Big Thief – Incomprehensible. Lyrics Meaning: Embracing Imperfection and True Self
What’s the deal with society always pushing us to fight aging? This Big Thief track, “Incomprehensible,” totally flips that script. It’s all about finding peace and real beauty in just being yourself, wrinkles and all.
Chillin’ with Big Thief: What “Incomprehensible” Is Really About
Alright, so Adrianne Lenker, the super cool voice behind Big Thief, takes us on this epic road trip. But it’s not just about seeing cool places; it’s a journey inside her head, too. She starts out with this vibe of things feeling, well, incomprehensible. It’s like, sometimes life just is, you know?
Incomprehensible
Incomprehensible, let me be
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Highway Adventures and Letting Go
The song kicks off with a vivid scene, a classic road trip gone slightly off plan. They missed a flight, so what do they do? They just roll with it, driving along Highway 17. It sounds pretty chill, actually, finding beauty in a “cotton candy rain.”
Driving with my lover, we missed our plane
So we added on the hours to see the lupine flowers
Way up past the border, we blew through Thunder Bay
Adrianne also tells us she’s traveling with some old stuff from when she was a kid. Like, broken gadgets that don’t mean anything anymore. But she’s holding onto the letters and photos. It’s a classic move, right? Ditching the junk but keeping the precious memories.
Mr. Bear and the wooden box I hid
Full of broken gadgets that mean nothing now
The only thing I’ll keep are the letters and the photographs
The Big 33 and Shifting Perspectives
She mentions her upcoming 33rd birthday. It’s a double and an odd number, which is pretty cool, but she points out that numbers don’t really matter when you think about eternity. It’s like, what’s a year or two in the grand scheme? This part feels like a quiet shift, hinting at deeper thoughts about time and living authentically.
That doesn’t really matter next to eternity
And everything I see from now on will be something new
“Incomprehensible” Meaning: Society’s Rules vs. Inner Peace
Here’s where the song gets really interesting. She talks about being scared of getting older, but then she realizes it’s just because society tells us to be. You know, all those messages about not getting “saggy” or “gray.” It’s a huge relatable point for so many of us.
Society has given me the words to think that way
The message spirals, don’t get saggy, don’t get gray
The Freedom of Letting Go
But then, she totally rejects that idea. She sees her mom, grandma, and great-grandma, appreciating how they’ve aged. They wrinkle like a river and sweeten like dew – what a beautiful way to put it! She challenges the whole concept of beauty, asking how living beauty could be anything but true. It’s a powerful statement about natural grace.
My mother and my grandma, my great-grandmother, too
Wrinkle like the river, sweeten like the dew
And as silver as the rainbow scales that shimmer purple blue
How can beauty that is living be anything but true?
This is the ultimate mic drop moment. She just wants to let nature do its thing. Let gravity sculpt her, let the wind mess up her hair. She wants to dance freely, even be totally naked and alone, with mismatched socks and undies stuffed in weird places. It’s this raw, unfiltered acceptance of self that feels incredibly freeing.
Let me dance in front of people without a care
Let me be naked alone, with nobody there
With mismatched socks and shoes and stuff stuffed in my underwear
The Deep Dive: What “Incomprehensible” Teaches Us
This song, “Incomprehensible,” teaches us that true beauty isn’t about fighting time or conforming to silly expectations. It’s about embracing every single part of your journey, including getting older, with total self-acceptance and a touch of wild abandon. It’s a call to find liberation in authenticity, living your life on your own terms, letting it all be “incomprehensible” to anyone but yourself.
Your Take on Big Thief’s “Incomprehensible”
So, what do you make of this incredible track? Does “Incomprehensible” hit you differently? Do you have another read on those lyrics or the vibe? Drop your thoughts below – I’d love to hear what resonates with you!
