I didn’t want it to be a cool photograph of the earth in space; I wanted it to have a little bit of that tension of being Mother Nature, the planet we live on, but also something border-line uncomfortable with the raw digital whiteness surrounding it.
This was how Ezra Koenig described the cover of Vampire Weekend’s fourth album, Father of the Bride. Since their start, the band had exuded a restless fascination with life in all its complexity, asking big questions about their place in the world. Global subjects and sounds had filled their previous albums – Vampire Weekend, Contra, and Modern Vampires of the City. But now, on Father of the Bride, the globe itself was front and center. The album artwork depicted a planet that was not only bright and whimsical, but also vulnerable, suspended in emptiness that threatened to swallow it up, Yet the minimalist portrait had another effect. By placing the globe on a blank canvas, Vampire Weekend invited listeners to reexamine their whirling, watery habitat with fresh eyes – the eyes of an artist.
Father of the Bride was released in 2019, six years after the Vampire Weekend’s previous record. Much had happened in the interim. In January of 2016, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij had announced his departure from the band.1 Frontman Ezra Koenig had moved from New York City to Los Angeles, and he had also fathered a son with his partner, actress Rashida Jones.2 Following these changes and an unusually long hiatus, fans weren’t sure what to expect from Vampire Weekend. After garnering critical praise with Modern Vampires of the City, an album that explored spiritual and existential angst, the band teetered on the brink of its own identity crisis. Would they stay together and release new songs? If so, how would they move forward in a changing musical landscape?
The answer, which fans received in May of 2019, was a project at once familiar and fresh – the sound of a band reborn. Many features of the album were recognizable. Father of the Bride marked a return to the sunny, cosmopolitan palette of the band’s earliest work. According to Koenig, the band was striving for a “spring-time” vibe,3 a fitting complement for lyrics that focused on growth and rebirth. Wizard producer Ariel Rechtshaid was back at the helm, crafting a vivid, three-dimensional soundscape. And just like Modern Vampires of the City, Vampire Weekend’s new record rode a wave of critical acclaim, snatching a second Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.4
Yet despite these similarities, Father of the Bride was an anomaly. On the one hand, the album was essentially a solo project by Koenig, whose bandmates (bassist Chris Baio and drummer Chris Thompson) trusted him to chart a new course for their trio.5 On the other hand, the album marked Vampire Weekend’s first collaborations with fellow indie artists like Danielle Haim (featured on the songs “Hold You Now,” “Married in a Gold Rush,” and “We Belong Together”) and Steve Lacy (featured on “Sunflower” and “Flower Moon”). The band may have shrunk, but in another sense it felt bigger than ever. The tunes, which delved into new genres like folk, country music, soul music, and R&B,6 were looser and more easygoing than any of the band’s previous work. Inspired by rapper Kanye West and country artist Kasey Musgraves, Koenig had also refined his songwriting, opting for lyrics that were uncharacteristically stripped-down and straightforward.7 Together, these transformations revealed an older, wiser band taking stock of itself, considering its place in the world, and opening itself up to new possibilities.
In this series of posts, we have examined Vampire Weekend’s lyrical fascination with the world around them. On the band’s self-titled debut album, we witnessed their love for the world on vibrant display. Later, on Contra, we found Koenig and co. reckoning with the world’s potential for hostility. Last time, on Modern Vampires of the City, we saw the band in a tailspin, broken by a world insensitive to their suffering. Their cynicism and skepticism were well justified. Life refused to let up, and the maps left by former generations had done far more harm than good. However, tragedy cannot define us, and existential dread isn’t a sustainable place to live. When all that was familiar has washed away, how do we move forward? What should we build in the brief lifetime granted to us on this Earth? Once lost, can the spark of childlike wonder be rekindled?
On Modern Vampires of the City, Vampire Weekend asked the question that beats at the heart of their discography: How can we continue to love a world that has broken our hearts time and time again? Now, on Father of the Bride, they will attempt to answer it.
Analysis
When I first heard the interlude that separates the verses of Father of the Bride‘s opening track, “Hold You Now,” I recognized it immediately, and I was awestruck. The sample is taken from Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack to The Thin Red Line, my all-time favorite war movie. During the Guadalcanal campaign of World War II, the members of a Polynesian village come together to sing the Lord’s Prayer, asking that God’s will “be done on earth as it is in heaven.” It’s the first example of Biblical imagery (weddings, gardens, serpents, curses, sacred signs, and more) scattered throughout the album.8 On Modern Vampires, choral harmonies were used to haunting effect, summoned like dirges for the death of God. Here, they evoke a new kind of spirituality – a hope that persists in spite of suffering, looking beyond the world as it is and dreaming of the world as it might someday be. Brilliantly interwoven with Koenig’s acoustic melody, this refrain introduces the central theme of Father of the Bride: the longing for restoration.
Like many of Vampire Weekend’s previous songs, the tracks on Father of the Bride reference global hardships: political corruption and echo chambers on “Harmony Hall,” religious fundamentalism and militarism on “Bambina” and “Sympathy,” climate change in “How Long,” greed and consumerism on “Rich Man” and “Married in a Gold Rush,” and refugee crises on “My Mistake.” However, criticism of the world without is now balanced by an honest appraisal of the world within. No longer can the narrator stand above society’s dysfunction; he bears some share of responsibility for the problems he sees in the world. Once again, Koenig draws on Biblical language, likening the failure of society’s leaders to the Fall of Eden: “Anybody with a worried mind could never forgive the sight / Of wicked snakes inside a place you thought was dignified.” Then, in a surprising twist, he identifies himself with those he criticizes:
Within the halls of power lies
A nervous heart that beats
Like a young pretender’s
Beneath these velvet gloves I hide
The shameful, crooked hands
Of a moneylender
The opening lines of “This Life” express a similar sentiment – the realization that life’s brokenness doesn’t discriminate: “Baby, I know pain is as natural as the rain / I just thought it didn’t rain in California.” While “Hannah Hunt” showed our narrator railing against a dishonest lover, this track reveals him confessing his part in a ruptured relationship:
You’ve been cheating on, cheating on me
I’ve been cheating on, cheating on you
You’ve been cheating on me
But I’ve been cheating through this life
And all its suffering
Oh Christ
Am I good for nothing?
The songs on Father of the Bride move beyond the lamentations of Modern Vampires, pondering the conditions that might enable justice to flourish. It isn’t enough to tear broken structures down, Koenig suggests; new things must be built in their place. Hope for progress has returned – more tentative than it was before the wasteland of Vampire Weekend’s previous album, but still present. According to Koenig, the motif of ecology that runs through Father of the Bride’s songs was inspired by the optimism of the 1990s environmental justice movement. He elaborates in an interview with Coup de Main Magazine:
It was almost a weird feeling to have nostalgia for environmentalism, because obviously it’s something that is hugely important now and of course people have never stopped fighting that fight, but it was weird to remember how when I was a kid (and depending how old anybody else is they probably have similar memories) everything about Earth Day and “Save the Rainforest.” And then it became less of a theme in children’s programming. So it was interesting to think back to that moment; what was it about that moment that people had more optimism? And even then, there was almost a feel-good nature to it, “Listen, things are really bad, but you’re going to be the generation that changes things. Whereas now, it feels truly apocalyptic.9
On “Married in a Gold Rush,” two lovers reflect on the troublesome news headlines, reckless spending, and systemic injustices that surround them:
Something’s happening in the country
And the government’s to blame
We got married in a gold rush
And the rush has never felt the same
They may have benefited from systems that disadvantaged others, but now they want no part in that kind of privilege. They’ve been gripped by the vision of a world where everyone wins:
I want to put things back together
I want to give, don’t wanna take
Time to disavow the gold rush
And the bitterness that flourished in its wake
On “Sympathy,” the narrator bemoans the perennial strife between Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Yet, as on “Harmony Hall,” he sees himself in the face of the other, framing this identification as a springboard toward healing:
Now we’ve got that sympathy
What I’m to you
You are to me
Let’s go
The narrator’s attitude toward relationships has also matured. On Contra and Modern Vampires, romantic heartbreaks provoked feelings of anger and disillusionment. On Father of the Bride, Koenig recognizes that all relationships are gifts. We aren’t owed happiness, we don’t know how long relationships will last, and we can’t control the affections of those around us, however much we may want to. On “Hold You Now,” the narrator pines for an ex-lover who is about to be married. While he could allow his bitterness to fester, he instead attributes his loss to the mysterious hand of providence and chooses to find solace in the present: “I did my best and all the rest is hidden by the clouds / I can’t carry you forever, but I can hold you now.” Similarly, the heady romanticism of “We Belong Together” is restrained by an awareness that relationships are malleable and unpredictable: “Baby, it don’t mean we’ll stay together.”
“Rich Man,” a song packed with references to numbers and wagers, sees Koenig describing his lover as a rare and precious gift, one that graces his life against the odds: “10,000 to 1: could I possibly bet? / I’m compelled by your love and I haven’t lost yet / Clearly you’re the one.” Later, on “Married in a Gold Rush,” the narrator reaffirms his marital vows, expressing a desire to leave the noise of society behind with his beloved. Like “Hold You Now,” the song is presented as a dialogue between lovers. Yet now we see them working things out, reiterating their feelings for each other. This romantic banter continues on “We Belong Together,” where the lovers draw on a dizzying array of metaphors – pots and pans, surf and sand, bottles and cans, lions and lambs, etc. – to celebrate their compatibility. The narrator invests their bond with spiritual significance, intrigued by notions of providence that had frightened him on the band’s previous album:
Hallelujah, you’re still mine
All I did was waste your time
If there’s not some grand design
How’d this pair of stars align?
Although the songs on Modern Vampires of the City were steeped in uncertainty, Vampire Weekend hinted at a path through existential despair with the refrain of the album’s closing track: “You take your time, young lion.” We might not know how to cope with unrelieved suffering. The questions that haunt us might ultimately be unanswerable. But we can take things day by day, living in the tension of reality and making peace with mystery. This sentiment becomes the thesis statement on Father of the Bride. While the unknowns of Modern Vampires generated anxiety, the uncertainties of Vampire Weekend’s fourth album kindle curiosity. Sure, the universe is a hostile place. But it’s also a miraculous place that enables love, growth, wonder, discovery, and the myriad other things that make life worth living.
Solace is found in the rhythms and cycles of nature, which remind the narrator of his kinship with creation. On former tracks like “Obvious Bicycle” and “Unbelievers,” Koenig depicted the world as a massive, dangerous, and insensitive force, framing his own smallness as a serious liability. Now, on “This Life,” he sees his smallness as an asset. He isn’t simply a cog in a machine; he’s a member of a living, breathing community, connected to something far bigger than himself. This awareness of the whole is vital to maintaining social harmony: “Darling, our disease / Is the same one as the trees / Unaware that they’ve been living in a forest.” Similarly, on “Big Blue,” the narrator is moved and comforted by the enormity of the ocean. He might not have the answers he seeks, but maybe the simple act of being a creature in this wild, wondrous world – of finding “your place in the family of things,” as the poet Mary Oliver recommended10 – is enough.
This narrative reaches its climax on the song “Strangers,” which sees the narrator reveling in relationship – not the youthful infatuation of Vampire Weekend and Contra, but rather a settled confidence in a partner’s unconditional acceptance. The narrator breathlessly recounts the ways his partner’s actions have transformed him. Then he turns his focus on life itself. He isn’t a kid anymore, and he knows that his planet is routinely brutal. But now he sees that love and beauty persist despite the mess, worthy of celebration. Existence isn’t an either/or; it’s a both/and, equal parts deadly and delightful, perilous and priceless, broken and beautiful. Life may remain an enigma, but in the arms of his partner, the narrator can rest easy. The alienation of Modern Vampires is gone, replaced by a steady sense of belonging in the world:
I used to look for an answer
I used to knock on every door
But you got the wave on, music playing
Don’t need to look anymore
I-I-I–I
Things have never been stranger
I-I-I-I
Things are gonna stay strange
I-I-I-I
I remember life as a stranger
I-I-I–I
But things change
Conclusion
As Father of the Bride draws to a close, it may seem like Vampire Weekend’s narrative journey has also reached its conclusion. After having his heart broken by the world, the narrator has processed his grief and found a way forward, reorienting himself through self-reflection, social justice, committed relationship, and openness to mystery. He feels reborn, and he yearns to see the world around him restored as well.
Yet, as on Vampire Weekend, Contra, and Modern Vampires of the City, the final track of the album signals that the story remains unfinished. Titled “Jerusalem, New York, Berlin,” the song draws upon Koenig’s ethnic heritage, referencing three cities that bear deep significance for Jewish people. Jerusalem is the holy city of Judaism, the place where many devout Jews expect a final redemption to occur; New York is a hub of the Jewish diaspora; and Berlin is emblematic of Jewish suffering in the shoah, or holocaust. The song also references the Balfour Declaration of 1917, which paved the way for the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine. Once again, Koenig identifies his personal journey with something beyond himself11 – this time, the struggles and longings of his ancestors.
Like followers of Judaism all over the world, the narrator yearns for a kind of restoration – a harmony that can atone for the sins of the past. Yet, life remains incredibly messy. Koenig recognizes that the optimism sparked by the Balfour Declaration has dissipated through decades of civil unrest (“Now the battery’s too hot / It’s burning up in its tray”) and that religious aspirations for the holy city have caused untold bloodshed (“But this prophecy of ours / Has come back dressed to kill”). Over and over again, humanity has proved incapable of righting its wrongs. This isn’t just a political phenomenon; the same deterioration happens in our everyday relationships: “Young marriages are melting / And dying where they lay.” It seems that our best intentions aren’t always enough.
The song opens with these lines: “I know I loved you then / I think I love you still.” Who is the narrator speaking to? At some points, he seems to be talking to his partner, concerned that their relationship might not stand the test of time. Yet the chorus reveals another interlocutor: “O, wicked world / Just think what could have been.” Here, Koenig speaks to the world at large. He longs to believe in it wholeheartedly, as he once did, and he feels the warmth of affection returning. But how can he love a planet that continues to confound his hopes? Ultimately, the narrator’s yearning for global justice echoes his yearning for relational wholeness: “All I do is lose, but baby / All I want’s to win.” While he wants these things more than ever before, he’s beginning to think they might be unattainable.
When the world breaks our hearts, dashing the very dreams that it birthed in us, we can throw in the towel, or we can redouble our efforts to make the world a better place. On Father of the Bride, Vampire Weekend urges us to take the latter course. But what if our best intentions and efforts aren’t enough? What if things go from bad to worse? Can we love a world that continues to deteriorate? These questions will form the bedrock of Vampire Weekend’s fifth album (and the final installment of this series): Only God Was Above Us.
The final stanzas of “Jerusalem, New York, Berlin” aren’t rosy. Faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, Koenig’s longing for justice becomes a desperate plea for unity, one that is as relevant for our current political moment as it would have been in 2019 and 1917:
Our tongues will fall so still
Our teeth will all decay
A minute feels much longer
With nothing left to say
So let them win the battle
But don’t let them restart
That genocidal feeling
That beats in every heart
Tune in next week for my lyrical analysis of Vampire Weekend’s 2024 album, Only God Was Above Us!
References
1. Grebey, James. “Rostam Batmanglij Quits Vampire Weekend.” Spin, 26 January 2016., https://www.spin.com/2016/01/rostam-batmanglij-vampire-weekend-quit/.
2. Baron, Zach. “Rebirth of a Vampire.” GQ, 24 January 2019, https://www.gq.com/story/rebirth-ezra-koenig-vampire-weekend.
3. Koenig, Ezra. “every day I get comments & questions about the next Vampire Weekend album.” 25 March 2017, retrieved via Instagram.
4. Bloom, Madison. “Grammys 2020: Vampire Weekend Win Best Alternative Music Album.” Pitchfork, 26 January 2020, https://pitchfork.com/news/grammys-2020-vampire-weekend-win-best-alternative-musicandnbspalbum/.
5. D’Souza, Shaad. “‘When I was younger I was arrogant’: Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig on fatherhood and growing up.'” The Guardian, 23 March 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/mar/23/ezra-koenig-vampire-weekend-interview.
6. “Father of the Bride.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 26 March 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_of_the_Bride_(album).
7. Brown, Eric Renner. “Ezra Koenig previews Vampire Weekend’s fourth LP: ‘You want to age gracefully and not boringly.'” Entertainment Weekly, 11 December 2017, https://ew.com/music/2017/12/11/vampire-weekend-new-album-ezra-koenig-interview/.
8. Mayward, Joel. “Father of the Bride (of Christ?).” Think Christian, 21 May 2019, https://thinkchristian.net/father-of-the-bride-of-christ.
9. Graves, Shahlin. “Interview: Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig on new album ‘Father of the Bride.'” Coup de Main Magazine, 3 May 2019, https://www.coupdemainmagazine.com/vampire-weekend/15590.
10. Oliver, Mary. “Wild Geese.” Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver, NW Orchard LLC, 2017, p. 347.
11. “Jerusalem, New York, Berlin.” Genius.com, https://genius.com/Vampire-weekend-jerusalem-new-york-berlin-lyrics.
Words for Wayfarers 