Breadcrumb Trail Lyrics
[Spoken Verse]
I stepped out onto the midway
I was looking for the pirate ship and saw this small, old white tent at one end
It was blue and had white lights hanging all around it
I decided to check out the tent, it seemed like I could hear music coming from inside
As I walked toward it, I passed a crowd of people at the sideshow
I couldn't figure out why they would want to wait in line
I pulled back the drape thing on the tent
There was a crystal ball at the table, and behind it, a girl wearing a hat
She smiled, and asked me if I wanted my fortune read
I said, "Okay" and sat down
Then I thought about it for a minute, and asked her if she would rather go on the roller coaster instead
[Part II]
[Verse 1]
Creeping up into the sky
Stopping, at the top, and then starting down
The girl grabbed my hand, I clutched it tight
I said good-bye to the ground
[Interlude]
Far below, a soiled man
A bucket of torn tickets at his side
He watches the children run by
And cleans his teeth
Spinning round, my head began to turn
I shouted, and searched the sky for a friend
I heard the fortune teller, screaming back at me
We stuck out our hands and met the wind
[Verse 3]
The girl falters as she steps down from the platform
She clutches her stomach, and begins to heave
The ticket-taker smiles, and the last car is ready
"Who told you that you could leave?"
[Part III]
[Spoken Verse]
The sun was setting by the time we left
We walked across the deserted lot, alone
We were tired, but we managed to smile
At the gate I said goodnight to the fortune teller
The carnival sign threw colored shadows on her face, but I could tell she was blushing
About
“Breadcrumb Trail” serves as the opener to Slint’s masterpiece of an album, Spiderland, and does well to set the tone of the album. The instruments and vocals follow their patented loud-soft dynamic, starting slow with very understated spoken word and guitar riff, and transitions abruptly into powerful and loud singing and instrumentation.
Lyrically, the song is a straightforward love story of a boy meeting a fortune-teller at a carnival. The two ride a roller coaster during the climax of the song. Similarities can be drawn with Gabriel García Márquez' story “One Hundred Years Of Solitude” where a boy meets a gypsy and falls in love with her in a very similar and mysterious fashion.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
7/4 I believe. During the loud part it goes into 12/8 and 15/8, and after this part 4/4-6/4.