Cardinal Song by The National Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Shadows of Intimacy
Lyrics
Never tell the truth
If she knows your paper
You know she’ll have to burn you
Never tell the one you want that you do
Save it for the deathbed
When you know you kept her wanting you
And do everything she’d never do
Fall asleep with stranger’s wives
The wild wives of unknown men
Good for you, you’ve just become
Just another one of them
Never say you miss her
Never say a word
And do everything she’d never do
Don’t let her see your cardinal eyes
Let her treat you like a criminal
So you can treat her like a priest
Girls forgive my human mind
Girls forgive me one more time
Never tell the one you love that you do
Save it for the deathbed
And do everything she’d never do
Don’t let her see your cardinal eyes
Don’t let her see your cardinal eyes
Jesus Christ you have confused me
Cornered, wasted, blessed and used me
Forgive me girls I am confused
Stiff and pissed and lost and loose
Jesus Christ you have confused me
Cornered, wasted, blessed and used me
Forgive me girls I am confused
Stiff and pissed and lost and loose
Upon first listen, The National’s ‘Cardinal Song’ might register as another entry in their catalog of moody, introspective ballads. However, this early track from the band’s second album ‘Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers’ is a complex exploration of love, truth, and the self-imposed prisons we build around our emotions. Beneath the melancholic melodies and Matt Berninger’s baritone, there lies a tapestry of narratives and metaphor ripe for dissection.
The song’s haunting refrain and its cryptic verses invite listeners into a clandestine world where cardinal truths are obscured, and relational dynamics teeter on the delicate balance of power and submission. Here, we delve deep into the fabric of ‘Cardinal Song’, threading together the hints scattered within its lyrics to uncover the profound commentary on the human condition that The National has masterfully woven.
The Paradox of Emotional Surrender
The advice ‘Never look her in the eyes, Never tell the truth’ sets a tone of guarded vulnerability from the outset. It suggests a protagonist who is aware of the dangers of emotional surrender and yet is ensnared by the desire for closeness, a dance of intimacy where the steps are never fully shared. This self-censorship speaks to the universal fear of being truly known and the repercussions that may come with such naked honesty.
In reinforcing this guarded stance of ‘Never tell the one you want that you do’, the song paints a picture of love as a battlefield where strategy outweighs sentiment, and declarations of the heart are reserved for the soundless confessions of a deathbed. This narrative underscores the loneliness and futility inherent in withholding one’s truth as a means of self-preservation.
The Masquerade of Masculinity
Berninger’s poignant portrayal of ‘fall(ing) asleep with strangers’ wives’ is emblematic of a character who ostensibly thrives on surface-level conquests. It is a reflection of how societal pressures to embody certain masculine ideals can lead men into empty encounters devoid of genuine connection. The lines, ‘Good for you, you’ve just become just another one of them’, signal a loss of individuality, an acquiescence to a collective identity that is homogenous and hollow.
Here, The National subtly comments on the destructive aspects of traditional masculinity—the pursuit of emotional detachment and the need for multiple sexual partners as trophies, which ultimately lead to a dehumanizing cycle of self-abandonment and regret.
The Enigmatic ‘Cardinal Eyes’
A central motif in the song, ‘cardinal eyes’, remains a lyrical puzzle. Bearing a potential double meaning, the cardinal can be seen both as a bird associated with vitality and faith and as a nod to the highest order of Christian clergy. Thus, the cardinal eyes may represent an intense, burning truth or knowledge akin to ‘seeing red’, a depth of perception that must be shielded from the object of the protagonist’s affections.
When the song instructs, ‘Don’t let her see your cardinal eyes’, it could indicate a warning against revealing one’s deepest self—a self that feels too much, too intensely, under the gaze of another. The admonition speaks to the fear of emotional exposure and the potential chaos it can unleash within the confines of a romantic relationship.
A Clerical Exchange of Sins and Absolution
The twist of dynamics wherein one ‘can treat her like a priest’ is a masterful inversion that challenges the stereotypical roles ascribed to lovers. It invokes a scenario in which the roles of power are continuously traded, with each partner alternately seeking absolution and administering condemnation. This stark comparison to the confessional experience interrogates the moral gymnastics often performed to justify our own relational transgressions.
Playing with religious imagery, ‘Cardinal Song’ thus extends beyond the personal to critique the mechanisms of guilt and forgiveness that permeate both our romantic and spiritual lives, setting the stage for a powerful existential crescendo.
Confusion and Contrition: The Memorable Lament
At its climax, the song’s refrain, ‘Jesus Christ you have confused me’, captures the protagonist’s crisis of identity and faith, both in the religious and interpersonal sense. It is a stark admission of internal discord and fallibility. The plaintive cry for forgiveness (‘Forgive me girls I am confused’) channels a universal plea for understanding, for a recognition of the flawed nature at the core of every human being.
This memorable line embodies the heart of the song’s narrative, where all pretense falls away and the raw, unguarded humanity of the speaker is laid bare with an almost painful clarity. In embodying this moment of confession, ‘Cardinal Song’ asserts its place within The National’s oeuvre as a poignant and cerebral examination of the dualities that define our lives—loose and lost, yet seeking and worthy of grace.
