Fleet Foxes – White Winter Hymnal lyrics

The creator of the song said it has no meaning. Although seen as blood, I always thought the snow turning red was from has many people dropped into the snow and the red were their scarves. I feel like any meaning could be fine as if the song wasn’t intended with a meaning, it can be seen with different messages

I think this song could be about the American Revolution. This might be because that's what I'm learning in history class right not but I'm just going to go with it. I think it's from the perspective of a British soldier. Let's call him Ethan. Ethan's backstory is that he was a British soldier but the "New World” was discovered and he wanted to go but, since he was in the military, he wasn’t allowed to. Also, he was very poor so he couldn’t buy his freedom. He also has a friend named Michael but we’ll get to that later. Basically, “I was following the pack” refers to him just going along with the other British soldiers because he would rather be fighting with the colonists, instead. “All swallowed in their coats” refers to the British soldiers because the colonists nicknamed them the Redcoats. Also, they specifically used the word “swallowed” which suggests the feeling of being nervous or uncertain. “With scarfs of red tied ‘round their throats to keep their little heads from falling in the snow” refers to 2 things. One being the color red because that’s the color of the British soldier’s uniforms. The other being the armor or protection they were wearing “to keep their little heads from falling in the snow” (to protect themselves from getting hurt). “And I turned 'round and there you go and, Michael, you would fall” refers to Ethan’s friend, Michael, getting shot and falling into the snow. “And turn the white snow red” refers to Michael bleeding, turning the snow red. I don’t really know what the connection to “strawberries in the summertime” means but it might refer to a good memory Ethan had with Michael or it might refer to moving on (winter to summer).

I saw a q & a on Reddit, and the guy who wrote this said that Michael represented a lost friend and that
he was going for the stark contrast between the beauty of the melody, and the lyrics. So here is my interpretation:
I was following the pack... Trying to keep up with the crowd (and not paying attention to his actual friend). They were swallowed in their coats... Not offering him true friendship. With scarfs of red tied round their throats... So committed to their uniformity that they didn't even choose any other color. To keep their little heads... They weren't thinking. From fallin' in the snow... Like they couldn't hold their own identity. And I Turned 'round and there you go... I wasn't paying attention to Michael my actual friend. And Michael you would fall... I lost touch with my friend. And turned the white snow red as strawberries in the summertime... The stark contrast here also symbolizes the loss of a true sweet friendship.

I always thought it was two kids following a pack of wolves. It really makes sense, as they're a PACK, and they have COATS. Maybe they're not kids or they're studying behavior. It's winter, so food is obviously scarce, so they're starving. They're nipping at each other's throats for food, meaning they have "scarves" of red tied around their throats. They're eating little bits to keep themselves from "Falling in the snow" as in dying. (I will say children because that's what I think, but adults are possible.) The children are caught, and are running from the starving wolves. Micheal- well- Micheal doesn't make it. The child who's perspective turns around to look for his friend, to no avail. Micheal, caught by wolves and eaten, is the ending of the song. This song can be taken several ways, but my vision ever since I first listened, was this. If anyone else has any ideas, please tell me. :)

Somewhere it is written that once we pass to the other side, we can return to visit under the guise of a bird. I'll look for you, Michael. During white winters in Michigan, I'll look out my kitchen window to observe the sea of red cardinals, the usual pack, heads bobbing up and down in the snow. Finding the seed needed to live until the warmth of summer provides the strawberries of life. Today there is a newcomer, following and falling. Hello again, Michael.

I always felt that the line about following the pack is about doing something horrible just because everyone else does it too. Like ordinary people doing horrible things because they followed the Nazis for example. "All swallowed in their coats" might mean an army of sorts, with matching coats, and especially referring to young men and boys who are too young and small to be on the battlefield. "Red scarf" is a way to refer to a communist, I believe. So an communist army? "To keep their little heads
From fallin' in the snow" might mean that these men and boys were forced to be in the army and refusal would lead to execution. Other possible explanation is that they try to "keep their little heads from falling to the snow" with the red scarf figuratively, meaning they hold on to the idea of this being the right thing to do by thinking that if everyone else is wearing the red scarf (doing horrible things) then it must be the right thing to do. For the rest of it I have two different explanations:
"And I turned 'round and there you go" now this is a difficult one, but one explenation would be that someone is trying to run away during the batlle, "And, Michael, you would fall" and they were executed at the spot. The rest of the line discribe his (Michaels) blood in the snow.
Another explenation is that the narrator turns around to see everyone dead or charging into a losing battle and Michael, the protector of military, would fall because the "red scarf" army fell. The last lines discribe the red scarfs and blood on the snow after the battle.
(I by no means am saying that communism is bad, only that in war horrible things are often done by all sides.)

The author of the poem may or may not have had intent with the meaning, but there is deep meaning to be found. Michael is the archangel spoken of in the New Testament who came to earth as Adam. And yes, Michael (Adam) you would fall and bring about death into the world, spilling the blood of mankind. As his descendants, we're all part of the pack, and death will come to us all because of Michael. Pentatonix' harmony in this one is just awesome!

I feel that this song is a metaphor to the path of life. When you fallow the path that to everyone else's eyes seams to be the right path people will be harmed because of it. That if you try to look back you will see all who you have hurt through the many years that you have wondered aimlessly "following the pack" and in not going your own way you have hurt others even without meaning it. I may be delving too deep but either it's a good lesson to pull from this song. And I recommend for everyone not to follow the supposed "norm" so that you don't ever hurt others in your mindless wondering. And that everyone should just follow there heart not the pack.(by an anonymous reviewer of poems and songs.)

I think it talks about Russia and communism. They are following the crowd and bundled up to keep warm. They wear red scarves to show loyalty or else they be suspected of disloyalty and killed or have their “little heads fall in the snow.” One person looked back and saw Michael being killed bleeding onto the snow making it “red as strawberries in the summertime.”

This song just always made me uncomfortable talking about heads falling off, not wanting your throat to be exposed for fear of something and the cheerful tone while explaining what is very clearly blood seeping into the snow as red as a strawberry in the summertime, combined with the happy go lucky melody it gives me chills however I think this song has a lot of little hints of the french revolution to it, I think the song being about the french revolution is something worth looking into.

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Why does it have to be about war or decapitation? It could be as simple as a group of kindergartners bundled up for an outing in the snow when little Michael falls and gets a bloody nose. Our world is too gruesome on a daily basis with war and crime. Keep it simple.