The Lighthouse's Tale

[JoshM17]

I have a question about the lyrics of The Lighthouse's Tale.

I'll be the first to tell you that Nickel Creek is an awesome band, and full of talent and originality. Why do I start with this warning, well, I want to assure everybody that the question is purely objective, and nothing at all against the band.

I was very dissapointed in the way TLT ended, how the keeper committs suicide. Wouldn't it be much better if he died of another cause, or of old age, like he becomes a hermit, and lives a secluded life in the lighthouse?

It just seems to me that the ending isn't exactly appropriate, but then again it's not like Chris, or NC is condoning suicide. But, they did sing about it.

But's it's not really a big deal, because I know they are great people, and great musicians.

~Josh

[Erika]

Well, the first billion and two times I listened to the song, I cried. But I guess the made the ending like that because it's dramatic and it rhimes.

[kokomo88]

well as Chris said at the concert I was at bluegrass is unfortunately always full of death....sad endings.....death....and this next guy who just so happens to be looking into Hell from the earth and seeing his dead love

so unfortunately, TLT had a sad ending cause Chris believes bluegrass needs to be sad....lol

it is pretty sad, but I don't think they're trying to spread some kind of suicide thing...lol

[warlord]

You can talk (or sing) about a subject without condoning it. Note that you need to talk about a subject to say that you disagree with it!

If I recall correctly, Chris co-wrote this song as an attempt to write a sad song. He used to comment at shows about how he always wondered what stories a lighthouse would have to tell and then added that he was sure they wouldn't be happy. So, yes, he wrote about a Manic lighthouse.

When you listen to the song you can hear how sad the lighthouse is, how upset it gets when keeper jumped, how depressed they got when keeper's love died in the storm. You feel the helplessness and dispair when they see the ship fight. It was the emotive feeling that I'm sure Chris was attempting to achieve, and I for one feel he did it well.

-derek

[lruthie]

I was bothered by the suicidal ending also. But I guess it makes sense upon hearing Kokomo's Chris quote. So the keeper knew where his love was (hell) and wanted to be with her (in hell). And that was one way to get there. :(

[Kat]

I think that TLT is a classic ballad. And as ballads go, they don't usually end happily. It is a beautiful song, and I think it achieves the level of emotion that Chris was hoping for. It's tragic, yet I think Chris wanted us to be able to look deeper than at just the action of the keeper jumping off the lighthouse...I think it's the undying love the keeper had for his wife that is the real focal point. Just a thought.

Cheers,
~KT~

[mel4Him]

chris said a few times that he and adam (who he co-wrote the song with) were being accused of being excessively happy so to break this accusation they wrote a sad song.

[NCFan4Ever]

The Lighthouse's Tale is one of my favorite NC songs....its just awesome. And though I definately don't like death or suicide, I think that it ends perfectly...and it was really funny when whoever said that it ended like that because it was dramatic and it rhymed. lol!

[oogabooga]

I shared alot of the same views abotu this song, beautiful, but why suicide? etc.... But it is great to see what everyone has had to say on it...
Now that I have put my $.02 in, I have a fun little story....

One of my best friends has been in New England on project(a type of mission trip) with Campus crusade for Christ for the entire summer. I haven't been able to talk to him since May!

Well he is back in the south as of friday and I saw him on Saturday (yay!!!)

I was looking through his pictures and was caught by some of a lighthouse he and his friends found during his day off. In the entire time they were lighthouse searching they only found 1, but it was the Nubble Lighthouse that was filmed in Nickel Creek's video for the Lighthouse's Tale !!!! He isn't a fan so he had no idea why I was SO ecstatic about the pictures of my best friend standing on a cliff overlooking the lighthouse ala Sean, Sara, and Chris.

I thought that was a lovely coincidence :)

katy

[red]

wow! i must say, that's pretty awesome! and very random! :D

i would also like to generally agree with what everyone has said here about the lyrics. the first time i heard this song, it really bothered me, but in a good way. i couldn't stop thinking about it, but i'm totally all about depression (again, in a good way) and tragedy. i totally get it. i think this is just about the greatest song ever. it's just a story about love. simple as that. he couldn't bear to be without her.

[ncangie]

There's a joke amongst folk music that in most folk songs, the subject has a 90% chance of dying, due to drowning, despair, heartbreak, etc. Chris commented the same with Sweet Afton - he didn't think the girl was dead - thought she was asleep, but alack, she succumbed to the 90% rule.

-Angie

[kokomo88]

good point.