Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

[@Kantatzu]

Robin's interview said, "I want to do all the vocal takes in one go, so even if there are fuck-ups, I want them to be on there. I want there to be guitar mistakes. I want there to be not totally flawless vocals." Bullshit, this is perfect.

[@featherycoffee1401]

Imperfections make things perfect, I've heard this so many times and I love it, it makes it human and not like a robot performing soulless lyrics. (burials untrue is another example.)

[@rahulmeel1080]

If you listen to twenty one pilots, one of it's song 'lane boy' has a line - don't trust a perfect person, don't trust a song that's flawless

[@Brendan-Black]

That must be what happened in "An Argument" 'cause most of that is a big experimental jazz mistake. Shame too 'cause I really like the first half, "The Shrine" and I wish it lead into something amazing after such a nice buildup.

[@alexs5394]

@@Brendan-Black lmao, glad someone agrees. its ok to like an artist but admit some ideas just aren't good

[@papayer]

@@Brendan-Black An argument isn't meant to be pretty to listen to though... it's meant to be chaotic and disjointed as the strings at the end of The Shrine would suggest. The serene Blue Spotted Tail following shortly after as a contrast to the jumbled mess that supersedes it was a conscious choice and it works within reason. Not everything that's meant to be messy and freeflowing has to be visually aesthetic or pleasing to the ears. Dissonance in itself can be a beautiful quality in music and An Argument was a complete mess that exists in the right place at the right time in the right record.

[@justinnickovtime]

The first time I heard this song, I was in my car on my lunch break. It was 105 outside and we hadn't seen rain in months. This song came on the radio and suddenly the temperature dropped 15 degrees, a nice breeze started blowing, and birds started flying together, in sequence, in the field across the road from me. As soon as the song ended there was a silent pause, followed by a down poor of rain. I know it has nothing to do with the song, but thought it was worth sharing.

[@TVC15ohoh]

Things are more connected than we generally realize or give credit to.

[@danagoolesby8264]

Love what you said!

[@HwoarangtheBoomerang]

What you experienced was life. Real life. Now back to the machine with yeh.

[@TerryDowney]

That was cause and effect in motion. A subtle gift from the gods. It had everything to do with the song

[@jameslumpkin3334]

OR DOES IT 🤔

[@saramyers1205]

One of my best friends died last year in a car wreck. He loved Fleet Foxes. We listened to them for several years. This was his favorite song by them. His brother played this at his wake and funeral. I can never forget him. I loved him so much, and my heart aches everyday. I feel close to him when I listen to this song. It describes him more than anything in my heart. Rest in power, Eli.

[@adamkl20]

Sara Myers 💙

[@DaviSilva-fe9by]

I'm sorry for your loss, not just yours actually, since it's a loss for the entire universe as well. But know that the weight of his life is something that will last forever brother

[@uneloutredeuxloutres]

I'm deeply sorry for your loss. Hopefully music can help you cherish his memory. Have a peaceful day.

[@SidPunkTattoo]

caracas, que triste Sara :( só de pensar na música sendo tocada em forma de despedida me deu vontade de chorar :,(

[@nicepolice12]

Rip for your friend. Sending love from Australia. Honestly this comment made me cry I've lost friends so I know how you feel.

[@JoePesciBallsack]

"Someday I'll be like the man on the screen" This. This line right here absolutely crushed me. I'm bawling my eyes out as I type this.

[@Cloven137]

Haha, right on man. Fleet Foxes often brings me to tears. I don't trust people who don't like Fleet Foxes, or feel this. They are vampires. It's a serious rule of mine... Lol

[@jirehjirehjirehjireh]

In just this line he brings the entire song’s theme together and brings it home in a way that is insanely personal yet universal. Perfect song writing.

[@AdventuresAwait123]

❤

[@michaelhejja]

There's only a handful of songs that can bring me to tears almost every time I hear them, and this is one of them.

[@MrOrangepony]

To me personally, the song is about waiting for a purpose in life. I feel like "I had an orchard (purpose), I'd work til I'm sore". I don't want to be unique I just want some meaning in my life.

[@aquanator313]

I think its about purpose, but i interpret it as having a purpose that has value to you, yourself vs that of others. The lines of "I don't need to be kind to the armies of night that would do such injustice to you Or bow down and be grateful and say, "Sure, take all that you see" To the men who move only in dimly-lit halls and determine my future for me" as well as "I'll come back to you someday soon myself" speak to me about knowing what's important to yourself and following that path vs what others want or expect you to do.

[@juliac.5825]

I felt that.

[@ChannyTao]

trueeee

[@George-ur8ow]

I know i'll get ripped to shreds for writing this, but i'll do it anyway. Always loved this song and have been a FF fan since I heard "he doesn't know why" almost 15 years ago. It took me 10 years after this song came out and hearing it again now, that I realize that for me, "serving something beyond me" meant becoming part of the Church I was raised in, but never really thought twice about until a few years ago. It's serving something beyond me, beyond in fact this plane of existence. The fantasy Robin speaks of - a beautiful spouse, some farmland and a store in a rustic, bucolic paradise he describes after the bridge still isn't enough, he's still hoping that someday "he'll be like the man on the screen" aka, the big guy, the hero, the man who has it all figured out. That day will never come - and even if it did, it still wouldn't be enough. Everything fades and wears out, the buildings, the structures, the temporary moments of glory - even the comfort or satisfaction of a life in rural simplicity - all of it is going to change and decay, just like the very bodies we inhabit. We have to build toward what will never fade, and what will never be corrupted. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

[@christopherpearson8637]

Yes is my only take on your comment, nailed it.

[@grazielealves8949]

I was raised up believing I was somehow unique Like a snowflake distinct among snowflakes Unique in each way you can see And now after some thinking I'd say I'd rather be A functioning cog in some great machinery Serving something beyond me But I don't, I don't know what that will be I'll get back to you someday soon, you will see What's my name, what's my station Oh, just tell me what I should do I don't need to be kind to the armies of night That would do such injustice to you Or bow down and be grateful And say: Sure, take all that you see To the men who move only in dimly lit halls And determine my future for me And I don't, I don't know who to believe I'll get back to you someday soon, you will see If I know only one thing It's that everything that I see Of the world outside is so inconceivable Often I barely can speak Yeah, I'm tongue-tied and dizzy And I can't keep it to myself What good is it to sing helplessness blues? Why should I wait for anyone else? And I know, I know you will keep me on the shelf I'll come back to you someday soon myself If I had an orchard I'd work till I'm raw If I had an orchard I'd work till I'm sore And you would wait tables And soon run the store Gold hair in the sunlight My light in the dawn If I had an orchard I'd work till I'm sore If I had an orchard, I'd work till I'm sore Someday I'll be like the man on the screen

[@callielayneherring5888]

This hits hard as a former “gifted” kid who burned out and dropped out and is still trying to find a reason to live years later

[@Headytopper125]

What does you being a gifted kid have to do with anything

[@callielayneherring5888]

@@Headytopper125 the first verse of the song sums it up pretty well but when you get pulled into the GT program there’s this idea that you’re special, you’re super smart, etc etc - but at some point the special school programs and shit ends and you realize you’re just like everybody else, you’re not really special, only you never learned how to cope with regular day to day bs like all the other kids because your schooling was tailored to always be engaging for you specifically. I had so much fun in that program as a kid but I NEVER had to learn how to study and persevere in subjects that were challenging for me, and I crashed and burned when I hit the first class I couldn’t just coast through. Now I’m an adult who was “raised up believing I was somehow unique” but I’d rather be that functioning cog they mention.

[@Elcore]

Just try to be a functioning cog in some great machinery serving something beyond you as opposed to something beneath you, lil homie.

[@annaturquoise7114]

try Joshua citarellas project and participating in it

[@internetbodhi1009]

@@callielayneherring5888 not to say it's better one way or the other, but you wouldn't have learned how to study either way. In regular classes you'd be bored out of your mind or antsy, trying to get the lesson moving. In the gifted classes, it's good until they change gifted from advanced, interesting stuff outside a regular curriculum, to making "gifted" shorthand for extra work. When gifted becomes extra work, that's when burnout happens. It's not interesting or relevant, its just more papers and quizzes.

[@Viennery]

This is the greatest song they've ever made. A true masterpiece

[@TheFilmsKaper]

then i am all that i need/arroyo seco/thumbprint scar came along lmao

[@danielsan2349]

@@TheFilmsKaper that whole album, whew. Can't wait to see what's coming next

[@ck675]

@@danielsan2349 and now we have Shore, an entire generation is truly lucky to grow up with this discography and it’s so awesome to have watched it unfold

[@randomdude189]

I couldn’t pick a favorite personally.

[@Threetails]

This is a song for my generation. This is the folk music of those who came of age during the Great Recession. If it wasn't so beautiful it would be hard to listen to because it's the exact feeling so many of us get lately. That line "If I had an orchard, I'd work till I'm sore" is exactly what I'd say to those who say my generation just doesn't have the same work ethic. We do. We work hard at what we're passionate at and just want a chance to make something of that effort.

[@youbiscuit2146]

10 years since your comment. Whenever I listen to this I think "this is the millennial generation summed up in a song"

[@chillerduu39]

​@@youbiscuit2146 for real. I'm not quite millennial myself, but the concept bleeds over even today. No mentors, no guidance, no tradition. Supposedly this makes a perfect playground, but everyone just froze up in various states of arrested development. There is no game to play when nobody makes any rules, and we are far less equipped now to make up some ourselves.

[@jamisonjones1750]

Just quit the office job to start working on a farm. Far less income, but far more meaning I hope

[@maddiemerritt4637]

for the last few years i've been dying my hair because i hate the natural color. i've always thought it was a dull, mousy brown and that it was the ugliest color ever. but recently i've come back to this album and i heard this song, and i listened to the lyrics "gold hair in the sunlight" and it made me remember how my natural hair shines like gold in the light. i know it's a very small thing but for the first time in almost 3 years i've begun to love myself a little bit more thanks to this song

[@user-iv1qq3vb9j]

Your comment made me tear up

[@maddiemerritt4637]

@@user-iv1qq3vb9j aw !! ❤️❤️❤️

[@jenburkholder6541]

I have the same color hair, a drab brown, but in the sun it shines a golden reddish color, we are lucky. 😊

[@wii3willRule]

Brown hair is gorgeous!

[@rotidero]

You need to listen to the song Sister Golden Hair by America. Same type of song too.

[@melo2003]

Consumerism snatched our hopes and dreams from our hands and enforced the notion that there is no greater deed than to work relentlessly for purposes beyond human comprehension until we’re aching and bloody. I believe there is almost no better depiction of the sense of helplessness common amongst the working class than this song. Thank you, Fleet Foxes.

[@adrv5721]

Man ain’t this the unmitigated truth.

[@eliortiz8722]

*Capitalism

[@charlottefreebairn1228]

This song instantly made me cry. "I don't know who to believe, ill get back to you someday, soon you will see." I have never related to anything more and it really gradually told me yet strongly that I am not alone as I think I am in this world.

[@jameswalker7235]

Same, Ms. Charlotte. It cuts deep and fills one with hope, simultaneously. In a way that only wonderful music can.

[@owenembury5499]

The last part of this song completely guts me. If I was given the chance to devote my life to what i found fulfilling, I would work myself to a happy death, but that chance hasn't come yet. My biggest fear in life is never being able to bridge that gap, but all I can do is believe, so I will.

[@micahsells3916]

I trust you'll find your peace! This comment was beautiful and moved me.

[@randomdude189]

Part of it is yearning but the more important part is creating it for yourself and not waiting for it to come along or be handed to you in clear terms. That’s why the last line hits so hard cause fantasy is fantasy but reality takes sacrifice

[@tadejrondaij7780]

The second part of this song is like seeing the sun for the first time after a long dark winter

[@amyyamamoto7312]

It definitely is.. it’s beautiful

[@moesalamander7012]

I seriously can’t believe that someone wouldn’t like this

[@nigelstefani]

there is something not simply nostalgic but quite frankly, genuinely magical, about this piece. And magic, in the way that when one smells something that transports them to another place entirely, a place that's warm and wrapped with an other worldly simplicity. This song has this in spades.

[@rionageraghty697]

Nigel Stefani nicely put, couldn't agree more 😊

[@jodotohp]

i love this comment - it's exactly it. thank you.

[@aamirhami]

Although this sounds cringey, it's the best description for this song.

[@embrio.]

Love this song. To me, it's a tongue-in-cheek reflection of young people's attitudes toward work and purpose in Western capitalist society. We've grown up hearing we can be and do anything and it's our individuality that is of utmost importance, but reality sinks in when pressed to figure out what we should "be." On the one hand, it seems desirable to be part of something larger than ourselves--to be a "functioning cog in some great machinery"; on the other, the concept of being owned and manipulated by a faceless, moral-less economic system doesn't sound too fulfilling. The quandary. Ultimately, we return to our individualist roots, envisioning a romanticized, self-made future of pure, hard work and reacquaintance with nature. The killer ending line, "Someday I'll be like the man on the screen," exposes this dream for what it truly is: the product of the very same capitalist machinery that we thought we'd escaped. The TV fuels the pastoral ideal, keeping it forever out of reach as we run tirelessly on the treadmills of capitalism, believing we'll one day, someday achieve purpose in our lives.

[@shadygroves8252]

Nailed it, well written.

[@catsoflondon]

Well beyond youth, from a different view of having gone through, best to tell you that turning your back on the screen will give you a more clear vision of what future you can move towards. It, the world - us and everything else - ain't gonna get better so make something new. You'll survive. And, one day, you'll look back with happiness.

[@banjoplayingbison2275]

Yes now that I realized it does, The great Ron Paul when he left congress a few years ago "We don't have capitalism and we don't have free markets now". Fuck you all the stupid assholes in Washington that have fucked up this country, both the corporate bought republicans and controlled by machines democrats you are a disgrace to the founding fathers and the traditional classical liberal values they founded this country on and the wars where we once fought against tyrants like you. I'm only 16 and I was only a few months old when 9-11 happened and people my against having been living in a country that has gone against its founding values and has turned into even more of a corporate, fascist, and machine run country, we grown up seeing wars were brave men and women don't die for this country but instead die for some oil or military industrial company. Now the alt right has began turning kids my age into neo nazi scumbags and Sjw's have been doing the same but instead turning them into Stalinist like Dumbasses. This country has now elected a lunatic to be president. Soon the political climate will be like just before the Nazi's got elected in Germany, it will be divided between a bunch of fascists and communists who are all a bunch of disgusting humans who don't care for human rights and civil liberties. Sadly people around my age are wasting their lives on technology too much. FUCK ALL YOU TYRANTS IN WASHINGTON WHO KEEP FUCKING UP THIS COUNTRY, EITHER IF YOU ARE REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRAT YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO THIS COUNTRY AND DESERVE TO BE EXECUTED FOR FOR YOUR EVILNESS AND DISREGARDED FOR THE CONSTITUTION AND DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE WHICH SHOULD ALL BE SHOVED UP YOUR ASS AND FACE. FUCK YOU ALL AND BURN IN HELL (Jesus would be disappointed with all the fake "Christians" in the republican party) !!! YOU ARE THE REAL TERRORISTS!!!

[@shaymimon5818]

This things are true, and painful. you should try finding ways to make a change for the best. we must have hope Good Luck :)

[@TheWatsonGreen]

Seriously? What we have now is absolutely purely the unadulterated consequences of capitalism. Capitalism will always lead to tyranny because it encourages scarcity and elitism ("I worked harder than you so I deserve more" - how do you quantify hard work? Did a Wall Street Banker really work harder than your high school janitor? Did they physically exert more calories? Or were they just born into a good circumstance and exploitative?)

[@dusanstefanovski9645]

Me and my girlfriend were just sitting in the outskirts of our city listening to this song and i swear to god a actual fox just came by looked at us for a second and left...

[@faded-epitaph]

Sounds like it was a fleeting visit for that fox

[@Elcore]

My favourite song of theirs. Sums up the situation we're born into, the things we strive for, and the space in between.

[@DahPff]

I love this song so much i can't help crying, it makes my heart tremble.

[@AndyYumYum]

I always think of Two-Headed Boy too when this song starts.

[@wids]

Same lmao two amazing albums/bands

[@hummingbones3849]

Same!!!!!

[@jacklfitz]

Honestly same.

[@ggthewhale]

I LOOOOOVE YOUUUU JEEESUSSSS CHRRRRRIIIIIST

[@spamsingles5948]

SEMEN STAINS THE MOUNTAIN TOPS

[@footloosebowler]

The Paul Simon influence on the songwriting of this piece is undeniable. It's something to be celebrated!

[@FiaZkomanjKaK]

Ho yeah i came here to say somethin' like this. On Simon & garfunkel duet.

[@lamestudiosinc418]

Vocal harmonies most definitely are highly reminiscent of Simon at his best.

[@L.Spencer]

I'm just discovering this band, and listening to some of their songs, but this song really sounds like Simon and Garfunkel. Even their pronunciation or enunciation.

[@jamespitts6575]

This album got me through a year of depression and bed rest. Seriously, I love it! I joke you not… I was undergoing a major mental disruption…and Fleet Foxes as well as The Grateful Dead helped me pulled me through!!

[@endbfududb]

I hope he gets his orchard.

[@kawaiixtc]

It's 5 am, I'm burned out and this is hitting hard. What a masterpiece.

[@Viennery]

For years now this has been my mental reset song. You know those days when you are completely fatigued from work, kids, stress etc? You’re just absolutely mentally exhausted and nothing is helping? I lie down on my couch for 5 minutes and play this song, and by the time it’s done I feel refreshed. This song is like a 5 minute spa for your brain, therapy and relaxation and a massage for your ears and mind.

[@jessekennedy4610]

Never seen so much positivity in the comments section until I read the comments for this video. Fleet Foxes are truly amazing

[@jodotohp]

nicest yt comments section of all-time right here.

[@kyle7392]

Fleet foxes community

[@sarahcander9583]

as a junior in high school who is beginning to stress about college and filling my resume, this song always brings me to tears. I don’t think I have ever related to a song more in my entire life. This song makes me want to rewind the clock and send myself back to the days I would sit in the car as a young girl singing “you are my sunshine” with my dad. I’m so scared of the future and what I will be, and reality is finally hitting me that I most likely will not be the rich and famous girl I aspire to be. I just recently got rejected from NHS, but accepted into NEHS. Life is hard, life is tiring, but I like the simple story at the end of this song. A simple life is something I want, alone and free with the wilderness surrounded by friends and family. Maybe one day I can live the life I want, and not work to please everyone as a “unique snowflake”. UPDATE: everything worked out! I got accepted somewhere and am now on my way to living my dream going to school in the city. Best of luck to everyone on their journeys through life, I hope whichever path you take is full of beauty and life and love.

[@YoungHeartedSoul]

Focus on being rich in the heart and not the bank account. You will live happier overall even when poor, you will be rich in the heart. look at how many famous people that have it all, or so we think they have it all, commit suicide. Be unique, simple, humble and generous then everything will fall in place.

[@sidhantsood5373]

Sarah Cander damn Americans whining about the easiest education system in the entire world. Imagine not succeeding in USA.

[@MelchBurg]

Life sucks. Life is beautiful.

[@sarahcander9583]

Sidhant Sood Imagine insulting a teenage girl in order to feel better ab yourself😱

[@ismaelperez3384]

@@sidhantsood5373 Her feelings are valid. You don't need to belittle people or their experiences to validate how difficult or treacherous yours was. People like you need to listen to this song, learn, and empathize with others. Your struggles may be more or less severe than hers, but by bringing hers down you are allowing others to do the same to you. I'm assuming you wouldn't care though since you're such an "academic intellect" but lack the emotional intellect to respect and empathize with people. Without that you are nothing my friend, learn to love. The world has too much hate... don't add to it. From a "Whiny American" who has experienced the academic system of 6 different countries and still "whines" at how difficult it can be. P.S. Fuck off :)

[@Guardsman1989]

the most thought provoking piece of music ive ever listened to, a masterpiece

[@madisonc1588]

I know it's a bit late, but if you do end up seeing this reply, you should also check out Holocene by Bon Iver, good stuff

[@andrewgarrett3555]

That's sad.

[@itayker22]

@@madisonc1588 This and Holocene are probably my two favourite songs right now, I can't even explain how happy seeing this comment made me

[@yvesmija]

not my tune but man id never thought id tear up to a song not about heartbreak. im actually lost. i dont want to work and i dont have motivation to find my true passion. i just sit around play games with my friends, after that its just me being a bum. i do hope i go back to this comment 3-5 years from now in a more positive way.

[@julianlerchmuller8831]

I’m at the same point, man. Not motivated to do anything and pessimistic. You just gotta get out there and open yourself up to all the wonders life has to offer and be appreciative of everything you have. It’ll get better, trust me.

[@aayushivasnik]

I was like that a couple of years ago, I had no hope for anything.. It still sucks but I'm in a better place mentally. I just to tell you it'll be better, you'll be fine. Sending prayers 💜

[@mikecricket113]

hey buddy please don't sweat the small things . Its alright to "Not know." one day at a time

[@sgvmvp]

Enjoy the times you're bumming it bro. You're where you need to be. One day when you have purpose, and responsibilities, and people depending on you, you will look back on bumming like it was the best.

[@emirozdemir2037]

be gentle to yourself.. sometimes its ok to just waste time and not be productive...

[@merrittbadger]

I worked in an Orchard for a few months. I was 32. My friend had some L and we tripped on the plateau, alone gazing at the falling sun. Just beautiful.

[@Chadbiskit]

I don't have the words to describe how this song in particular makes me feel but I am absolutely obsessed.

[@waymondo1955]

I close my eyes and Im back in my past life ...My Soul hears this song.

[@m_sam65]

waymondo1955 beautifully put

[@safasancaktaroglu8849]

Try to live today

[@greenmanatee3368]

So grateful my Geometry teacher played Mumford & Sons Radio every Friday back in Fall 2012. This song played on the station all the time back then and got me hooked into Fleet Foxes. Now I've listened to all of their songs and regard them as one of my favorite bands of all time.

[@sunnybaudelaire9384]

Your geometry teacher has excellent taste haha.

[@alanparsonsfan]

At 2;40 or so, the piece begins to shift... at 3:02, it starts to soar. Breathlessly beautiful, wistful and yearning at that point. Jawdropping talent.

[@squid262]

It changes from 4/4 time to 6/8 time there!

[@transcreatureofchaos]

It's rare for me to relate to a song this much, but as someone who used to be hyped up as this "gifted kid" in my younger years, this song hits like an emotional freight train as I'm struggling to find my place right now

[@C0H87]

The alternative wave that started around 2003 and lasted about ten years really is some of the best music ever. This song is the masterpiece of that timeframe.

[@lndnb1]

This song strangely puts me in an unexplainably happy, almost euphoric state... its awesome.

[@leehollman8939]

We all have an orchard. If you work hard, you find yours and tend to it. I'm nearly fifty with a beautiful wife, two amazing daughters, two Master's degrees and an awesome job helping kids at a Brooklyn public school. Many people predicted failure for me. We all have an orchard. Thanks, Unseen Thinker.

[@kallek919]

Speaking of the spirit meaning in the lyrics ”… I’d say I’d rather be a functioning cog …”: The one does not exclude the other; you can be completely unique and at the same time feel that you have a strong purpose to serve.

[@gabriellebarnard707]

Beautifully said!

[@josiahstam6523]

Amen to that!

[@31y7e1my97]

The best part begins at 0:00

[@cheche056]

Ian N. nice pfp

[@shiningnightmare5616]

I don't like the part after 5:04 honestly

[@mackaroni9792]

@@shiningnightmare5616 worst part ever!! ;;-;;

[@cllap_bingus]

loloollol

[@brownguy0405]

I heard someone jamming to this song in the apartment parking lot, but wasn't able to see who it was. It is rare to hear other fleet foxes fans where I am at. We could have been best friends. I don't know who or where you are stranger, but from this day forth. I Stan for you.

[@felixmontanez4090]

robin pecknold is our of our generation's best songwriters. dude just writes the most beautiful songs

[@shrekfanboy5446]

Good, underappreciated music: *Exists* Fantano: I'm about to blow up this man's career

[@JustaRandomGuy890]

Shrek Fanboy I mean fleet foxes is a very popular band, they don’t need his help that much

[@Marcus-sy5bo]

bruh he really be blowing these bands up

[@steadyrhythms9571]

fleet foxes does already have a steady fanbase, but i will admit i finally felt like checking this out once Fantano emphasized how great this was. can’t believe it took me that long.

[@ozarkecologies]

Good Lord y'all are ignorant. You DO realize this album has a Grammy nom, right? Do the fantano fans really think this is an undiscovered gem??

[@steadyrhythms9571]

Nathan Aaron no I’ve known about the fleet foxes for a while they just haven’t been a priority to listen to until Fantano really sold how good this thing apparently is. i have a lot of music to catch up on listening to, i only started TRULY listening to music like last year so my bad for slacking. i try to stay away from being only Fantano-core too, he helps me find music but i have other ways too and i don’t freak out over him.

[@georgefaux2154]

Who’s here after mr foxtano named this the second best song of the decade.

[@cthulhu5707]

Faux Im going through the whole top 10

[@johnberesford9906]

Yep, I bought the album when it came out so this song and and album do define this decade just gone for me

[@bluesolace9052]

I might be biased for not have heard too many songs like this before, but this song does really speak. I think it belongs in the 2nd place spot.

[@georgefaux2154]

Eternal Branches its got great meaning but sonically its not my kinda thing

[@mattxp3389]

had to give the song a second listen after he placed it on the list. heard it back in college.

[@kellybelly1118]

... I have worked so hard to get in to medical school, this song is what kept me goin, grinding out the work. Now I made it, and this song still brings me back to my humble roots.

[@jakebarnett9269]

This is the only song that can bring me to tears at any moment

[@Indigo_404]

Tbh I hate ranting ab my own life on songs but this one speaks to me Like life seems so difficult, especially as I prep for college & try to hold a job. There’s just so much to do, I yearn for a small, simple future where things are laid out for me (What’s my name, what’s my station). I know I could function well & correctly if I just knew the right steps. I don’t need fame or glory if I can have a little life. Edit: one year later and things are going way better. I made this comment my senior year of HS when I was going through a lot of bad stuff. I’m working toward the little life my past self yearned for. I have a job I actually like and some great friends. Keep it real everyone, it gets better. Even if not all at once, it gets a little better every day💜

[@snuffalufficus]

A song has never so accurately described my life and feelings so perfectly..

[@Lebowski55]

An incredible song from an incredible band on an incredible album

[@GodofVengence]

This song is about the uncertainty of being a young adult at this point in time. It’d be nice if we could plug ourselves into the machine and have everything determined for us, we think in our anxiety, but we know deep down this is the wrong course. Deep down, we know it’s up to us to decide how to live, what kind of person we’re to be. Many of us yearn for a simpler time and a life where we have the ability to work towards a good life for ourselves and our families, which is what the orchard part of the song represents.

[@HVYMETL]

Take this CD with you wherever you go.

[@josephhanger6380]

This song gives me strength to wake up another day

[@liviapoloto2454]

como pode os cara são inteligente poético críticos fazer uma música bonita dessas e a melodia nossa é linda que letra bem pensada eu amo ouvir Fleet Foxes até sempre

[@miguelamadio9685]

Sim eles são talentosíssimos, essa música me descreve demais: sempre tive essa sensação de não saber meu propósito(quesito carreira), e agora na faculdade ainda me deparo com essas questões de: será que to no caminho certo. Tenho uma ânsia de tá exercendo alguma vocação alinhada comigo, mas infelizmente não sei qual é.

[@sofiacaldeira9669]

E são belos Lívia! Já tiveste oportunidade de os ver ao vivo?

[@Porfabiana1]

Simmm ❤️

[@abledhomedefender]

I love the honesty and rawness of this song. It definitely describes my, "desert wandering" years until the Maker of this whole place hunted me down and filled me with joy that's almost inexpressible at times. The Lord Jesus Christ is the answer to helplessness in every form including religious helplessness that so many are burdened and weighed down by striving when the work has already been done for them in Christ. I would highly recommend reading C.S. Lewis's book, "Surprised by Joy." I won't go on much longer, but this quote of Lewis's says it all: " Look for Christ and you will find him, and with him everything else thrown in."

[@jamjam6422]

This is my life.....My whole life detailed into a 5 minute record and set of lyrics. My life beautifully told by Robin Pecknold

[@nos249]

Second best song of the decade. Came up with that opinion myself

[@karlmarx5313]

@Knowle Austin the voidz - human sadness should be #1

[@empschilde]

Smokethany Cracktano here

[@simonrafferty5301]

The thing is, out of a thousand humans, Robin Pecknold stands pretty unique. He's filled the world with warm, beautiful music from a place of empathy and truth and that ain't bad, is it?

[@waldenbeaudet736]

Such a sound as this is truly unique to this sacred band.

[@limestoneheart]

Happy 4th birthday, Helplessness Blues! Released on May 3rd, 2011 and still such a fantastic album... :)

[@стрелок-ч7р]

Best folk record of this decade so far

[@spencerme3486]

+mschmidler their eponymous album is better

[@limestoneheart]

+spencer me I think it's way less nuanced, less "difficult" to listen to, more upbeat. I still can listen to HB without being bored and for me that is a sign of a great album. But tastes do differ :)

[@spencerme3486]

i like both, but the eponymous album had more good songs. white winter hymnal, tiger mountain peasant song, ragged wood and blue ridge mountains are all better songs than anything on helplessness blues, imo

[@madisonc1588]

And even still in 2018!

[@griffinj1204]

The ending to this song is so emotional, love it

[@Wcburg1]

"if i had an orchard i'd work 'til i'm sore." that line, when robin says it himself, gives me the chills, it's so beautiful.

[@bloucou]

Only beautiful people could create such amazing music. I seriously could just listen to this all day to slip away from the dead thing my life is. Someday, hopefully things will change. Everyone has so much potential.

[@MrKajithecat]

Wonderful song and important message. I feel Robin Pecknold is saying that you shouldn't get caught up on admiring your "uniqueness" and understand that being apart of the big scheme of things is much more important. Once you join the collective it'll give you a chance to leave and pursue your own dreams. You just have to buckle down and work hard before you become your own person. You have to hold on to your dreams but at the same time put them on the side and base yourself in reality so things can move forward in your life. Just my take, I could be way off.

[@thrillmill6525]

+MrKajithecat You sound like the fucking Borg. You shouldn't aspire to be a special snowflake, this is true. But by the same token, don't be a sheep. That's part of the reason we're in the situation we are; too many people just going along with the herd. Strike your own path. Be you a man unto yourself.

[@MrKajithecat]

Thrill Mill I think you misread my comment. There should be a balance between being your own person and also being a functional person within society. Just my opinion. Don't fully assimilate but also don't go off running towards goals that are unattainable, at least establish yourself first.

[@thrillmill6525]

Well said. Apologies for misunderstanding your point.

[@AskSydneyLipton]

MrKajithecat I totally get what you're saying. I'm well aware of my own originality, but I know how to get in touch with the real world. I'm not doing what I love yet, but I'll get there eventually.

[@mikojude5058]

i couldn't agree more

[@jamesturner2914]

The guitar at 3:25 is often overlooked as a detail , the roughness and heaviness - beautiful

[@awkwardme5375]

Don't to wish we could all be friends? None of us actually know anyone who listens to all the great music that we like. We constantly feel like we're alone in our musical preference. The only others seem to only reside in the comments section of our sonic medicine. We're clearly out there - only perpetually separated by the anonymity of the Internet. It's a damn shame. We need each other. We'd all be so happy together. One of these days, we will unite. Somewhere. Somehow.

[@snape539]

we've been together all along, people just need to sit down and realize that, just as one would to enjoy this beautiful piece of music then they'll be ready to see it for themselves, that they lied to us all along. Even now there's forces working in the shadows trying to separate us, i just wish we could unite against them, but we're still blind.

[@GeoMariaGeorge]

I also think about that. But I'm sure we who love the same song will also have songs we hate with an opposite common ground. No?

[@micahmiller2304]

I agree

[@maximvandaele4825]

Don't be so downbeat. You will meet people who share your music tastes, eventually.

[@satyanarayansingh7182]

Bruh hmu anytime

[@Thedasaurus]

This song will forever be special to me.

[@lisadreamin]

I've never been so excited for an album to come out before! Beautiful song and god, do I connect with these lyrics. "What good is it to sing helplessness blues, why should I wait for anyone else?"

[@MvDiStasio]

This band takes me to a different place and time every time I listen to them! Truly a great band

[@CiCiGreenBeans]

Underated and simply one of the most magnificent pieces I have had the pleasure of hearing. I was told by the local record store, about 10 years ago, that this band had one of the most beautiful pieces ever to grace your ears; the clerk told me to give this album a listen. I went home, listened to the entire album, which in itself is purity... But this song hit different. I knew this was what he spoke of. Absolutely stunning. Goosebumps and chills up my spine; as if I were pulled into the tale sung in this masterpiece. It was almost dream like. This and Casimir Pulaski Day sung by Sufijan Stevens had me in a dreamlike state I had not experienced since hearing Us and Them by Pink Floyd when I was young girl.

[@adamreyes1582]

Oh man! Us and Them definitely gives me the same feeling of helplessness!

[@thisferret]

how is it that a song leaves me feeling so completely understood and matches so exactl y what ive been doing for over five years now...

[@freethought_veteran]

Best fleet foxes song

[@apassmore6573]

I think "Sun, it Rises" is in all honesty.

[@MrFeyerwire]

Just another legend from the PNW, one of many indy legends from my home.

[@satsuki9800]

One of the most wonderful song I've ever heard

[@leicfoxUK]

Never heard of this band before until Resident Alien. Sounds like a Simon & Garfunkel track - love it. Going to check out their albums.

[@TheMajortom1969]

Yeah man, going to do the same

[@stormwolf4989]

I recommend Mykonos from Snow Giant.

[@Cattitude48]

Same here.

[@soulmod63]

Up The City

[@zackaryfritschie7652]

Yep, Shazamed it instantly. I've watched resident aliens probably more than 95% of the people who have watched it. At least one episode has been on every day since episode aired in my house. Watched it with my dad because the trailer looked good, then I showed it to my grandparents, and now it's one of their favorite shows

[@thebreakfastmenu]

This came on in Walmart and I had to laugh.

[@SPACECOWBOY705]

😂

[@hannahporter3272]

lmaooooo

[@guyvandermire4146]

Yeah they used to play fleet foxes occasionally, in between playing Material Girl and Landslide hundreds of times in the same day.

[@ryandozier8053]

Keepin it on the shelf 🤙🏻

[@chocolatefrogs1992]

Ha, I feel ya.

[@shanismaximus]

I hiked the PCT from Mexico to Canada 3 summers ago. In the beginning while I was walking through the desert I felt like I was in a dream and had visions of new possibilities. This song was the theme song of that mystical trek through the desert.

[@rachaelelizabeth5299]

This song reminds me of Simon and Garfunkel

[@chaseclancy561]

My love and heart goes to all who fall to tears and all those who choke it back. I love you, don’t know you, but this is how humans should be. We are baked in the sunlight and angry and sore We exist for more

[@AdventuresAwait123]

❤ amen.

[@treveltw]

"I was raised up believing, I was somehow unique. Like a snowflake, distinct among snowflakes, unique in each way you can see." Love that first verse !

[@NovemberRainLove]

These lyrics are just bloody beautiful. My faith in music has been restored.

[@emilycrossstitcher5022]

I grew up in Renton Washington. This sounds like my childhood.

[@chinesewalmart]

This music is beyond beautiful. I can enjoy this, and contemplate about things to this. Life's good when you find music like this. Ever notice how finding a great band can just change your outlook on things?

[@RosieMe5]

I'm so happy to see other people are reminded of Simon and Garfunkel by this

[@klementinajaklovic3109]

Who else thinks fleet foxes are perfect music for cold cozy bed days? When its snowing outside and I am sitting inside and reading a book with cup of tea. And I love to listen to them when I am making something with cinnamon like apple pie.

[@JH-fb3mp]

Took a gap year just because of this song. It gave me the time I needed to find self-love and figure out what I actually want to do with my life. I'm going back this fall, don't expect to enjoy it, but I feel better about the future than ever.

[@JVictoria412]

It's so heartbreakingly beautiful

[@davidleonhardt7113]

holy moly this song gets better with age

[@OxenUlous]

The never-ending struggle when you’ve to fight with your own self. Beautifully written & composed! 🤎

[@ajford3973]

I honestly wish this was the last song on the album. Mainly because I feel like the line “someday i’ll be like the man on the screen” describes the album as a whole and would’ve been PERFECT to close the album off with. But one of my top 3 albums of all time personally. Love it so much.

[@darthnoxious3874]

This song perfectly describes the struggle of finding the path YOU want to take in life, separate from what others say you should do... also just how overwhelming and rushed your feel when making a decision and finding what you want for yourself. Beautiful.

[@guibox3]

Last 2 minutes of the song are so Crosby, Stills and Nash influenced. Great stuff!

[@franksinbeans]

Yes! Im looking forward to this album so much. This song's already in my head.

[@paullarkin9177]

Fleet Foxes definitely take me back to acoustic rock groups like Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, The Byrds, Simon and Garfunkel as well as the British folk/rock group Lindisfarne. The similarities are the acoustic instruments and the harmonies. Whether Fleet Foxes were directly influenced by any of these groups is irrelevant. They have their own sound, their own style, their own music Hope they reform and tour Australia.

[@banjoplayingbison2275]

Yes! They also remind me of a lot of early country/Appalachian folk/bluegrass music, they will go down as legends decades from now I'm sure. Also They are back now!

[@dustbin7574]

Reading all the comments here is quite the journey. Heart-warming and heart-wrenching.

[@GeoMariaGeorge]

My Fave- ❤❥❣If I had an orchard, I'd work till I'm raw ❤❥❣ If I had an orchard, I'd work till I'm sore And you would wait tables and soon run the store Gold hair in the sunlight, my light in the dawn If I had an orchard, I'd work till I'm sore If I had an orchard, I'd work till I'm sore ❤❥❣🧡Someday I'll be like the man on the screen🧡❤❥❣ (I keep playing this riff again and again. So serene. I wish they'd make a new song on that tune. It's unique and special'.

[@dextersuarez9948]

This song always makes me tear up.

[@Hoodooleen]

Best blues of the 21st century

[@rolinhumes]

true dat!!!

[@mobako]

This album art for vinyl is so amazing in person.