While I tend to shy away from bands that seem to take the hipster mountain man trope too far, I've got a soft spot for Portland-bred Blind Pilot. Their sound is incredibly sweet yet deep, decorated with detail but not for the detail's sake. Something about this song, the title track closer from their debut, is so gorgeous beyond its simple chord choices - maybe it's the subtle sound of uncanny strings, like an upright and dulcimer and mandolin. Maybe it's the sheer patience of the first verses, before the ascending chorus and its to-the-point,from-the-heart hook. The overlap of the third verse and chorus to close it out is an excellent touch, especially when those words just pop against each other - "crisscross," "fog," "three rounds and a sound," "you know me." Mostly I love the way Blind Pilot manages to carry a heavy weight of feeling on the lightest of sounds and waves, sharing these troubles, trials and desires without getting too caught up in the density of it. At the heart, it's simply beautiful music.
They're playing our song
Can you see the lights?
Can you hear the hum,
of our song?
I hope they get it right
I hope we dance tonight
Before we, get it wrong.
And the seasons
Will change us new
But you're the best I've known
and you know me
I could not be stuck on you
If it weren't true
I was swimming
My eyes were dark
'til you woke me
And told me that opening
is just the start
It was
Now I see you, 'til kingdom come
You're the one I want
to see me for all
the stupid shit I've done
Soil and six feet under,
Kept just like we were
Before you knew you'd know me
and you know me.
Blooming up from the ground
Three rounds and a sound
Like whispering 'you know me,
But you're the best I've known
and you know me
I could not be stuck on you
If it weren't true
I was swimming
My eyes were dark
'til you woke me
And told me that opening
is just the start
It was
Now I see you, 'til kingdom come
You're the one I want
to see me for all
the stupid shit I've done
Soil and six feet under,
Kept just like we were
Before you knew you'd know me
and you know me.
Blooming up from the ground
Three rounds and a sound
Like whispering 'you know me,
You know me.'
So this was our song,
This was our song.
I still see the lights
I can see them
And the crisscross
Of what is true, won't get to us
'Cause you know me,
I could not give up on you.
And the fog of
what is right
Won't cover us
'cause you know me-
I could not give up a fight.
Soil and six feet under
(Crisscross of what is true, won't get to us)
Kept just like we were
(Cause you know me. I could not give up on you)
Before you knew you'd know me
(But you feel the truth)
And you know me
Blooming up from the ground
(And the fog of what is right won't cover us)
Three rounds and a sound
(Cause you know me, I could not give up a fight)
Like whispering 'you know me
(But you feel right)
You know me.'"
So this was our song,
This was our song.
I still see the lights
I can see them
And the crisscross
Of what is true, won't get to us
'Cause you know me,
I could not give up on you.
And the fog of
what is right
Won't cover us
'cause you know me-
I could not give up a fight.
Soil and six feet under
(Crisscross of what is true, won't get to us)
Kept just like we were
(Cause you know me. I could not give up on you)
Before you knew you'd know me
(But you feel the truth)
And you know me
Blooming up from the ground
(And the fog of what is right won't cover us)
Three rounds and a sound
(Cause you know me, I could not give up a fight)
Like whispering 'you know me
(But you feel right)
You know me.'"
~3 Rounds and a Sound
Blind Pilot, 3 Rounds and a Sound
