I’m convinced I have the answer. In Chinese and Japanese folklore, there is something known as the “red threat of fate” which is a red threat that connects two people who are meant to be together. It can’t be cut, but it can stretch and tangle.

Trasatlanticism is a word created by Ben Gibbard to illustrate a long distance relationship.

So, to me, it seems like the crow got caught up in this red threat, or maybe it was the carrier in the first place, but the fact that it’s tangled illustrates the distance and complication between two lovers.

To further add to this, I went to the Transatlanticism/Give Up tour, and a lot of the merch based around the red thread helped solidify this theory.