Lyric of the Day #10

Recently, I posted in the Links of the Day a link directing you to an article about the recluse rocker Jeff Mangum and how after he wrote the best album you have never heard of “In the Aeroplane over the Sea,” with his short lived band Neutral Milk Hotel he had a nervous breakdown and put music aside. Today’s lyrics are from this album that was devoted to Mangum’s obsession, Anne Frank. These particular lyrics are something incredible and really indescribable. It is best you just read them and take them in for yourself. Listen to the odd song as well to further the effect.

The only girl I’ve ever loved
Was born with roses in her eyes
But then they buried her alive
One evening, 1945
With just her sister at her side
And only weeks before the guns
All came and rained on everyone
Now she’s a little boy in Spain
Playing pianos filled with flames
On empty rings around the sun
All sing to say my dream has come

But now we must pick up every piece
Of the life we used to love
Just to keep ourselves
At least enough to carry on

And now we ride the circus wheel
With your dark brother wrapped in white
Says it was good to be alive
But now he rides a comet’s flame
And won’t be coming back again
The Earth looks better from a star
That’s right above from where you are
He didn’t mean to make you cry
With sparks that ring and bullets fly
On empty rings around your heart
The world just screams and falls apart

But now we must pick up every piece
Of the life we used to love
Just to keep ourselves
At least enough to carry on

And here’s where your mother sleeps
And here is the room where your brothers were born
Indentions in the sheets
Where their bodies once moved but don’t move anymore
And it’s so sad to see the world agree
That they’d rather see their faces fill with flies
All when I’d want to keep white roses in their eyes

                – “Holland 1945,” Neutral Milk Hotel off of “In an Aeroplane Over The Sea”