Michael died, and it was a good thing in the narrators eyes as he wouldn't have to feel the pain the hunter brought him. Michael would then "fall and turn the white snow red as strawberries in the summertime." Some of you said that "strawberries in the summertime" was a good sign, and I agree with that. The 'I' in the song is the fox that turned around and saw Michael die from his injury. I pictured a fox, Michael, was shot by a hunter and the pack ran away with him. Fur of course keeps them warm so the "scarves of red tied ’round their throats keeps their little heads from fallin’ in the snow", or dying from the cold. Instead of seeing the "swallowed in their coats" as a bad thing, I saw it as they don't have the choice to take them off, as it is their fur. The "pack" and "scarves of red tied 'round their throats" added to why I though they were foxes. This was the first song by Fleet Foxes I heard, so I of course thought of foxes. But then in the line "Michael you would fall, and turn the white snow read as strawberries in the summertime" conjures up images of injury or failure.īut since he says "turn the white snow red as strawberries in the summertime" maybe his fall is a good thing since the imagery used is so beautiful.
"And I turned round and there you go" could refer to him being awakened by a friend of his who was never part of whatever specific way of life it may be referring to. Its almost as if thats the only thing thats keeping them alive. The scarves tied round their throats could refer to a fear of becoming socially unacceptable if they were to stop following the ways of the masses. I also relate it to people following a certain trend. The line about following the pack, following their coats does bring up images of kids. Although they do not necessarily wear red scarves, their heads are capable of falling in the snow.
Personally, I always picture snowmen from Calvin and Hobbes.