To Carry

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of inevitable judgment, where every signal or action is interpreted precisely as it appears. There's a sense of shared experience, a collective carrying of burdens or truths, emphasized by the repetition of "And we carry alongside." This phrase suggests a communal, perhaps unavoidable, process of bearing something together. The central tension lies in the uncertainty surrounding the true nature of what is being carried. Despite the certainty of interpretation ("taken / For exactly what they are"), the narrator questions the actual substance of these shared loads: "But who knows / What they are?" This creates a poignant contrast between outward appearance and inner reality, or between perceived meaning and actual truth. The most striking craft element is the insistent, almost mantra-like repetition of "And we carry alongside." This repetition amplifies the feeling of shared fate and the ongoing nature of this collective burden. The subsequent, questioning "But who knows / What they are?" acts as a stark counterpoint, introducing doubt and a profound sense of mystery after the declarative statements. These lyrics resonate because they capture a fundamental human experience: navigating life with shared, yet often misunderstood, burdens. The simple, direct language coupled with the unresolved question at the end leaves the listener contemplating the nature of their own shared experiences and the inherent ambiguity that often accompanies them.