Mine Forever

**"Mine Forever"** is an indefinably nostalgic love song by an as-of-yet-unidentified 60s band, a group of fellows with Whispering Pines Studios.

It is from the perspective of a narrator who has become a little bit delusional about a relationship they had and is not fully coming to terms with the fact that it is over, wanting to keep it alive forever in their mind. It is a sad song of longing balanced by jaunty guitars and a bubblegummy sound.

In the song, the singer tells the listener that if they never want to see them again, they understand, but if they get lonely, the singer will be there for them. The singer gives the farewell "So long, good luck, good bye" but remains confident they will be together as they say "in my mind you're mine forever."

## Background and influences

Tarbell describes it as "a swinging, full-on heart-render with a bubbly sound." The strings were recorded at Whispering Pines Studios.

      "Mine Forever" ends with some phrases in French whispered by a woman's voice.

 Je te laisserai dans la lumière déclinante.
 Puisses-tu vivre jusqu’à ta mort.
 Je te verrai dans une autre vie,
 Je te verrai dans une autre vie.

These spoken words would seem to connect to Your Other Life, at least thematically if not in the narrative. The music video footage that coincides with this French part shows silhouettes of Casey's cowboy character and a woman kissing, and seems to reference a similar scene in "Ends of the Earth." There are also parallel scenes of scenes of the locket in both videos, which could be a visual reference, or perhaps a retelling or parallel instance of the same story.

## Music Video

The "Mine Forever" music video shows various old film clips Tubbs Tarbell unearthed from the Whispering Pines vaults, focusing on *Gun Thunder* and other WBUB Midnight Movies.

It also includes films and shows that are unidentified as well as performers that are not yet named.

Notably, The Balancer’s Eye "home edition" appears, as seen in *Products of the Universe*. A man who resembles Dale Frandor is also shown, although with more hair, suggesting that this is an earlier broadcast.

## Annotated lyrics

If you ever want to see my face again, I want to know

If you ever get lonely, please let me know

If you never want to see my face again, I'll understand

If forever gets lonely, take my hand

Don't laugh, you'll make me cry

So long, good luck, goodbye

I know we will be together

In my mind you're mine forever

If you're ever gonna leave this place don't wait, it's time to go

If you really wanna stay I'll go alone

If you tell me where to meet someday I'll wait 'til I turn to bones

We really should have left here long ago

(Na-na, keep moving)

(Na-na, night away)

(Na-na, keep moving)

(Na-na, night away)

Love is strange; I can't sleep without you

Maybe in the grave I can dream about you

Everybody lies, but I'll never doubt you

I don't want to die, but I can't live without you

I'm much too young to die

So long, my love, goodbye

We will always be together

In my mind you're mine forever

If you ever want to see my face again I want to know

If you never want to see my face again I want to know

Je ne t'oublierai pas

Je te laisserai dans la lumière déclinante

Puis-tu vivre jusqu'à ta mort

Je te verrai dans une autre vie

Je te verrai dans une autre vie

## Potential lyrical references

Frequently, Lord Huron's songs explore similar themes, sometimes they have stories that are covered by more than one song. These lyrical connections are merely for reference:

1. ↑ A cheeky nod to time's blur?
2. ↑ "So long, good luck, goodbye" is a line used by Tubbs Tarbell
3. ↑ *Drops in the Lake* has a skeleton character who spends time waiting on a lake shore for his long lost love
4. ↑ *Wait by the River* has a character who waits for their love as well
5. ↑ From the subtitles
6. ↑ "May you live until you die" is Tubbs Tarbell's catchphrase

## Questions and fan theories

* Who is the band that performs "Mine Forever"? Is the song based on the singer's lived experiences?
	+ It is speculated to be by Clean Grooves based on the similarity to their album cover to the single art, but may simply be Lord Huron, as this is who the oil painting is actually based on.
	+ The Villagers are a 60s pop band, so the song could also be by them.

## Sources

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Atwood Magazine interview
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 NPR interview, Ben Schneider on "Mine Forever": "This one is kind of meant to be sort of like a 60s band, so this is like a group of fellows, as I imagined it a kind of folky, psychedelic thing. But in terms of the story I just imagined sort of, you know, an uncertain ending of a relationship, which everybody can relate to. But just putting it through that filter of unclear nostalgia, you're not exactly sure what time period it is, but you get all this sort of emotion that people have tied up with music of that era. So it feels kind of bubblegummy but also sort of longing and mysterious."
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Late Late Show with James Corden
4. ↑ An Open Letter From Tubbs Tarbell
5. ↑ Interview with Flood Magazine
6. ↑ WFUV interview

"The Moon Doesn't Mind" (Roy Casey)
"****Mine Forever****"
"(One Hellava Performer)" (Tubbs Tarbell)
"Love Me Like You Used To"
"Meet Me in the City"
"(Sing for Us Tonight)"(Tubbs Tarbell)

"**Long Lost**" (Leigh Green and Hauser Godwin)
"Twenty Long Years"
"Drops in the Lake" (*Drops in the Lake (film)*)
"Where Did the Time Go"
"**Not Dead Yet**" (The Phantom Riders)
"(Deep Down Inside Ya)"(Tubbs Tarbell)

"I Lied"(with Allison Ponthier) (Donnie and Midge)
"At Sea"(*L’Île Cosmique*)
"What Do It Mean"(Quentin King)
"Time's Blur"
**Bonus tracks:**
"Your Other Life" and "Ton Autre Vie"