Songfacts®:

• "Eucalyptus" is a song featured on The National's ninth studio album, First Two Pages of Frankenstein. The record explores the theme of introspection, particularly in relation to romantic relationships. This track focuses on the aftermath of a breakup where a couple is left to divide their shared possessions.
• The lyrics touch upon the practicalities of separation, such as what to do with the things they have accumulated together, including houseplants and their record collection.
  
  What about the rainbow eucalyptus?
  What about the instruments?
  What about the Cowboy Junkies?
  
  And the small details that become significant when a couple's lives are intertwined and they must face the practical consequences of going their separate ways.
  
  You should take it 'cause I'm not gonna take it
  You should take it, I'm only gonna break it
• The National guitarist Bryce Dessner and vocalist Matt Berninger wrote the song. Months after Dessner sent the music for "Eucalyptus" to Berninger, The National singer rediscovered the song and wrote lyrics to accompany it. In September 2022, before a show at the Capitol Theatre, Berninger asked the band to perform the song during their soundcheck. Despite never having recorded a demo, they rehearsed it twice and played it for the audience that same night.
• The version of the song included on the album was partially recorded during that live performance. "It's got this raw, immediate feeling," Berninger said, "and it made sense to leave the rough edges instead of trying to perfect them."
• Matt Berninger has always written about losing things. "Losing connection, losing the band, a relationship, losing yourself," he listed to Uncut magazine. "Once I can write a song about the details of what it feels like to lose somebody, I can process the fear that way."
  
  "Eucalyptus" is perhaps the zenith of this particular Berninger genre, as the parting couple separate the minutiae of their lives, from the ornaments to the record collection. "It's really depressing but there's also something in making a funny rock song about splitting up their mineral water subscription that is really a good way of diffusing that fear a little bit," he said.
  
  Berninger added by way of reassurance: "My relationship with the band and my relationship with my wife and everything is really healthy, and how it's always been made more healthy by writing about it falling apart."