A Recluse (On 8mm Film)

Gatherers' song 'A Recluse (On 8mm Film)' delves into the themes of isolation, existential dread, and the passage of time. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of someone who has chosen to withdraw from the world, finding no solace in earthly existence. The opening lines, 'You laid your body on the ground as you said / You’ll find no peace in the Earth,' suggest a profound disillusionment with life, leading the individual to prefer a state of metaphorical death over being remembered in a world that offers no peace.

The imagery of pouring another drink to 'fight the rain and cold at your window' evokes a sense of trying to numb the pain and discomfort of reality. The invitation to 'come in and waste away with me' speaks to a shared sense of despair and the desire for companionship in their mutual decline. The 'momentary fall from your balcony' and 'our bodies on the concrete' symbolize a fleeting escape from their suffering, only to become 'tributary kill for the worms to feed,' highlighting the inevitability of decay and death.

The recurring motif of 'My slow decay / My super eight / Incinerate' ties the personal deterioration to the medium of 8mm film, a format often associated with capturing fleeting, nostalgic moments. The line 'We put our lives on display to watch them come undone / Frame by frame' suggests a self-awareness of their gradual disintegration, as if their lives are being documented and played back in slow motion. This creates a haunting reflection on the impermanence of life and the relentless march of time, encapsulated in the metaphor of film burning away, frame by frame.