![]() Chutes Too Narrow (2003) [ larger cover art ] |
I was just bony hands, as cold as a winter pole
You held a warm stone out, new flowing blood to hold
Oh, what a contrast you were to the brutes in the halls
My timid young fingers held a decent animal
Over the ramparts you tossed
The scent of your skin and some foreign flowers
Tied to a brick, sweet as a song
The years have been short but the days were long
Cool of a temperate breeze from dark skies to wet grass
We fell in a field, it seems, now a thousand summers past
When our kite lines first crossed we tied them into knots
And to finally fly apart we had to cut them off
Since then it's been a book you read in reverse
So you understand less as the pages turn
Or a movie so crass and awkwardly cast
That even I could be the star
I don't look back much as a rule
And all this, way before murder was cool
But your memory is here and I'd like it to stay
Warm light on a winter's day
Over the ramparts you tossed
The scent of your skin and some foreign flowers
Tied to a brick, sweet as a song
The years have seemed short but the days go slowly by
Two loose kites falling from the sky
Drawn to the ground and an end to flight
| stephw (From The Great White North) | Posted: May 15, 2013 - 07:00 yum... I discovered the Shins listening to RP. Thanks RP! |
| niva | Posted: Apr 16, 2013 - 01:24 Such a beautifull song! And it has a gorgeous video too - google the song with Adam Bizanski - it's the name of the director, and you'll get to it. Brilliant |
| ziakut (Slightly North of Obvlivion) | Posted: Jan 11, 2013 - 21:12 I like how understated this is. A non pretentious pop tune. Good stuff! |
| :+:_DL (RVA) | Posted: Dec 11, 2012 - 12:10 Where is this song going???? pitiful songwriting |
| Mari (île de lesvos) | Posted: Sep 06, 2012 - 04:45 Tana wrote: I don't know what it is about this song ... reduces me to tears out of nowhere. |
| Stingray | Posted: Aug 07, 2012 - 17:55 LOVELY! |
| Carl (The Summit City) | Posted: Mar 02, 2012 - 09:17 Mercer sure has this style of song down pat! Luckily for me, I like it and haven't tired of it yet. The Shins is still one of my favorite bands that I learned about here on RP, for which I'm very grateful. |
| Tana (Lancaster, PA) | Posted: Mar 02, 2012 - 09:13 I don't know what it is about this song ... reduces me to tears out of nowhere. |
| Stingray (4 A FREE INTERNET) | Posted: Jan 30, 2012 - 16:58 WONDERFUL!!! |
| Vinni_NL | Posted: Oct 27, 2011 - 14:50 Yes! More Shins please ^^ |
| kcar | Posted: Sep 25, 2011 - 22:20 wrangler wrote: so weak, so boring. this guy has a terrible voice Yeah, this song doesn't work for me either. It's half-wistful, half-monotonous deadpan. There are better Shin songs (strangely) sound like this one. |
| sronis | Posted: Sep 25, 2011 - 22:18 Perfect in every way. |
| Johnny_Wave (California, baby) | Posted: Sep 25, 2011 - 22:16 I own this album but don't like this song |
| BillG (Paradise, California) | Posted: Aug 23, 2011 - 10:43 gosvimmink wrote: I do. Especially when this song is played every day. Twice a month, actually. |
| gosvimmink (portland, or) | Posted: Jun 23, 2011 - 15:46 Hannio wrote: I never get tired of the Shins. I do. Especially when this song is played every day. |
| Hannio (Austin, TX) | Posted: Feb 17, 2011 - 13:14 I never get tired of the Shins. |
| unclehud (300 feet above the planet) | Posted: Feb 15, 2011 - 11:44 MojoJojo wrote: How about a follow-up of "Sapphire Bullets (of Pure Love)" by TMBG? Did the Giants cover Mahavishnu Orchestra? |
| boober (KC,Mo) | Posted: Feb 15, 2011 - 11:43 Nice harmonica at the end. |
| unclehud (300 feet above the planet) | Posted: Feb 15, 2011 - 11:42 "Chutes too narrow" (definition) The overwhelming reaction to one's first view from the ridge at the top of Big Sky. |
| helgigermany (Germany) | Posted: Nov 13, 2010 - 00:30 Hey, not bad! |
| drews (London, Blighty) | Posted: Oct 14, 2010 - 12:18 pink bullets: ultimate accessories for the fashion-conscious, gun-toting lady ![]() |
| WonderLizard (2,755.46 mi. due east of Paradise) | Posted: Oct 12, 2010 - 08:02 kaybee wrote: I play the Shins' "Wincing the Night Away" album a lot. So just when I think I may have to break down and get "Oh Inverted World", as well, I hear something from this album and I don't know which one to get! Both Chutes Too Narrow and Oh Inverted World are terrific albums. Get both. |
| kaybee (Lost in the Wilds of Toronto) | Posted: Aug 09, 2010 - 18:46 I play the Shins' "Wincing the Night Away" album a lot. So just when I think I may have to break down and get "Oh Inverted World", as well, I hear something from this album and I don't know which one to get! |
| scraig (Santa Barbara, CA) | Posted: Jul 08, 2010 - 16:14 That is a gnarly poem that touches me to the core. The fact that it's put to such an amazing song makes it even more powerful. |
| kaybee (Lost in the Wilds of Toronto) | Posted: Apr 06, 2010 - 17:37 Today a lot of artists are sounding like other artists to me. I thought this the Decemberists at first. |
| SoundsGoodToMe | Posted: Dec 01, 2009 - 14:34 PeorgieTirebiter wrote: Sounds good to me. Will the Shins break up and reform as the Knees? Or maybe Elbow? |
| davin (Victoria, British Columbia) | Posted: Jul 28, 2009 - 14:10 hepburn wrote: The shins are awesome...saw them in concert...sweet! ![]() |
| Wizzuvvoz (Land of Nod. East of Eden on Route 66.) | Posted: Jul 28, 2009 - 14:10 excellent song from an excellent album. Glad to hear a little more of this one and a little less of 'Wincing..." (also a good album) |
| hepburn | Posted: Jul 26, 2009 - 10:52 PeorgieTirebiter wrote: Now that's just silly. He has a perfectly fine, ordinary voice. The shins are awesome...saw them in concert...sweet! |
| PeorgieTirebiter | Posted: Jun 24, 2009 - 16:19 wrangler wrote: so weak, so boring. this guy has a terrible voice Now that's just silly. He has a perfectly fine, ordinary voice. |
| PeorgieTirebiter | Posted: Jun 24, 2009 - 16:18 MojoJojo wrote: How about a follow-up of "Sapphire Bullets (of Pure Love)" by TMBG? Sounds good to me. Will the Shins break up and reform as the Knees? |
| MojoJojo (Indianapolis, IN USA) | Posted: Apr 22, 2009 - 06:41 How about a follow-up of "Sapphire Bullets (of Pure Love)" by TMBG? |
| jonahboo | Posted: Feb 18, 2009 - 04:54 VERY TASTY SONG - LOVE IT |
| bindi (North Carolina) | Posted: Jan 17, 2009 - 12:04 stange, unique voice - adds personality and believability to the song. I find most "great" voices pretty boring. |
| wrangler (cliffside park, nj) | Posted: Nov 17, 2008 - 08:48 so weak, so boring. this guy has a terrible voice |
| TheCaseAce (Manchester, UK) | Posted: Aug 14, 2008 - 14:51 Brilliant. Not their very best song, but not far off. |
| musikalia (Somewhere (over the rainbow)) | Posted: Jun 12, 2008 - 11:18 old_shep wrote: This song is nice enough, I guess...
But I sure miss ROCK and ROLL !! If all you want is rock, you're at the wrong radio station. |
| old_shep (Iowa) | Posted: Apr 10, 2008 - 12:44 This song is nice enough, I guess... But I sure miss ROCK and ROLL !! |
| TexasAggies (Houston, Texas y'all) | Posted: Apr 08, 2008 - 12:53 I'll say this, I like this better than that newer album with the black-and-white cover. That ain't saying much, but it's something. |
| xkolibuul (Chuckanut sandstone) | Posted: Mar 10, 2008 - 01:16 Sadly, no. The king's just a wannabe without talent or humor. PG was far more entertaining. Kinda miss the old misanthrope. |
| boober (KC,Mo) | Posted: Feb 07, 2008 - 14:07 thewiseking wrote: amateur hour
those who chamption this sort of stuff only do so to demonstrate how "indie" they are once it catches on; they drop it in a hurry and then, it just goes away.... Did physicsgenius have a son? |
| ArbiterOfGoodTaste (Seattle, WA) | Posted: Dec 04, 2007 - 17:54 This song takes me back to the sad end of a relationship, because the lyrics are so spot on for the situation. But I think I need to learn how to play that nice little guitar lick. |
| Roverfish (Tucson, AZ - Thanks for visiting...now go home!) | Posted: Sep 01, 2007 - 12:22 chucklesalmon wrote: COME HEAR the SHINS! appearrring at the Any-freakin'Place coffee house. No cover. Free doughnuts.
I challenge you to find one coffee house serving up the intelligence and insight of these lyrics. You might find equally emotive notes, but not the full package. Most excellent tune. |
| ziggytrix (Dallas, TX) | Posted: Jul 02, 2007 - 12:56 lester wrote: Tolerable voice for the most part. But there are points where the guy seems to be straining to hit notes -- be they high, low, or midrange.
it's different, that's for sure. |
| sadierabbit (Toronto) | Posted: Feb 11, 2007 - 10:14 thewiseking wrote: amateur hour
those who chamption this sort of stuff only do so to demonstrate how "indie" they are once it catches on; they drop it in a hurry and then, it just goes away.... Not really. They're quite a few albums in and still holding strong. Perhaps because they have such smart, funny lyrics...and for Shin curmudgeons, I turn their lyrics back at you: "New slang when you notice the stripes, the dirt in your fries. Hope its right when you die, old and bony." |
| On_The_Beach (Vancouver, Canada) | Posted: Nov 30, 2006 - 12:08 thewiseking wrote: amateur hour
those who chamption this sort of stuff only do so to demonstrate how "indie" they are once it catches on; they drop it in a hurry and then, it just goes away.... Geez, I guess it's not OK to just like a song. |
| thewiseking (New York, New York) | Posted: Nov 30, 2006 - 11:54 amateur hour those who chamption this sort of stuff only do so to demonstrate how "indie" they are once it catches on; they drop it in a hurry and then, it just goes away.... |
| ndfan75 (Texas) | Posted: Aug 09, 2006 - 02:42 pink bullets sound kinda phallic if ya ask me. oh wait, nobody asked me..too bad |
| JohnErle (Where The Rose Is Sown) | Posted: Jul 21, 2006 - 18:35 You know who probably uses pink bullets?... ![]() |
| Farquwaar (The City of Brotherly Love) | Posted: Jun 22, 2006 - 10:22 ZedLeppelin wrote: This is such a good album.
Good Call Zed....Very good disc!!!! |



