❦
This song is also known as “Interlude 1” or “Interlude I”.
The fleuron character or “printer’s flower” (❦) used in the title of this song is used in book printing to divide paragraphs – or in the case of this song, an interlude to divide the album into segments. Use of a non-alphanumeric charact...
[Verse]
She-she-she-she only ev-ev-ver-ver-ver-ver
Walks to-to count-count her steps
Eighteen-teen strides and she stops to abide
By the law that she herself has set
That eighteen steps is one complete set
And before the next nine right and nine left
She looks up-up at the blue
And whispers to all of the above:
"Don't let me drown, don't breathe alone
No kicks, no pangs, no broken bones
Never let me sink, always feel at home
No sticks, no shanks, and no stones
Never leave it too late, always enjoy the taste
Of the great-great-great grey world of hearts"
As all dogs everywhere bark-bark-bark-bark
"It's worth knowing
Like all good fruit, the balance of life
Is in the ripe and ruin"
❦ (Ripe & Ruin) was written by Joe Newman & Gwilym Sainsbury & Gus Unger-Hamilton & Thom Sonny Green.
❦ (Ripe & Ruin) was produced by Charlie Andrew.
alt-J released ❦ (Ripe & Ruin) on Fri May 25 2012.
On their Soundcloud, alt-J added two annotations to The Ripe and Ruin:
Interlude 1 talks about a young woman who dreams desperately of a carefree life – with no hiccups, trauma or obstacles.
She prays to only ever be happy and hidden from worry and her cries are answered by barking dogs.