Sophia

Sophia is the goddess of wisdom.

This song is like the light to "The Beast's" shadow; here she is asking for wisdom, and guidance, from the Goddess Sophia. She is sad, and forgiving, keeping the secrets of the man she has denied and judged unworthy - although she does mention that his judgment will come, just not by her hand.

In the first verses she emphasizes that it's over, and her business is none of his. I can empathize deeply with this part of the song; I think it's something that occurs to almost everyone after an important relationship ends. The "I'm wounded by dust" line is, I believe, about how the past can hurt us. Even though it's not substantial, and it's long over (dust) it still hurts.

I cannot express my love for this song. LM is so impossibly brilliant.

At first, I didn't quite understand the relation of the first few lines to the rest of the song. I interpret "wounded by dust" to be wounded by a man - as in the Bible, "and the Lord God made man from the dust of the earth". (I know Laura is not Christian, but I could see her using a biblical reference for the sake of her songwriting.) Thinking of that, I wonder if the first few lines are about this man having upset her, causing her to go out and take a walk and think; when she returns, he questions her about where she's been and who she's been with. The next few lines are self-explanatory; she's not usually someone who cries, but she's been so hurt by this man that she's been crying over him.

The chorus makes this song genius. The dynamic changes from hurt to spiteful, shrugging off what happened and saying that if he's correct in his faith, then he'd better pray and that he'll pay his price on Judgment Day. The part where she insists that she's a good woman reminds me of "Night After Night" where she sings, "I don't stand for the devil, I don't whisper in ears..." Despite her lack of religion, she knows she's a good person and she's wise enough to not accuse and blame others, and her newfound satisfaction and peace of mind comes from knowing that the man's conscious will get to him, even if the God[s?] he believes in won't.

I love that she covers both of those stages - the pain and the recovery - in the same piece. It makes for such an awesome dynamic. The song title does, admittedly, throw me off. The name "Sophia" doesn't appear to relate to the rest of the song. Maybe it's the name of a woman he cheated on her with, maybe it's supposed to allude to the Greek term (meaning wisdom). I suppose it's unrealistic to think that we should be able to understand everything in what she writes ;)

I think that this song is utter perfection.

i read some where that this song was about her breakup from Marcus Mumford( he allegedly cheated on her) which would fit with the tone of the song. Sophia could be the other women and Laura is telling her shes wounded(by dust could be the old memory it ). Shes trying to move on but is inevitably wounded by the situation. Also i don't know if shes religious but she was raised a Quaker- the bit where she mentions judgment day could mean that he has to be accountable for his actions (or sins)

Shy and tired eyed am I today

Now I'm not a woman to go and place blame

I think the beginning of the line at the end of the chorus is "I'm not a woman to go and place blame..."

I'm pretty sure that it's lines "shy and tired eyed am I today" not "tried and tired I am now today". Also the think the lines "Who's been touching my skin, who have I been letting, shy and tired eyed am I today" are about having a one night stand after a relationship is broken up to try get over her old lover. The fact that she's asking him questions, "Who's been touching me skin?", are almost as if she's trying to piss him off with the news that she has moved on.

I saw that in her other song The Beast, there's also the name sophia mentioned as goddes of power.Maybe she's calling for strength because she got hurt

This song boggles me all the while it enchants me. I always get caught on the "I'm wounded by dust" lyric. The Bible says "All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again." (in the book of Ecclesiastes, but also in Genesis and probably other places). The song always brings me back to the notion that what hurts most, often, being humans is our impermanence.

Oh I have been wondering where I have been pondering Where I've been lately is no concern of yours Who's been touching my skin Who have I been letting Shy and tired eyed am I now today

I'm wounded by dust All I have been wondering where I have been pondering Where I've been lately is no concern of yours Who's been touching my skin Who have I been letting Tried and tired I am now today

Sometimes I sit, sometimes I stare Sometimes they look and I don't care Where they I weep, some times I must I'm wounded by dust

When the bell toll, when the bell gon' chime You better call for your woman up high And when the bell tolls for your last day, You'll be getting down on your knees to pray I'm a good woman and I never did say whatever it was that you did that day I'm not a woman that is going to place that claim but you said that it was coming on judgement day

Now Sophia I'm wounded by dust

When the bell toll, when the bell gon' chime You better call for your woman up high And when the bell tolls for your last day, You'll be getting down on your knees to pray I'm a good woman and I never did say whatever it was that you did that day I'm not a woman that's going to place that claim but you said that it was coming on judgement day

Now Sophia I'm wounded by dust Now Sophia