A Silent Army in the Trees
Matthew Good · Vancouver [2009]
When you've got to trade for company
Those plastic guns and infantry
For a silent army in the trees?
Well, this ain't the woods behind the house
There ain't nobody screaming out
For you to come inside and eat
You're just holding your friends and watching them bleed
Wore camouflage on Halloween
A plastic bag, an M-16
Door to door and house to house
But there ain't nobody handing it out
Yeah, nothing's ever what it seems
When you're kicking in teeth and wishing you had dreams
Just plastic guns and infantry
For a silent army in the trees
Now, baby, don't you let me down
A world away and still somehow
Can't shake the feeling that you're out
With another man's arms wrapped tight around you
At night it's cold, we sit and freeze
Running red lights in our Humvees
Never thought I'd live to see the day I'd be
Afraid of little kids playing in the streets
Well this ain't the woods behind the house
There ain't nobody screaming out
For you to come inside and eat
You're just holding your friends and watching them bleed
I'm on fire
But all ice on the outside
That old man in the sky
Well, he's all ice on the outside
A muted wail out in the streets
You watch the stage but burn the seats
Two metal legs to get along
You ain't got much without one to stand on
Sometimes at night I hear it roll
A hundred cars long, pulling out slow
Like the engineers inside my head
Cold and dark like your side of the bed
Yeah, nothing's ever what it seems
And even if it is, ends justify means
With plastic guns and infantry
For a silent army in the trees
I'm on fire
But all ice on the outside
That old man in the sky
Well, he's all ice on the outside
About A Silent Army in the Trees
Matthew Good's "A Silent Army in the Trees" serves as a haunting centerpiece on his 2009 album *Vancouver*, embodying the atmospheric and introspective qualities that define his later discography. Recorded during a period where Good shifted away from his earlier indie-pop roots toward a more textured, ambient sound, the track utilizes sparse instrumentation and ethereal vocals to evoke a sense of quiet tension. The song reflects the melancholic and surreal mood often explored in his work following the release of *Lights of Endangered Species*, utilizing a minimalist production style that prioritizes mood over conventional song structure. As part of his broader catalog of experimental recordings, the track stands as a testament to his ability to craft immersive sonic landscapes that resonate with themes of isolation and environmental unease, characteristic of his mature artistic output.

