| Dar Williams – Mercy of the Fallen Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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As a songwritermyself, I am hesitant to attach specific meanings to a song. Other people make up their own meanings that have nothing to do with how or why the song was written. And that is a good thing. That said, I love this song and here's what it says to me... The first verse is addressed to “my fair North Star,” which speaks to me of a permanence and reliability, an unwavering trust in a belief for a concept or a role model. When that certainty is obscured will we allow ourselves to discover new ways to navigate life. There are harsh forces that touch us - wind and rain - but also the compassion that comes from others who have lost their own certainty. They are no longer dogmatic or judgmental, but forgiving and understanding. Admitting you don’t have the answers may look weak, but takes great strength, and gives us peace. All the bright people that have visited this world over the centuries have had to struggle and scratch to progress, but they planted their ideas like seeds that enrich us now. And yet we are not satisfied — we cannot (or just do not) soar, but only observe. If someone you love is in trouble, you want them to get help from some who will accept them, and not judge them as if from a lofty position. The narrator casts herself as the silly-but-profound character from Shakespeare’s Merry Wives of Windsor. She hopes that whoever is directing or orchestrating her life gives her places that are not complete, where she can be at peace in the beds of uncertainty, and where dreams are never finished. We can be guided by more than one goal, some of them are high and far away, but others are only discovered in our hearts. |
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