He Doesn't Know Why

Fleet Foxes' song 'He Doesn't Know Why' delves into themes of loss, memory, and the passage of time. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a person who has been through a tumultuous period, returning home in a state of disarray. The opening lines, 'Penniless and tired with your hair grown long,' immediately set a tone of weariness and neglect, suggesting a long absence filled with hardship. The narrator's observation that 'your face looked wrong' hints at the profound changes that time and experience have wrought on this person, making them almost unrecognizable.

The song's chorus, 'Memory is a fickle siren's song,' introduces the idea that memories can be deceptive and alluring, much like the mythical sirens who lured sailors to their doom. This metaphor underscores the difficulty of reconciling the past with the present. The narrator's repeated admission, 'I didn't understand,' emphasizes the confusion and helplessness felt when confronted with the changes in someone they once knew well. The lyrics also touch on the silence and unspoken pain of the last two years, a period shrouded in mystery and emotional distance.

As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the person in question is a brother who has led a 'vagrant life,' symbolized by 'rugged hands and a silver knife' and 'twenty dollars in your hand.' These images evoke a life of survival and transience. The repeated lines, 'There's nothing I can do / There's nothing I can say,' convey a sense of resignation and the limits of familial love and support. The song captures the poignant reality that sometimes, despite our best efforts, we cannot save those we care about from their own choices and circumstances.