Holland, 1945
Neutral Milk Hotel
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The only girl I've ever loved Was born with roses in her eyes But then they buried her alive One evening in 1945 With just her sister at her side And only weeks before the guns All came and rained on everyone Now she's a little boy in Spain Playing pianos filled with flames On empty rings around the sun I'll sing to say my dream has come But now we must pack up every piece Of the life we used to love Just to keep ourselves At least enough to carry on And now we ride the circus wheel With your dark brother wrapped in white Says it was good to be alive But now he rides a comet's flame And won't be coming back again The Earth looks better from a star That's right above from where you are He didn't mean to make you cry With sparks that ring and bullets fly On empty rings around your heart The world just screams and falls apart But now we must pack up every piece Of the life we used to love Just to keep ourselves At least enough to carry on And here's where your mother sleeps And here is the room where your brothers were born Indentations in the sheets Where their bodies once moved but don't move anymore And it's so sad to see the world agree That they'd rather see their faces filled with flies All when I'd want to keep white roses in their eyes
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Written by: Jeffery Nye Mangum
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
15 facts about this song
Genre Classification"Holland, 1945" is an indie rock song, drawn from the sub-genres of lo-fi and noise pop.
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Album DetailsThe song was released as part of the band's second album, "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea," on February 10, 1998.
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Conceptual BasisThe album, including "Holland, 1945," is a concept album heavily influenced by the story of Anne Frank, a Jewish girl who hid from the Nazis during World War II.
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Song's Meaning"Holland, 1945" is particularly linked to Anne Frank's story. It is contemplated that the song speaks about Anne's life and death.
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Band's HiatusAfter the album "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" was released, Neutral Milk Hotel went on a hiatus for nearly 15 years, making "Holland, 1945" one of their last released songs for a long time.
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Lead VocalistThe song was written and sung by Jeff Mangum, who is the lead vocalist and driving force behind Neutral Milk Hotel.
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Critical ReceptionThe song is celebrated as one of Neutral Milk Hotel's best songs, and is considered a deft fusion of abstract, poetics with harsh, immediate emotion.
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InstrumentationThe song is notable for its intense, energetic instrumentation featuring distorted guitars, bombastic drums, and a singing saw, giving it a unique sound among indie rock tracks.
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Frequent Use"Holland, 1945" has been used on numerous TV shows and movies, significantly adding to its widespread popularity.
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Death ImageryMany listeners and critics interpret "Holland, 1945" as expressing themes of death and resurrection, reflecting Anne Frank's tragic life and Mangum's emotional response to her diary.
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Lyrical ComplexityThe song's lyrics are famously complex and heavily symbolic, sparking numerous theories and debates among fans and critics alike.
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Vinyl RarityA vinyl copy of "Holland, 1945" is a coveted collector's item due to the band's brief period of activity and relative rarity of physical copies.
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Live PerformancesIt is a song commonly performed live by Jeff Mangum during his solo shows, even during the band's long hiatus period.
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Personal AttachmentJeff Mangum has often spoken of his deep emotional bond with "Holland, 1945" and the heavy emotional toll that performing it can take.
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Song DurationThe song is relatively short, lasting just over three minutes, but it condenses a high level of musical and lyrical intensity into that brief time frame.
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Citation
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"Holland, 1945 Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/25324198/Neutral+Milk+Hotel/Holland%2C+1945>.
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