May

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a stark picture of receiving devastating news on a dark night, immediately triggering a visceral, almost physical reaction described as a "landslide." The narrator's initial impulse is to suppress emotion, urged by their mother not to "ball my eyes," but the overwhelming grief leaves their eyes "red / With nothing left at all." This internal struggle to maintain composure is interrupted by a profound realization of loss, specifically referencing a grandmother loved "so much more / Than nobody else, left on this earth," plunging the narrator into a state of "awe." This awe quickly transforms into a collective experience of "madness" and "sadness" as the narrative progresses through the months. April is characterized as "unclear," a period of uncertainty that gives way to palpable "fears" as the situation solidifies into a profound loss. The repeated refrain, "And it was May, it was May, it was May, it was May," hammers home the arrival of this grim reality, a stark marker of time after the initial shock. The lyrics employ the metaphor of a "winter storm" to represent the hardship endured, with the family "held on, held each other tight" to withstand it. This shared struggle, however, paradoxically strengthens their bonds, as the narrator observes their "family tree planting it's roots stronger than before." Yet, this resilience is juxtaposed with the raw pain of sudden departure, articulated in the bridge: "You left / Without a chance to say goodbye at all." This unresolved finality underscores the deep personal cost amidst the broader collective experience of grief.