Upon Viewing Bruegel’s “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus”
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Upon Viewing Bruegel’s “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus” Lyrics
I was born into self-actualization
I knew exactly who I was
But I never got my chance to be young
So when you lay me inside of a coffin
Bury me on the side of the hill
That's a good place to get some thinking done
It didn't work out the way that I planned it
They all seem to want to take it away
Everything that I thought to be true
So it's obvious to me somebody
Somewhere must have really done a number on you
And I know because the fuckers got me too
[Hook]
All the pretty horses, all flowers and trees
They will all mean less than nothing when it all has come to be
[Verse 2]
God sent me a vision of the future in a dream on a Saturday night
And I see no reason to celebrate
For when I saw it I wept like a child
It came to me like a knife in the chest
You and me and everyone, forever, to ache and ache and ache
So Father, if it's possible, let this cup pass me by
But if it can't without my drinking it, then thy will be done
About
In the painting from the original song, in the corner, you see this tiny guy falling into the ocean. It’s been interpreted as: It’s a big world, and people go about their business, and little tragedies are happening all the time, and what are you going to do?
– Patrick Stickles to Pitchfork
He grew up dreaming of being something big and making something of his life but as he ages he just works and everything becomes meaningless and ugly. He sees himself, in the future, becoming the working, suburban Christian that made him start to rebel in the first place. He will become the man plowing while the person he thought he was going to become will fall off the ledge to drown. He will become so blind that he won’t even notice himself drowning.
It is kind of the continuation to the last song, Arms Against Atrophy. The last song leaves him worrying about what life will treat him like and this song is the horrible possibility that will become of him.
The sequel to this song is Landscape with fall of Icurus that takes place on their third album. It deals with the same theme and painting.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
- 5.Upon Viewing Bruegel’s “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus”
- 7.No Future
- 9.Albert Camus
