got a letter from a messenger,
i read it when it came.
it said that you were wounded,
you were bound and chained.
you were ravaged, you were handled,
you were poisoned, you were pained...
oh no...
you were naked, you were shamed.

you could almost touch heaven,
right there in front of you.
liberty just slipped away on us,
now there's so much work to do.
oh, the door that closes tightly,
is the door that can swing wide,
oh no...not expecting to collide

for a minute i let my guard down,
not afraid to be found out.
completely forgot, dear,
what our fears were all about.
oh no...there's no need to be without.

if there's a chance, i would take it.
this desire i can't kill.
take my heart, please don't break it.
i will crawl to your foothill.

i'm frightened, but i'm coming.
please, baby, please lay still.

oh no...i'm not coming for the kill. (x3)


Lyrics submitted by bengt12

The Messenger Lyrics as written by

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

The Messenger song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

8 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment

    Hmmm missing some lyrics. Here's the complete ones.

    "The Messenger"

    Got a letter from a messenger I read it when it came It said that you were wounded You were bound and chained You had loved and you were handled You were poisoned, you were pained Oh no Oh no You were naked, you were shamed

    You could almost touch heaven Right there in front of you Liberty just slipped away on us Now there's so much work to do Oh the door that closes tightly Is the door than can swing wide Oh no Oh no Not expecting to collide

    For a minute I let my guard down Not afraid to be found out I completely forgot dear What our fears were all about Oh no there's no need to be without

    If there's a chance I would take it This desire I can't kill Take my heart please don't break it I will crawl to your foothill

    I'm frightened but I'm coming Please baby please lay still Oh no Oh no I'm not coming for the kill

    Oh no I'm not coming for the kill

    Oh no I'm not coming for the kill

    sedated_emotionson September 01, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I simply adore this song...

    UrSoFnSpecialon January 22, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This is a cover of the original version by Daniel Lanois from his album "For the Beauty of Wynona". They're paced quite differently, and both versions are excellent. If you like some of the softer stuff The Tea Party does, Daniel Lanois is worth checking out, specifically the aforementioned album.

    I don't really know what this song means, though I've thought it over for some time. If anyone could enlighten me, I'd be grateful, it's a long time favourite of mine.

    Taffinon May 29, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Maybe something to do with a girl being mistreated and suffering badly from her former lover, hurt so bad she's on the edge of comitting suicide and she sent a "messenger" to gather some help from someone who cares.

    sedated_emotionson June 13, 2007   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation

    i think this song is about two people who have been wronged, had many failed relationships that were probably horrible the whole way through, or ended badly. I feel I can realy relate to this song and it gives me hope that I might one day find my match too. I think these two people found each other and realized that they had the same fears of commitment and love because of how they had been hurt in the past, but they are working through it together. They feel complete with each other and are each other's "heaven on earth". Thus you could almost touch heaven right there in front of you. This is an amazing song and I think this version is way better than the orinigal. It has so much more feeling to it.

    first_of_meon November 21, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Yeah, I'm back again. Every time I listen to this song I fall deep into thought. It just does something for me, it makes me feel strange, almost like the twilight after reading an excellent book that has you trapped in it still. My mind creates images with this song every time I hear it, and I think it's because it's so...heartfelt and classic and true, and almost a a feel of romantiscism. Yeah...

    UrSoFnSpecialon February 22, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this song is absolutely beautiful! i could listen to it forever. jeff martin's voice is spectacular!

    Jenlieon June 17, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song is one that touched me and never stopped. It seems to be the story of my wife.

    Hurt, betrayed, out of hope almost. defensive and hidden away. Then, she met me. And opened her heart and we embraced.

    To put it one way also...she said 'please be real. if you're not real, then please kill me painlessly.'

    But, that one more chance, that hope that maybe this time, the person they found just might be as they showed themselves to be.

    it is...haunting.

    eishethon June 16, 2013   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Album art
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Album art
No Surprises
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Album art
Magical
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Album art
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it. “I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.