Kemosabe by Everything Everything Lyrics Meaning – Decoding the Layers of Solitude and Conflict
Lyrics
And our home is a trigger that I’m always pulling
At the border, at the, at the border
I’m at the border, at the, at the border
The short spears and the weak eternal monologuing
And our war is the crucible of all your longing
At the border, at the, at the border
I’m at the border, at the, at the border
I was there when the clamor got real
I was there when your brow smashed the wall
It’s like a riot with only two perps
The more I’m here I’m making it worse
But does it feel like you’re already dead? (Yes)
And do you feel like your brain stopped delivering?
Yeah, break my finger shoot out my black eyes
What does it matter if everyone dies?
(Hey) Hey, Kemosabe I’m alone
Ayah, I am a, I am alone
(Hey) Hey, Kemosabe I’m alone
Ayah, I am a, I am alone
Hi-O Silver away
So fast hence take an arrow from your quiver or we’re
Past tens, what’s a trilobite to anyone?
I’m outta my depth, outta, outta my depth
I’m outta my depth, outta, outta my depth
My head reels and I’m crawling down the corridor
I can’t see but I’m heaving like a holocaust
I’m reaching my phone, reaching, reaching my phone
I’m reaching my phone, reaching, reaching my phone
You wasn’t there when I orphaned that boy (No)
Your body was and the white of your rollin’ eye
I saw some terrible things on that night
I done a lot of bad things with my life
I put my fingers in there
Hey, and I breeze past security
Nobody checking on all of my deeds
I need a checker for all of my deeds
(Hey) Hey, Kemosabe I’m alone
Ayah, I am a, I am alone
(Hey) Hey, Kemosabe I’m alone
Ayah, I am a, I am alone
And we be trapped in the amber last joy
And I’m looking at a holy ghost
But there’s no silver bullet for a memory
I field dress every moment but you’re telling me that Torito say
I’ve lost my way
(Hey) Hey, Kemosabe I’m alone
Ayah, I am a, I am alone
(Hey) Hey, Kemosabe I’m alone
Ayah, I am a, I am alone
Mmm, and I’m lost and I’m drained
Enough genuflecting in a penitent way
(Hey) Hey, Kemosabe I’m alone
Ayah, I am a, I am alone
(Hey) Hey, Kemosabe I’m alone
Ayah, I am a, I am alone
Hi-O Silver away
From the first haunting notes to the driven, pulsating rhythms, ‘Kemosabe’ by Everything Everything is a journey into the heart of isolation and conflict. At once anthemic and introspective, the Manchester-based band manages to layer their song with a complexity that demands a deeper listen.
Beneath the surface of an energetic melody and striking vocals lies a fabric woven with themes of violence, introspection, and the human condition. Let’s dive into the narrative to uncover what ‘Kemosabe’ really stands for, what it says about us and about the world we live in.
The Echo of Kalashnikovs: A Climate of Unrest
The opening lines of ‘Kemosabe’ create an immediate landscape of violence and tension. ‘Four walls and a cauldron of Kalashnikoving’ does not just paint a picture; it places us in the midst of a war-torn environment, feeling the reverberation of conflict. This isn’t just about physical warfare; it’s a psychological battleground where the ‘home’ becomes synonymous with continuous triggers and emotional artillery.
When the band hits the chorus, singing, ‘Hey, Kemosabe, I’m alone,’ they invoke the name of Tonto’s famed word for ‘trustworthy friend’ from the Lone Ranger series. This ironic use of ‘Kemosabe’ juxtaposed against ‘I’m alone’ offers a paradox; they’re calling out to a friend (or to the camaraderie in humanity), yet in the midst of turmoil, one faces their battles solo.
A Descent into Personal Anarchy: The Song’s Hidden Meaning
While ‘Kemosabe’ clearly grapples with themes of external conflict, there’s a hidden layer speaking to the chaos within the individual. The lines ‘my head reels and I’m crawling down the corridor’ and ‘I put my fingers in there’ suggest a descent into a personal hell, where the protagonist is no longer a victim of the surrounding anarchy but a participant in the madness.
These visceral images of self-harm and the protagonist’s acknowledgment of their own misdeeds suggest a reckoning with the dark side of human nature. An inner violence mirrors the outer turmoil, and as the lines blur, the song asks whether there is any redemption from the depths of personal or collective despair.
Metaphors in Motion: The Arresting Imagery of ‘Kemosabe’
Throughout ‘Kemosabe,’ Everything Everything masterfully employs metaphor and imagery to evoke emotion. ‘So fast hence take an arrow from your quiver or we’re past tense’ captures the urgency of survival while subtly playing on the tenses. This line also cleverly references the fictional Native American depiction from where the term ‘Kemosabe’ originates, tying back to the theme of conflict between ‘natives’ and ‘invaders’.
Furthermore, the clever wordplay between ‘past tense’ and ‘past tens’ drops hints to both a feeling of being history – already defeated or dead – and a critique of the trivialization of historical trauma, seen in references like ‘what’s a trilobite to anyone?’
The Haunting Refrain: Dissecting the Most Memorable Lines
One cannot ignore the song’s repetitive refrains; the haunting ‘Hey, Kemosabe, I’m alone,’ anchors the entire song, turning the name into a haunting mantra. It symbolizes the search for connection in the chaos of the human experience, a plea that is both personal and universal. There’s a sense of being lost – ‘outta my depth’ – that resonates with anyone who’s ever felt overwhelmed by the modern world’s demands or the internal struggles that accompany them.
Additionally, ‘I’m reaching my phone, reaching, reaching my phone’ speaks volumes of our era’s bid for connection through technology amid crises, often succumbing to the hollowness it can bring. This line, simple yet effective, relates to the modern listener’s own experiences, making ‘Kemosabe’ a mirror to our own age of anxiety and digitization.
The Unquiet End: A Song’s Take on Finality and Closure
As ‘Kemosabe’ reaches its crescendo, the acknowledgment of one’s own part in the ongoing conflict becomes more potent. ‘I done a lot of bad things with my life’ is a confession, a moment of self-awareness that offers both self-condemnation and the opportunity for redemption. It shows that before any external resolution, one must face their inner demons.
The elusive pursuit of closure is symbolized by the phrase ‘there’s no silver bullet for a memory,’ suggesting that some wounds, some regrets, cannot be healed or undone with simple solutions. The song’s final line, ‘Hi-O Silver away,’ while invoking the escape fantasy of the Lone Ranger, ultimately reinforces the unattainability of a perfect resolution, leaving listeners with a bittersweet taste of reality.
