The line is more like begging than a threat. The first half is his plea, and the second half is his rapidly declining pride. I don't think the Boy won this one.
My favorite TDH album closer, without a doubt. Love Life and Death as a track, but this works so well because it's so foreboding. Eerie, menacing, catchy, and almost sad. "Travelled too far from the river's side" is one of my favorite TDH lines; our guy is too far gone and he knows it. He should have stayed home.
Just curious, was this comment made bevore Act V? Because don't get me wrong I love both this song (the "Travelled too far from the river's side" part is also one of my favorite TDH lines) and "Life and Death"! ...But they just can't compete with the "losing-my-shit" caliber-moment that is the "The Moon" Reprise in "A Beginning". "Dear apparition, while my senses last Is absolution far too much to ask? Will you forgive a truly troubled past?" Just kills me. Every single time. And then the "The Lake South" reprise to finish it off. So good!
Listening to Acts I-IV altogether makes me have chills. I think this is a brilliant ending to this Act. I feel the emotion of all Acts coming into this song. The ending was so nostalgic of where his mind was in the end of Act III. Now patiently waiting (hopefully not another 6 years) for the next Act.
I bet you thought that you'd succeed Pulling the wool right over me Hard to believe this snake stayed in the grass Just long enough to catch your rabbit's feet With telescoping glances Hands romanced enticing you to keep Laboring against the clock in spite of secrecy You couldn't know revealed itself To me the second you decided to compete I fell down then I fell apart I never wanted to hurt no one I never wanted to be your city's son I cried out to his crooked heart I never wanted to hurt no one No one but you I bet you thought that you could breathe A satisfied sigh of relief A terrible thing, forgetting where you came from Or have you trouble when you fall asleep I've seen you fabricate, manipulate and here, you masquerade But if we're poaching ghosts, you know I've got a few that I would raise Settle yourself As long as i'm protected You can bet your secret's safe with me I fell down then I fell apart I never wanted to hurt no one I never wanted to be your city's son I cried out to his crooked heart I never wanted to hurt no one No one but you Lost my soul In the place of the great deceiver Foolish hearts led foolish plans awry They told me don't veer far from your home Try never to leave her Near I landed here I'll live and die Travelled too far from the river's side It wasn't long before I felt nothing below me And all of the ground I thought I'd gained Taken away Thought I was strong; not strong enough My mettle was bending Foolish plans kissed foolish hearts goodbye Travelled too far from the river's side
For some reason this song has gotten some flak for not being "a strong ending". The ambiguity of it is what makes it so compelling! A showdown between the pimp/priest and the protagonist? How can you get stronger than that?!
+Maxwell Henry Daum i agree this is a strong ending, but it takes more to beat the ending to Act III, although, this without a doubt i would place as the 2nd strongest, so don't get me wrong, this is still amazing.
+bruce wayne It doesn't need to beat Act III. Act III is closure for the first leg of the Boy's journey. Act IV is the beginning of the next one. There's a distinct difference between before and after Act III. The sins committed on this side of the tracks are the Boy's alone. He's no longer the good guy. There's no more justice to seek, no more guidance to be gained from the plight of his mother. He's truly alone now, and to put it mildly he done goofed. The path he walks is very different one from that which he walked in acts I-III. A much darker path. The last two tracks on Act IV are only the start of the suffering I predict will continue well into Act V.
I'm on the fence on how much I like the end of Act III. It fits very well on the album, but among the closers Vital Vessel Vindicates has a special place in my heart. The way it sounds simultaneously hopeless and hopeful, the imagery it invokes in my mind, the way I immediately understood what the sounds at the very end meant. I also find the sinister sound of Ouroboros appealing. It's like a cliffhanger ending, but I'm suspending my judgement on it until Act V. It Act V doesn't deliver it'll affect my view of Ouroboros.
The beginning of this song really reminds of Jack Conte come to think of it. There might be a specific song but I can't think of it off the top of my head.
There is a story that is told in the "acts" albums (the band's other releases don't deal with the story) So far, 4 of the 6 acts of the story have been released. Here's a good starting point for looking into the story starting from act 1 www.lakeandtheriver.com/index.php?showtopic=2366 You can also find song-by-song descriptions and interpretations for each song acts 1-4 here www.lakeandtheriver.com/index.php?showtopic=194
+FullmetalTriforce I find that the best way to think about the Acts is to imagine them as a film expressed through music. Casey has described each song as a "scene" and picturing it that way makes it easy for you to appreciate how much effort he put into painting a picture for all of us with sound. I really hope he scores a film at some point because he would be brilliant at it.
