweetness of a Yo La Tengo are cut into the more deeply textural concerns of shoegaze in the Baltimore group's work. It's an interesting alignment, given the contrast in senses of humor. But Wye Oak successfully shed tonnage from the latter without losing potency.
The Tower
Wye Oak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cannot be bothered with the dark
The reason exits with the light
The one, the sun, the night
Begins, until trouble ends
I speak if only to explain
And no one here
Intentions are enough
The one, I love full of trust
They think the answer lies with me
But I am powerless to stop
The world from holding me
In place, the tower of it all
It is the cloud that hangs for days
It is a giant in the tree
The wind, the neck of me
We live as many others live
The fear of dying incomplete
Feeling the fair will tear apart
And turn and worn, start
The one, who sings around the sun
Cannot be bothered with the dark
He's underserving of the light
The one, the sun, the night
The one, the sun, the night
The one, the sun, the night
The Tower by Wye Oak is a song that can be interpreted in many different ways, as the lyrics are quite abstract and not specific to any particular subject matter. One possible interpretation is that it explores the idea of powerlessness and the struggle to find meaning in a chaotic world. The opening lines, "The one who sings around the sun, cannot be bothered with the dark," suggest a sense of detachment from the harsh realities of life. The singer seems to be reflecting on the fact that those who are able to navigate life with ease are often unaware of the struggles of those around them. The line, "The reason exists with the light," implies that clarity and understanding can only be found in moments of clarity and positivity.
The song then moves into a discussion of powerlessness, with the lines, "But I am powerless to stop, the world from holding me in place, the tower of it all." Here, the singer seems to be engaging with a sense of frustration or futility, as if they are trapped in a system that they cannot control. The Tower is used as a metaphor for this sense of being trapped and unable to escape. The final lines, "We live as many others live, the fear of dying incomplete," suggest a sense of urgency and mortality that pervades throughout the song. The singer seems to be grappling with the idea that all human experiences are ultimately limited and fleeting.
Overall, The Tower is a complex and introspective song that explores themes of detachment, powerlessness, and mortality. It is a poignant reflection on the human condition that encourages listeners to engage with their own feelings of uncertainty and unease.
Line by Line Meaning
The one, who sings around the sun
The person who celebrates life and basks in its warmth
Cannot be bothered with the dark
Ignores the negative aspects of life and focuses on the positive
The reason exits with the light
The purpose of life is revealed through positive experiences and moments
The one, the sun, the night
All aspects of life are important, including light and dark
Begins, until trouble ends
Life is full of ups and downs, but it always continues
I speak if only to explain
I communicate with others to share my perspective or provide information
And no one here
No one is crazy
Has lost his mind
Everyone has a sense of sanity
Intentions are enough
Even if actions fail, intentions still have value
The one, I love full of trust
A loved one who is trusted and relied upon
They think the answer lies with me
Others believe I have the solution to their problems
But I am powerless to stop
I am unable to change the circumstances around me
The world from holding me
The world's struggles and challenges keep me in place
In place, the tower of it all
Stuck in the midst of life's chaos and complexity
It is the cloud that hangs for days
The darkness and difficulties of life can linger and weigh on us
It is a giant in the tree
Life's challenges can seem insurmountable and ever-present
The wind, the neck of me
Life's challenges can feel suffocating and restrictive
We live as many others live
Our struggles are shared by others
The fear of dying incomplete
The fear of not living life fully or leaving things unfinished
Feeling the fair will tear apart
The belief that justice or fairness does not exist in the world
And turn and worn, start
Despite the struggles, life continues and restarts
He's underserving of the light
One who ignores the darkness is not deserving of the light
The one, the sun, the night
All aspects of life are intertwined, and none can be ignored
The one, the sun, the night
All aspects of life are important and relevant
The one, the sun, the night
All aspects of life are significant and meaningful
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ANDREW BRANT STACK, JENNIFER LYNN WASNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ben
I can’t put into words the way this video makes me feel. I just love it. I keep finding myself coming back to it.
Aint1S
It's called good weed! This is what everything looks like when you smoke good strains, it leaves you a little dumbfounded and you can feel the music...
The White Stripes 7 Nation Army used to do it to me too.
Chesterson Jack
Likewise! Unbridled joy.
Luna Lovegood
Been listening to this song constantly. Heard it on my college radio station (wutk 90.3). The song, to me, has this very serious feeling, so I love the overly corny dancing because it's ironic. I also love the shots of the woman dancer staring off into the distance, giving it that serious, slightly weird nod. I've never listened to Wye Oak before so I don't have that feeling of sadness at the new sound. I'm digging it.
Blake Beverly
@Blake Beverly wutk
Blake Beverly
90.3 with rocks! I love that station. I heard this on there just this morning (5-20-14) for the first time.
Okkotsu Yuta
Wow, for the past month I've been listening to this non-stop. halp. It's too addicting. Lovin' the new sound you guys!
2CuteMadHatter
This is my 6th time listening to this, and by no stretch, the last. XD
Garrett Grefe
At first I didn't like this song, I thought it was offbeat and weird but it really grew on me. It's just one of those songs you have to get used to to adore.
Miss Parker
Great work as usual. I <3 Jenn's voice, too!