July, July!

The Decemberists' song 'July, July!' is a rich tapestry of nostalgia, memory, and the passage of time. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a road leading to the narrator's house, a place imbued with personal history and spectral remnants. The imagery of 'special boots' and the careful path to the house suggests a journey that is both physical and emotional, one that requires careful navigation through memories and experiences. The green growth around the house symbolizes life and continuity, contrasting with the haunting presence of ghosts that linger in the narrator's recollections.

The song delves into family history with the mention of a 'crooked French Canadian uncle' involved in illicit activities. This character's dramatic and visceral story, with his 'guts suspended in his fingers,' adds a layer of dark, almost gothic storytelling to the song. The recurring motif of water rolling down the drain serves as a metaphor for the inevitable passage of time and the loneliness that can accompany it. The shift from water to blood in the drain intensifies this sense of loss and the haunting nature of the past.

'July, July!' captures the essence of remembering and misremembering, as seen in the lines about the camisole's color. This reflects how memories can blur and change over time, yet still hold significant emotional weight. The repeated refrain of 'July, July, July! Never seemed so strange' underscores the surreal and sometimes disorienting nature of looking back on one's life. The song is a poignant exploration of how the past shapes our present, filled with vivid imagery and emotional depth that resonates with listeners on a deeply personal level.