The Cinematic Orchestra – To Build A Home lyrics

I just wrote, but my message is not there. I forgot to mention, I didn't build the house, I bought the house where he lives. He works on it, he's building it back up, it was originally built in the 1690's as far as my research has found. Point being - his voice is part of the song for his life and part of the song is my voice. The song hits me in many levels. The relevance is permeable throughout many situations I can relate to.

Really? I once thought of myself and my husband when I heard this song. I bought the house, I did everything. When the marriage collapsed, I did everything I could to try to save it. I held on as tightly as he did to me. We divorced. Now, I liken it to my brother, who was like a second father to me. My brother has the disease of addiction. I used to climb trees as a kid. He was always there for me. Now he's in jail for simply being an alcoholic - he didn't hurt anyone, he just was killing himself. I am holding on as tightly to him as he held on to me - and he did hold on. I'm working on a master's degree focusing on substance abuse treatment in correctional facilities because I need to know if his resources are adequate or if he is letting go. And I fear he is willing to leave and turn to dust. But he has two lovely girls (who he can't see because of a bogus restraining order from his junky ex girlfriend) and they are growing up away from the family - it devastates him. He needs to fight, but he is as sad as this song.

The meaning of this song to me is love represented by a home a place where you feel the best you. And that love or "home" was vacated by the other half of that love. And the tree was like getting over that love a symbol of him not letting himself go. The way that his love used to hold him together. So he is letting go of that home and holding on to himself and letting that love go.

I love reading all the different perspectives. I think we can all safely say that this song speaks about a love that was once present. It begins in a reflective state by describing materials and contents of the house. This indicates that the subject has been here before but then left. (Reasons may very) They clearly are uneasy at other places but here, they feel "at home".

The next verse is important because seeds were planted, this may be symbolic of the hope for the budding relationship. It's important to note that a tree is there rather than trees... one seed survived and despite its condition the subject climbed it hoping to see the world. (The future with their beloved who may not be so restricted to an intimate partner)

The gust that came is symbolic of challenges they'd have face. It should be noted that it is: and not the reverse.
"Held on as tightly as you held on to me".

The subject's "person" wanted them to stay, to live, to grow. However something unfortunate happened.

This song acknowledges the fragility of life and love. And now, the subjects accepts that it is time to leave.

It's a symbolic song with the 'home' representing the love between a couple but the love is broken. The way that the 'home' is built is the way that the relationship is built but is now forgotten- but still in the minds of those involved. It's also about the fear of letting go of the relationship and the memories that it holds.

Home is a metaphor for the love he and she shared, and dreams for a life together that the lovers built. They sheltered and protected each other. But she changed, and turned away from him; she changed so suddenly and drastically that the woman he knew “ disappeared. ” perhaps literally it could mean mental illness or death, but sometimes, when lovers part, the one left behind speaks of how they don't even know the other person anymore in the song, she is a stranger to him now. I don't think she actually died, but the part of her that sheltered him (loved him, built/dreamed a future with him) died.
He can't go on. He feels like he is decomposing, turning to dust from the loss and emptiness. He returns to the place (in his head, or literally) to torture himself, because the torture makes him feel alive. Flesh, not the disintegrating shell he has become. He mourns the future they dreamed together when he says, "the garden where we planted the seeds," (the seeds of a future together, a life together). It's now overgrown and forlorn. The tree, personified with skin, is the only thing not decimated, not in ruins. It has been standing guard over the shards of his past, his great wound. The tree is his only witness that there was ever a planned life, a great love, existing in this space. The tree is faithful, and has not forsaken him. He finds shelter and protection in the tree, as close as he can get to what he once had, with the only one (the only thing) that knew it was real. And for a moment, he is back there. Holding and being held… but it is only fleeting. The despair and desolation (the reality of his plight) creep in. Disintegration into dust, nothingness, (his suffering) resumes.
It's a very tragic and beautiful song. I have loved, built a future, and lost it all. His suffering speaks to me. ; '(

A home is symbolic to the joining of man and wife. It is the place they will make their life together and raise children and grow old together. With the woman gone, whether she passed away, or became "lost," the home has fallen apart. He must face the reality that she isn't coming back, and the house that once felt like home to him isn't the same place that it used to be. It is devoid of love.

The house may oray not of been theirs. Stranger opened home to me to assist me getting on my feet and it was comforting to belong in a home setting/aosphere rather than couch and house surfing regularly. The other half was locked up and this sense of stability allowed me to rest, work, earn money for better things like wheels, and pay off finesto get off paper. I appreciated the home and our friendship/ relationship until their one sided judgemental view rubbed off on me leaning me towards their view due to choosing stability and attention over distance love. I didn't love the person helping me but I did because it didn't take work or effort where my significant other strived in another area making it impossible for us to be together and I knew I would not be happy. I've stared at the clouds to avoid people, co-workers included. I went to church, preached the word, spoke of Jesus, and realized I was a joke because I was dancing for society rather than comfortably settling down, building myself up, and finding out what I need to change to become a better person for me, my kids , man and a way to make friends without always feeling like they're going to fudge me over. I allowed things to become my life and love and focus and hadn't noticed until the one man I've been wanting to hold my hand and hug me brought me to look from his perspective.I created a shallow world and it was then that I realized that I made sacrifices for things and I needed to change because people are not jewelry even though I've felt tried on and set aside, it doesn't have to continue with others.I get the holding onto one another and letting go. We are to walk with our partners and feel comfortable to share and express ourselves to prevent going off the deep end and help each other grow. Did we have this? Did we ever? When "going through it mentality" kicks in or begins, what do I or who do I turn to? I ask this cuz posting this anonymously yet a part of me says I'm going to email this to myself, print and share with the one person whose intelligence is above the spectrum and I would love to hear his opinion and thoughts on all this whether we have the title of couple or not. He's family and I believe he is on a different level and I am fascinated with his intellectualness and this prolly ain't a word however I hope you baby, daddy, handsome, my precious love one will make time to write me back and share.

This song is about love between a man and his wife, or his girlfriend, or his family. But its not just about them, its about the life we build for ourselves and those people we love. Its about more than just ourselves, its about the future and what we do with it. This song is about more than the present and the future, or the past. It's about time and the human condition, how the individual needs companionship. This song is about life.

To me, this song strikes a chord inside about a wonderful woman I know whom I have been talking with for going on two years now. We have talked on the telephone, laughed and smiled and spoke to each other on skype, and we have imed like no other two people have in the world. I love her immensely, and I have not even met her face-to-face yet.
This song makes me think of her, and the house I wish to build for her, and for me. Somewhere on a grassy plain on the edge of a great forest :) that is my meaning for this song. My glorious future, with only her. I am 22 years old, and she, 19. I found the greatest gem this continent has to offer, a marvelous woman I found completely, absolutely, by chance. And I can see myself with no other.
Patrick watson must have found his parallel, too.