The lyrics tell a story about the speaker having a talking box and finding a yellow ribbon inside. They take the box on a walk, shop with it, and encounter a talking egg, which they ultimately eat to stop the box from talking. The speaker says goodbye and mentions that the ribbons will always stay.

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Meaning of "The Box" by Holly McNarland


The lyrics of "The Box" by Holly McNarland seem to explore themes of self-discovery, acceptance, and letting go. The box and the egg can be interpreted as metaphors for different aspects of the self or different parts of the speaker's life. The act of eating the egg to stop the box from talking could represent the speaker's need to silence certain thoughts or aspects of themselves in order to move forward. The repetition of "have I really found you" throughout the song might suggest a search for identity or meaning, and the final lines about saying goodbye and the ribbons staying imply a bittersweet realization that some parts of the past will always remain. Overall, the lyrics seem to convey a sense of inner conflict, transformation, and acceptance of the self.