Four Cypresses

Album: Painted Ruins (2017)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Daniel Rossen told Pitchfork that his lyrics for this simmering reflection on the state of a displaced world started as a narrative from the perspective of a homeless person sleeping in the driveway of a place he was staying in L.A. It then broadened to "become a meditation on internal chaos that mirrors the chaos in the outside world."
  • Rossen explained the song's haunting lyric "It's chaos, but it works" during a track by track interview with NPR:

    "That line is not a reference to the political chaos we are currently dealing with. It was meant in more human terms and referring back to the previous line in the song, 'living in a pile,' living in ruin or disarray. 'It's chaos but it works' is meant more like, 'It's a mess, but it has to be good enough.' We are adaptable. We sometimes live in abject conditions because that's all we have and we make it work. It ended up sounding a bit more flippant than I thought it would."
  • According to Rossen, Grizzly Bear percussionist Chris Bear kick-started this song "with the strange rolling drum feel and chord change at the top. Eventually I took it and wrote a melody and lyric and we built it from there."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

The Real Nick Drake

The Real Nick DrakeSong Writing

The head of Drake's estate shares his insights on the late folk singer's life and music.

Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds

Jim McCarty of The YardbirdsSongwriter Interviews

The Yardbirds drummer explains how they created their sound and talks about working with their famous guitarists.

Soul Train Stories with Stephen McMillian

Soul Train Stories with Stephen McMillianSong Writing

A Soul Train dancer takes us through a day on the show, and explains what you had to do to get camera time.

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside Story

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.

Concert Disasters

Concert DisastersFact or Fiction

Ozzy biting a dove? Alice Cooper causing mayhem with a chicken? Creed so bad they were sued? See if you can spot the real concert mishaps.

Psychedelic Lyrics

Psychedelic LyricsMusic Quiz

Whoa man! Do you know which band came up with these cosmic lyrics?