Olive Tree - Comms Open

Lyrics and Possible meanings

Tonight is hushed, I close the windows twice

Him tucking in the kids after reading them a bedtime story or something? Sounds like the beginning to a children’s book or a lullaby. Close the windows twice is a way to show how protective he is

A night repeating, half-empty frames tucked away in drawers

Does this mean that Till has photos of his friends? Or maybe just drawings of them he keeps and looks at every night. I wonder if they have recordings of the songs from rehearsal and also performances

I stop clutching my throat, whispering ‘it’s fine’ as I move on

‘Clutching my throat’ is a constant reminder of what happened in round six and his emotions about it literally suffocating him

It’s a constant reminder at his failure as Ivan’s friend, regret over misunderstanding him and not truly getting to know him and grief over losing one of the most important people in his life

It prevented him from singing (one of his passions), but also prevented his neck from being shot

It’s about letting go and self forgiveness in a way. He needs to move on, not only for the sake of himself, his new responsibility (the kids and rebellion), but also for Ivan

At my feet, fresh grass rises, I breathe the air you left behind

‘I breathe the air you left behind’ could be a fancy way of saying ‘sacrificed your life for mine’ or ‘a life for a life.’ The grass line is him reminiscing about his childhood, maybe thinking about memories of Ivan before he died

The more it scatters, the colder Rue begins to bloom

It’s been a while since Till put flower symbolism in his song, the last time was a song about his love for Mizi in Unknown Till the End (the Edelweiss)

shows him going back to his roots and doing something that makes him happy to express himself

I did some basic research on the Rue flower. It symbolises regret and repentance, but traditionally, it was used to repel spirits and bring good luck. In some cultural traditions, the plant is associated with with protection and purification. In nature, rue plants don’t return each year, they don’t last forever

And still, I read you in the cracks that overflow

Cracks could be Ivan’s facade/brave face he puts in front of Till to hide who he really is, gay a child just as afraid, scared and lonely as he was

Pages turn to ash, it’s meaningless, but what of what remains?

Could be referencing the phrase, ‘turning the page of time’ or ‘entering life’s new chapter.’ Time will always move on, and it’s meaningless to hold on to the pages that have already gone by, but that doesn’t make it less important, it’s apart of who you are - which is what the ‘remains’ line is probably about

Disappearing is not the end

Akugestu holds the last word/note for a long time

He has amazing lungs, I want them. I hyperventilate just from walking up the stairs

It’s elongated to represent that the memories of Sua, Ivan and everyone else who died and is dead inside (Mizi) while still live on in his memories and heart.

Their existence isn’t meaningless or devalued now that they are gone, unlike what the aliens believe, they are just as important and special as ever

Only faded remnants stay

He also holds the last word/note for a long time to show how long it stays with him. Also shows how the passage of time makes the memories in his mind less and less ‘vivid’

Scars remember everything

A combination of both title of the comics post KARMA, meant to show that both these negative experiences shaped who he ids now and he is choosing to grow from it. Also changing the meaning of his scars from something negative, preventing him from having a voice to something to remember his family by. Scars are deeper than the faded remnants. Also, don’t know where to put him, the scars (and trauma) both help and hurt him. For example, when he injures his neck, it did hurt him, but it also removed the branding on his neck (symbolising how he’s free from the aliens and choose how to live his life)

Before forgetting, I seize and embrace you.

Referencing Till hugging Ivan in the 'Remember Everything comic,' showing that he doesn't want to forget him because how important he was (and is) he is in his life. This also extends to Mizi and Sua.

I know your warmth even in its chill

Till realises that all the time they got into brawls and eating a flower was Ivan's weird way of getting his attention.

'He may have been a freak, but it was still love' - Till, probably

That day at the edge of my rainfall, the light went dark

A reference to round 6. Light going dark in Till's world was Ivan dying... because at the end of round 6, the lights literally went off when he got shot. What, did you think that this was symbolism of how Ivan was a major source of happiness in Till's life (other than the idea of Mizi), even though he was a pretty weird guy, made him even more depressed?

In conclusion, this song is basically about Till trying his best to remember his friends and people important to him (Ivan, Mizi and Sua to a lesser extent) without getting held down by those memories, but instead choosing to live on and to his fullest extent. Moving on doesn't mean forgetting the people who are important to you, even if those memories hurt you. As you choose to move forward, things will always get better.

Mizi and Till mirror each other in their approach to how they let their memories impact them. Mizi lets hers weigh her down, literally:

Though it looks like she's being comforted, it also looks like she's being weighed down.

Extra Notes

I wrote this while listening to the Vitamin C Graduation song on loop to get into the zone

The length of this song is 2 seconds shorter than Karma. I have no idea what this means, but I feel like it's important somehow

I hope that Till gets his voice back and sings this as a lullaby to his kids