Manchester Orchestra - A Black Mile to the Surface (July 28, 2017) Album • Page 51

I did my best to piece it all together from what I heard. I left some question marks and blanks to where I couldn't figure it out.

The lights were low enough, you guessed
You swapped your conscience with your father's medication
(Limped from Rome to Lawrenceville???) and on the way wrote out a self-made declaration
Made a pact with you and God, if you don't move I swear to you I'm gonna make ya

Do you need me? Do you nee-eed me? Do you neeeeed me? Do you neeee me?

When the first officer arrived, it happened to be the high school bully of your brother
When you finally recognized, you felt some guilt that you would even let him touch you
"Can you hear me? what's your name?" You could not speak, just laid amazed at all the damage
as the high schools letting out, all the kids are saying the same thing that they used to

It's an alieeeen, it's aaalieeeeeen. It's aliieeeeeeen. It's allliieeeeeeeen.

-piano-

The lights were low enough, you guessed..hospital food, there's never enough medication
the doctor asked about your ears, you said your mom said you were made from revelation
Revelation never scares, your fear came from your drunken dad and a pair of scissors
you just finally let them go, did you mean to take out all those people with you?

Didn't meaaaaaan to. Didn't meeeeeeeaaaaan to. Didn't meeeeeeeeeeeeeean to. Didn't meeeeeeaaaaan to.

Oooh I didn't mean. Ooooh I didn't meeeean to. (never let them go) (time you were terrified)

Ooooh I didn't mean to. Oooh I didn't meeeean to.

Time is here to take your last amendments and believe them on your own
Time is here to take you by the hand, and leave you there alone
Time has come to take the last commitment/commandment and to carve it into stone
Time has come to take you by the hand and leave you here alone.



It's already growing on me more

 

From 3 listens it's about a person who had a really troubled past. Maybe abuse from an alcoholic father. They seem to have lost a nerve and done something to drag other people down with them. The second verse recalls them as a child being made fun if by a bully in high school for looking like an alien... am I close? Ha

 

that's correct. Just not sure if it was attempted suicide by car crash or something else.

 

Corrections to what you already have that I could hear:

The lights were low enough, you guessed
You swapped your conscience with your father's medication
Limped from Rome to Lawrenceville (???) and on the way wrote out a self-made declaration
And when you got to Pleasant Hill, you forced the traffic to erase your family demons
Made a pact with you and God, "if you don't move I swear to you I'm gonna make ya"

Do you need me?

When the first officer arrived, it happened to be the high school bully of your brother
When you finally recognized, you felt some guilt that you would even let him touch you
"Can you hear me? What's your name?" You could not speak, just laid amazed at all the damage
As the high school's letting out, all the kids are saying the same thing that they used to

It's an alien.

The lights were low enough, you guessed. Hospital food, there's never enough medication
The doctor asked about your ears, you said your Mom said you were made from a revelation
Revelation never scares, your fear came from your drunken dad and a pair of scissors
Well you just finally let them go, did you mean to take out all those people with you?

Didn't mean to.

Time is here to take your last amendments and believe them on your own
Time is here to take you by the hand, and leave you there alone
Time has come to take the last commitment/commandment and to carve it into stone
Time has come to take you by the hand and leave you here alone.

 

Is there a grocery reference in this one I forgot

 

I wasn't going to listen to any new songs until the album drops, but the commentary in here is making me want to. I'm interested to see if it's as weird as people are saying it is.

 

Not that I can tell

 

Ha! Well it looks like we are getting a video for The Alien. I just googled the song to find a streaming link, and this was a result

"The Alien" Manchester Orchestra Audition - Acting Showcase

 

Bulk of the lyrics, from what I can tell/make out:

The lights were low enough, you guessed. You swapped your conscience with your father's medication
Limped from Rome to Lawrenceville (???) and on the way wrote out a self-made declaration
And when you got to Pleasant Hill, you forced the traffic to erase your family demons
Made a pact with you and God, "if you don't move I swear to you I'm gonna make ya"

Do you need me?

When the first officer arrived, it happened to be the high school bully of your brother
When you finally recognized, you felt some guilt that you would even let him touch you
"Can you hear me? What's your name?" You could not speak, just laid amazed at all the damage
As the high school's letting out, all the kids are saying the same thing that they used to

It's an alien.

The lights were low enough, you guessed. Hospital food, there's never enough medication
The doctor asked about your ears, you said your Mom said you were made from a revelation
Revelation never scares, your fear came from your drunken dad and a pair of scissors
Well you just finally let them go, did you mean to take out all those people with you?

Didn't mean to.

Time is here to take your last amendments and believe them on your own
Time is here to take you by the hand, and leave you there alone
Time has come to take the last commitment/commandment and to carve it into stone
Time has come to take you by the hand and leave you here alone.

 

Hey, references to things I know (I guess?) in the lyrics! Now if only I hadn't lost my touch for finding hard to find things online..

 

Commandment for sure

 

I just want to thank everyone for posting that this song is in Aussie iTunes! Totally forgot it was coming today. Just listened on Spotify, what a great song. I'll be listening more and looking at the lyrics, for sure!

 

This song is beautiful.

 

Anyone able to share?!

 

This is the Sufjan-esque song I've been posting about

 

probably one of my least favorites but still really good, especially lyrically.

 

I def hear it, especially in the guitars

 

The chorus is one of the prettiest things I've heard all year musically.

 

I live in Lawrenceville (a suburb of Atlanta) and drive on Pleasant Hill Rd at least three times a week and the road is notorious to locals about having the worst traffic. Hearing all of that mentioned in this song might be the most surreal moment I've ever had listening to music.

 

Second time listening to The Alien it did a HELL of a lot more for me than the first time. Literally love it after a second listen 10 minutes after the first.

 

Too bad the "do you need me" and "didn't mean to" parts are almost inaudible. To me at least. My only gripe. Love the song.

 

Holy shit this is different but I'm loving it

 

Also the alien is on Spotify now I'm the US

 

this is so good.

 

Loved it from the second I pushed play, and I was expecting not to based on everyone's comments about it being a grower/ polerizing. So damn good. These two tracks are everything I didn't know I wanted from this band