Finally got around to do an in-depth analysis of The Garden by The Crane Wives
(mostly of the text)
TW: religious oppression/violence
Ok so. The singer is talking to someone they're close to (bed=intimacy) and asking them to conceal something shameful, because ''bury'' is a pretty extreme way of hiding something and the singer can't even name it, using ''this''. Usually when you use ''this'' there is a precedence in the text, but there's none here.
The religious imagery begins with the garden probably referencing the garden of Eden. But the supposed paradise is now full of crows, an animal associated with bad omens and superstition (!), creating an antithesis. We understand the singer has been exposed and lies can't help them anymore. Hiding didn't work out!
Anaphora of ''my'' showing the strong bond between the singer and their lover (also aliteration of ''s'' right after the ''my'' which sounds absolutely lovely. One of my favorite parts of the song). The singer needs the other person, talks directly to them and asks them to help again.
The lover is presented here as a protector and a supporter but also a way to fight back.
There's a dichotomy between light and darkness: notice how ''your light'' opposes ''the darkness'', the lover's light is a part of themselves but the singer's darkness is something external that made its way into their head, probably a consequence of the environment (they're being bullied by crows).
(ok i lied all parts of this song are my favorites urgh)
Lexical field of the body, the singer is abandoning themselves to their lover. This is also pretty erotic, evoking high intimacy between those two people.
The singer seems to resign themselves to being unable to conceal the shameful thing that are their feelings, manifesting here into ''blood-stained clothes'' (as if they comitted a crime). But at least the lover can give the singer something beautiful that no one else can see.
Ah yes, my favorite lyrics, ''woah, oh''
Term of endearment ! ''My darling, the devil'' just sounds so sound. Religious imagery hitting you right in the face here. The singer has been led to believe that they were a sinner, so much that the devil himself knows their name ! Love contrasting with this terribly brutal notion.
The singer decides now to bury their lover and themselves. The crows be damned, they can take what they want, at least the two lovers are together in their bed. At this stage of the song, the shame/hiding has turned into acceptance of the not so ideal situation.
Ok this is actually a mystery to me. Who are those ghosts. At first i thought about the holy ghost in catholicism but it doesn't make much sense. Are those people dead ? Are they ghosts only to the lovers who feel completely disconnected from them ?
(also I can't stop hearing ''the quiet prayers'' which changes everything urgh)
Anyway they're pretty indiscreet, looking through a window into the singer's home (room even, with all the mentions of the bed), an intimate place. They even echo something meant to be quiet, making it known to everyone else. The antagonists in this song (crows, ghosts, is this halloween) really won't let things go quietly.
''Hammers and nails'' the lovers will be martyrs (literally like Jesus) if (or rather when) they're caught. Terrible violence expressed here, and this ''when'' presents it as inevitable.
There's also another interpretation I consider, with the nails and hammers being tools to build/fix things, with the antagonists wanting to literally fix the two lovers, which will of course only hurt them.
Even tho the singer is repeating the same line as before, they're not singing it in the same way. There's something ferocious about it. And the repetition of ''my name'' shows that the singer is reclaiming it. I think there's some pride here, with the reclaiming of one's identity.
Aaaaaaaaa
The singer telling the lover to get on their knees not to pray but to destroy the garden (the supposedly origin of humanity !). They're the ones using their own tools (the spade and even their hands) not only to protect themselves but to fight back (as seen before ''my stone, my shield'' ect).
Apple tree, the root of evil, actually (apple being presented as the fruit of the original sin). This is basically saying ''let's destroy the entire structure that is oppressing us''. And they've been put in that situation, we've seen that the whole song, they have no choice, because the ghosts will come for them no matter what they do, because who they are is the problem to those people.
From shame to acceptance to justified anger. Love to see it.
[Panel 1] “Let me be honest, Sarge…” | “…Cornelius! There is no ‘sarge‘! I’m civilian now!”
[Panel 2] “Cornelius… That won’t be easy!” | “You’ll have to get used to it!”
[Panel 3] “Right… As I was saying, my dear Cornelius…”
[Panel 4] “Something wrong?” | “Let me get used to it, will you!”
[Panel 5] “Er… If you wish…” | “No, don’t stop! I’ll come around eventually!”
[Panel 6] “As I was saying, my dear Cornelius…”
''The Garden'' by The Crane Wives is such a well-constructed song. The first part about shame and hiding ? The idea to ''bury'' something, ''the lies'' the singer might have said...but it's too late already ! Because ''the crows are laughing at [her] expense'', so they know ! So now she has ''blood-stained clothes'' on because everyone knows ! Her and her lover can't bury their forbidden love, so she's gonna bury herself instead: ''Pour the dirt into our bed''. (Also the fact that ''my bed'' becomes ''our bed'', this is a love song, this is an admission...)
From shame to acceptation to anger...''rip up the garden''... She's talking to her lover the whole time...destroying the apple tree, the root of what's hurting them...
Part 1: Who the heck is he?
Part 2: He's not a coward
Part 3: The part about his horse
Part 4: He got fake married. Twice
Part 5: Family or lack thereof
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