Peter Hammill is one of the greatest, if not THE greatest lyricist this world has seen or will ever see in my personal opinion.
This song touches on basically everything I've gone through my life one point or another so I feel obligated to break it down in my my own interpretation.
This song( like many VDGG songs) carries themes of: isolation(self imposed and not), depression, loneliness, desperation to feel something, alienation, detachment, and lastly complete and utter despair and helplessness.
The first stanza, particularly up to impromptu "chorus", talks of a house with no door, and the conditions this "house"(person) is in. It's cold at night, and the days are hard to bare, there's no roof so the the rain(loneliness) creeps in. This is very on par with general feelings of depression.
"Falling through my head as I try to think out time", the narrator is trying to figure out what his next actions should be dealing with his conditions.
"I don't know you, you say you know me, That may be so, There's so much that I am unsure of" I interpret this as someone who's isolated, is surprised someone cares or acknowledges him.
"You call my name, but it sounds unreal, I forget how I feel, my body's rejecting the cure", they're battling for their grip on reality, they don't know how they feel, if they feel anything at all and they try to get help or help themselves but it never works.
"There's a house with no bell, but then nobody calls; I sometimes find it hard to tell If any are alive at all outside" No one tries to talk with them or acknowledge them anymore and it makes them feel as though they truly are alone.
"There's a house with no sound; yes, it's quiet there, There's not much point in words, If there's no-one to share in time" The narrator finds little reason in talking if no one listens or can relate to their conditions.
"I've learned my lines, I know them so well, I am ready to tell, Whoever will finally come in, Of the line in my mind that's cold in the night, It doesn't seem right, When there's that little dark figure running" The narrator has in his mind has planned what he will say when someone who comes into his life who will understand and relate to him. But, they're not sure even that person, granted they find him or vice versa, would fully grasp his situation.
"There's a house with no door, And there's no living there, One day it became a wall, Well I didn't really care at the time." The wall of isolation or detachment from the rest of the world becomes more prevalent and the narrator realizes it.
"There's a house with no light, All the windows are sealed, Overtaxed and strained now nothing is revealed but time" Pent up emotions and stress are built up. They don't want to tell anything to anyone.
"I don't know you, you say you know me, That may be so,There's so much that I am unsure of, You call my name, but it sounds unreal, I forget how I feel, My body's rejecting the cure, Won't somebody help me?" Repeating what was said earlier, as to emphasize how uncertain they are of anything going on in their lives. Outright saying "won't somebody help me" out of desperation.
I hope this helps anyone or anyone can relate to this interpretation.
Thanks for reading.
@sluguztalabverant
Let me just add the "that little dark figure running" might be a reference to the black dog, which Winston Churchill always called his depression, the black dog.
@sluguztalabverant
Let me just add the "that little dark figure running" might be a reference to the black dog, which Winston Churchill always called his depression, the black dog.
Peter Hammill is one of the greatest, if not THE greatest lyricist this world has seen or will ever see in my personal opinion. This song touches on basically everything I've gone through my life one point or another so I feel obligated to break it down in my my own interpretation. This song( like many VDGG songs) carries themes of: isolation(self imposed and not), depression, loneliness, desperation to feel something, alienation, detachment, and lastly complete and utter despair and helplessness.
The first stanza, particularly up to impromptu "chorus", talks of a house with no door, and the conditions this "house"(person) is in. It's cold at night, and the days are hard to bare, there's no roof so the the rain(loneliness) creeps in. This is very on par with general feelings of depression.
"Falling through my head as I try to think out time", the narrator is trying to figure out what his next actions should be dealing with his conditions.
"I don't know you, you say you know me, That may be so, There's so much that I am unsure of" I interpret this as someone who's isolated, is surprised someone cares or acknowledges him.
"You call my name, but it sounds unreal, I forget how I feel, my body's rejecting the cure", they're battling for their grip on reality, they don't know how they feel, if they feel anything at all and they try to get help or help themselves but it never works.
"There's a house with no bell, but then nobody calls; I sometimes find it hard to tell If any are alive at all outside" No one tries to talk with them or acknowledge them anymore and it makes them feel as though they truly are alone.
"There's a house with no sound; yes, it's quiet there, There's not much point in words, If there's no-one to share in time" The narrator finds little reason in talking if no one listens or can relate to their conditions.
"I've learned my lines, I know them so well, I am ready to tell, Whoever will finally come in, Of the line in my mind that's cold in the night, It doesn't seem right, When there's that little dark figure running" The narrator has in his mind has planned what he will say when someone who comes into his life who will understand and relate to him. But, they're not sure even that person, granted they find him or vice versa, would fully grasp his situation.
"There's a house with no door, And there's no living there, One day it became a wall, Well I didn't really care at the time." The wall of isolation or detachment from the rest of the world becomes more prevalent and the narrator realizes it.
"There's a house with no light, All the windows are sealed, Overtaxed and strained now nothing is revealed but time" Pent up emotions and stress are built up. They don't want to tell anything to anyone.
"I don't know you, you say you know me, That may be so,There's so much that I am unsure of, You call my name, but it sounds unreal, I forget how I feel, My body's rejecting the cure, Won't somebody help me?" Repeating what was said earlier, as to emphasize how uncertain they are of anything going on in their lives. Outright saying "won't somebody help me" out of desperation.
I hope this helps anyone or anyone can relate to this interpretation. Thanks for reading.
@sluguztalabverant great explanation, thank you!!!
@sluguztalabverant great explanation, thank you!!!
@sluguztalabverant Let me just add the "that little dark figure running" might be a reference to the black dog, which Winston Churchill always called his depression, the black dog.
@sluguztalabverant Let me just add the "that little dark figure running" might be a reference to the black dog, which Winston Churchill always called his depression, the black dog.