Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie is the 12th and final song on Newsom’s “The Milk-Eyed Mender.” The track is fittingly the final song on the album: the song is about the speaker reluctantly moving on from a relationship.
An excellent image of that dynamic is the title itself. Clam, Crab, Cockles (mollusc...
That means no where I come from
I am cold, out waiting for the day to come
I chew my lips, and I scratch my nose:
Feels so good to be a rose
Oh don't, don't you lift me up
Like I'm that shy, no no no no no
Just give it up —
There are bats all dissolving in a row
Into the wishy-washy dark that cannot let go
And I cannot let go
And so I thank the lord, and I thank his sword!
'Tho it be mincing up the morning
Slightly bored
O, morning without warning like a hole
And I watch you go
There are some mornings
When the sky looks like a road
There are some dragons
Who were built to have and hold
And some machines
Are dropped from great heights lovingly
And some great bellies ache
With many bumblebees
(And they sting so terribly)
I do as I please
Now I'm on my knees
Your skin is something that I stir into my tea
And I am watching you
And you are starry, starry, starry
And I'm tumbling down, and I check a frown
It's why I love this town
Well, just look around
To see me serenaded hourly!
And celebrated sourly! And dedicated dourly;
Waltzing with the open sea —
Clam, crab, cockle, cowrie:
Will you just look at me?
Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie was written by Joanna Newsom.
Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie was produced by Noah Georgeson.