#exeunt

we were young,

you were like wine

heady as the fog rolling in o'er the hillside

lovely as the song in the air as the wind blows

opiate as the cold of the frost on the windows

lo, the rose is gone from my eye, so deceiving

so my little dove I'm afraid I am leaving

- Exeunt, The Oh Hellos

Listen Here

Now, I am not the fool I was when I was younger Crocodile eyes, I have seen how you hunger Fluttering your lashes, like ashes and embers Warm and bright as fire devouring timber

Song Fact Book

Released October 16, 2015

Exeunt

verb used as a stage direction in a printed play to indicate that a group of characters leave the stage.

My Thoughts

The Oh Hellos and I go back about five years or so, and I've listened to just about every song of theirs, but nothing really sticks in my brain quite as much as the opening measures of this song. Like the musicality of it is so good. The string work, the rattling wave, the strong vocals. I just want to put it in my mouth and see if would explode like popping candy and fireworks.

Bit of a theatre nerd so it should not surprise you that I vibe with the title of this song quite a bit, but it's also highly symbolic in the context of the contents of the song as it's about the exit from a toxic relationship/situation (aka the stage) and it examines the characters in scene, essentially naming them to remove their power as they leave to make room for the new actors in the scene

I’ve been trying to write this thing about Exeunt and I keep getting distracted by details. This one is about the church where Joan and Jim get married—the same one where the infamous gunshot scene occurs at the end of Exeunt.  

crocodile eyes, I have seen how you hunger

fluttering your lashes like ashes and embers

warm and bright as fire devouring timber

no, I cannot trust what you say when you're grieving

so my love, I'm sorry, but still I am leaving

- Exeunt, The Oh Hellos