Hold My Hand As I'm Lowered

O Death, do not feel like the victor 'Cause my poor life makes you none the richer Oh, your cold hands are clutching at cloth I leave nothing on Earth that won't rot

its like he is dying with his cold dignity. he is leaving an impression in the earth but not leaving anything material that lasts forever behind.

The lyrics come with the album, I guess people don't own a physical copy!

'Well, I fell in love with THE world AND you' 'And now I feel WHOLE'

Laura Marling, former member of Noah And The Whale and ex-girlfriend of Noah And The Whale frontman Charlie Fink appears to reference this song in her song 'Blackberry Stone' (available for free download from Stereogum here: stereogum.com/the-gum-drop/song.php) with the repeated lyric, "I'd be sad that I never held your hand as you were lowered".

This article, taken from Stereogum and viewable on their site via the link above, is Laura's own comments on the song:

Laura Marling - "Blackberry Stone"

Laura Marling

Take a listen. It's difficult believing Laura Marling just turned 18 this year, but it's true: The assured, sharp British folk-pop singer-songwriter's full-length debut Alas, I Cannot Swim, which came out in the UK in February, is just getting its Stateside debut this summer (its out via iTunes now, Astralwerks in August). In this week's Drop we have "Blackberry Stone," a haunting, lo-fi UK B-side you won't find on the album proper. We asked Marling a few questions about the track.

Can you give some background on the song? I recently moved and for the first time in ages I've been able to have my mics and recording gear set up all the time, so I've been messing around with a sound for the next album ... and so came "Blackberry Stone."

Do you consider it different than the songs that ended up on Alas, I Cannot Swim? Yes, it's in the same mindset as the songs I have been writing recently, as opposed to the songs I was writing at the time of the first album.

Is the song about a specific person/situation or is it a hybrid? Or a fictional narrative? It is whatever it is to whoever listens to it. I couldn't possibly say ... Sorry, lame answer, I know.

Either way, what's the significance of the blackberry stone? The song itself is pretty self explanatory, but it is quite vast on whatever that emotion is of loss, and I wanted the song to resolve into something small and simple that I adore as much as whatever it is that was lost.

In your mind, what makes a good love or falling-out-of-love song? Something that can't be used in a a hollywood rom com.

i actually don't have a clue on this song i was preying that there'd be some comments on here explaining haha, all i can SORT OF work out are like.. the line 'Hold my hand as I'm lowered And please don't see me as a coward' could be to do with being lowered into a grave? Like dieing.. i don't have a clue, usually i'm good at this ):

x

first of all, beautiful song. but i made this whole story up in my mind that could be true, or maybe dead wrong, idk. but so charlie fink and laura marling were together, and wrote these songs in Peaceful, the World Lays me Down. and then after the ablum was released, they broke up, she left the band. then The First Days of Spring were born, which was his extremely emotional amazing break up album (the best one created in the world, btw). so perhaps, i was thinking, they broke up because charlie was becoming depressed, and getting diagnosed with depression. so he wrote this song while they were still together, im guessing about laura, how he fell in love with the world in her, and it made him feel whole, so she helped him feel a lot better with his depression, and the hold my hand as im lowered part makes me think this song was sort of asking her to stay with him, and hold his hand as things got worse and worse, because she made him feel whole. but, she couldnt do that, so they break up, she couldnt handle it. then she writes 'id be sad that i could never hold your hand as you were lowered, but id understand the world does what it does' as in she couldnt help who she was, or what the world was, and she couldnt stay with him, because she is just laura. thats just my theory.

best song on the album realy is good and awsome lyrics

Maddy is right. Life is fleeting and no one will leave anything in the world that will last. Time brings everyone down no matter who you are. But you can leave an impression again like Maddy said.

I've considered having this song played at my funeral. It's so beautiful.