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Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Sorrow's Child Lyrics 13 years ago
To me this song is about the necessity to meet sorrow in our life, about sorrow as something unavoidable and valuable. If you avoid sorrow your life is worthless.

"hears not the water" refers to that when you are in sorrow you are totally in it and don´t take so much notice of the outside world.

"And just when it seems as though
You've got strength enough to stand
Sorrow's child all weak and strange
Stands waiting at your hand". This is something you often experience when you´re longing for the sorrow to end. But you´re not ready yet.

"Sorrow's child steps in the water
Sorrow's child you follow after
Sorrow's child wades in deeper
Sorrow's child invites you under". Here he describes how you let yourself get deeper into the sorrow.

"And just when you thought as though
All your tears were wept and done
Sorrow's child grieves not what has passed
But all the past still yet to come". Your work is not done yet. Sorrow´s child knows that things from the past will emerge.

"Sorrow's child sits by the water
Sorrow's child your arms enfold her
Sorrow's child you're loathe to befriend her
Sorrow's child but in sorrow surrender". This is not a very pleasant activity, ”you´re loathe to befriend her”, but you know you have to do this in order to become fully aware and alive so you surrender.

"And just when is seems as though
All your tears were at an end
Sorrow's child lifts up her hand
And she brings it down again". You have to go through this over and over again.

This is just the way this song talks to me. I suppose it can say something else to another person. That´s the beauty of poetry.

Sorrow´s child is you.

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