Cherry Tree by The National Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Intricate Layers of Intimacy and Silence
Lyrics
Cherry Tree
Lay us out on the table
Your sharp alright
But no one is asking so leave it alone
Leave it alone
Can we
No one is asking so leave it alone
Leave it alone
Can we
Loose lips sink ships
Don’t Look at me
I’m only breathing
Don’t look at me I’m indiscreet
Don’t look at me
I’m only breathing
Don’t look at me I’m indiscreet
Your sharp alright
But no one is asking so leave it alone
Leave it alone
Can we
No one is asking so leave it alone
Leave it alone
Can we
Loose lips sink ships
Can we show
A little discipline
Can we show
A little discipline
Can we
Can we
Loose lips sink ships
Can we show
A little discipline
Can we show
A little discipline
Can we
Can we
Loose lips sink ships
In an era where music often tiptoes around the periphery of emotions, The National’s song ‘Cherry Tree’ dives headfirst into the complexity of interpersonal dynamics and the weight of unspoken words. The track, with its haunting mélange of somber instrumentals and cryptic lyrics, offers a tapestry of sentiment ripe for a deep dive.
The band, revered for their ability to meld the personal with the universal, crafts a narrative in ‘Cherry Tree’ that feels at once intimately vulnerable and strikingly familiar. Below, we peel back the song’s velvety layers, examining the poignant essence of this masterful piece of music.
The Piercing Allure of ‘Cherry Tree’ – A Prelude to Secrecy
From the outset, ‘Cherry Tree’ ensnares listeners with its sharp, provocative opening line: ‘Take us down and all apart.’ These words set the tone for a journey of dissection—either of the self or of a relationship—that strikes a chord with the intense scrutiny that often accompanies intimacy. It’s as if the song implores us to lay bare the core of our being, for better or for worse.
The imagery of a cherry tree symbolizes both beauty and the transient nature of life, blossoming briefly before fading away. This duality provides a fitting backdrop for a song filled with the tension between disclosure and discretion, a theme echoed in the repeated refrain, ‘Leave it alone, can we?’
A Sharp Tongue and the Quest for Silence
The song’s repeated accolade, ‘Your sharp alright,’ seems to commend someone’s acuteness or perhaps, acerbity. Yet the subsequent plea to ‘leave it alone’ juxtaposes that sharpness with a desire for quietude and restraint. It’s a telling push-and-pull between the urge to express and the wisdom to hold back.
What makes ‘Cherry Tree’ resonate is its acknowledgment of the power of words, both said and unsaid. With ‘loose lips sink ships,’ the song taps into the age-old adage that speaks volumes about the havoc indiscretion can wreak, especially when relationships are delicate vessels navigating tumultuous waters.
The Hypnotic Mantra of Discretion in Relationships
As the song weaves its narrative, the mantra ‘Can we show a little discipline?’ emerges as a rhythmic plea for control. It acts as a refrain highlighting the balance required in maintaining the sanctity and stability within relationships – be it the relationship with oneself or with another.
In endorsing discretion, ‘Cherry Tree’ does not outright condemn the act of sharing but rather poses it as choice laden with consequence. Each verse, filled with a longing for privacy, is a love letter to the virtues of inner strength and the resilience demanded to preserve what must not be shared.
Breath and Discretion: The Metaphor of Life’s Quiet Intimacy
The powerful lines, ‘Don’t look at me, I’m only breathing, don’t look at me I’m indiscreet,’ operate on two levels. On one, it’s a human moment of vulnerability—breathing as the most basic function, an act both intimate and inescapable. On another, it speaks to the innate discretion we all maintain, the quotidian moments we yearn to keep unseen.
Thus, breathing becomes a metaphor for life’s quiet intimacies—the small, everyday actions we guard from public consumption. And ‘Cherry Tree’ becomes an anthem for those unheralded moments, offering a greater reflection on the value we place on our personal, discrete experiences as human beings.
Decoding the Enigma: The Hidden Meaning Behind ‘Cherry Tree’
The true magic of ‘Cherry Tree’ lies in its subtle labyrinth of possible interpretations. At its hidden heart, the song may be unraveling the intricacies of human consciousness—a musical exposition on the burden of awareness and the ceaseless inner dialogue that accompanies our every waking moment.
It insinuates a paradox where the power to perceive and articulate thought, the sharpness that is celebrated, can also lead to self-destruction if left unchecked; hence the insistence on discipline. ‘Cherry Tree’ is a complex riddle that invites listeners to find their own secret meaning within its branches.
