Carry Me Out by Mitski Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Emotional Odyssey Within the Melody

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Mitski's Carry Me Out at Lyrics.org.

Lyrics

At night
On the roof top
I untie my hair
And watch from my plastic chair
As my dark hair
Unleashes the night

The scent of flowers
Still in bloom from morning shower
And I
Say your name
In hopes you’ll hear it in the stars

And carry me out
Carry me out

I drive when it rains
At night when it rains I drive
And the headlight spirits
They lead me down the styx
So black it shines

And carry me out
Carry me out

At night
On the roof top
I untie my hair
And watch from my plastic chair
As my dark hair
Unleashes the night

Mitski’s ‘Carry Me Out’ stands as an evocative manifesto of solitude and introspection. A track that exists in the shadows of the mundane, it flourishes into an intricate tapestry of emotion, weaving a tale of self-reflection and existential contemplation.

Beneath the poetic elegance of Mitski’s lyrics lies a profound odyssey through nocturnal imagery and the seeking of connection. This article deciphers the layers of meaning sown into the verses, prying open the heart of this hauntingly beautiful piece.

The Solace of Solitude: An Antidote to the Overwhelm

To begin our journey through ‘Carry Me Out,’ we find Mitski on a rooftop engaged in the simple yet evocative act of untangling her hair. This ritualistic release symbolizes a shedding of the day’s confines, a longing to connect with oneself amidst the enveloping dark.

The setting – a quotidian rooftop – transforms under Mitski’s gaze into an escape, a liminal space between the claustrophobia of urban life and the infinite stretch of the cosmos. Here, the ‘plastic chair’ reinforces a sense of impermanence and the transient nature of her moment of respite.

A Symphony in Shadows: The Lyrical Latticework of Night and Light

The ‘dark hair’ of the protagonist ‘unleashes the night,’ acting as both a symbol of the internal churning and as a conduit to the skies above. This duality in the imagery, contrasting the ordinary with the extraordinary, serves to deepen our appreciation of the night as a character in its own right, personified through Mitski’s introspection.

These images painted by Mitski’s words do more than merely depict a scene; they offer a canvas where the tactile meets the metaphysical. ‘The scent of flowers / Still in bloom from morning shower’ juxtaposes day and night, reminding us of the cycle of life and the fresh possibilities that darkness can incubate.

Whispering to the Cosmos: The Quest for an Echo in the Void

‘And I / Say your name / In hopes you’ll hear it in the stars’ – these lines lie at the emotional core of the song, encapsulating the human yearning for connection, for our existence to be acknowledged by an audience beyond that which we can see.

Here, the motif of speaking into the night sky reveals the paradoxical distance and intimacy within Mitski’s plea, a union of desperation and hope that reverberates amongst the listeners who find echoes of their own solitude in the melody.

A River Stygian Dream: The Metaphorical Voyage through Uncertainty

The third verse plunges us into a metaphorical journey along the mythological Styx, with ‘headlight spirits’ as guides. This haunting passage transcends the physical act of driving in the rain, submerging the protagonist—and the audience—into the dark, reflective waters of the subconscious.

It is in this spiraling path ‘so black it shines’ that Mitski’s mastery shines through. The darkness so profound it glows is an enigmatic concept that mesmerizes the listener, beckoning them into the embrace of the unknown, an exploration of the depths of their own internal rivers.

The Chorus That Carries Us Away: Memorable Lines that Echo Eternity

‘And carry me out / Carry me out’ – this recurring chorus is a solemn incantation, a ritualistic refrain that symbolizes the desire to be transported from the mundane to the realm of the ethereal, to be lifted from the weight of existence.

These words resonate as raw necessity, a poetic rendering of the soul’s cry to transcend the corporeal cage, to be part of something greater and enduring. The brevity and repetition of the lines etch them into memory, making them a haunting echo that listeners carry with them long after the song fades.