Discover the story of the song > Hunger of the Pine – alt-J

The lyrics are about someone who is sleepless and has intense feelings of desire and longing (the hunger of the pine) for their partner. They describe their stomach and heart feeling strange sensations, as if they are wearing protective armor with chain mail and knight armor. The song also includes a chorus that features the vocals of Miley Cyrus, and ends with lines in French that roughly translate to "an immense hope crossed the earth and my fear."