| Josh Ritter – In the Dark Lyrics | 6 years ago |
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I think this song is a muse about exploring the mind of a loved one who has become withdrawn and fallen into depression. Also, I think it's about the wish that the person could communicate all the things that are making them depressed, or perhaps hiding their true self from them, thus: "Don't you leave us in the dark". "We started looking for you, in the darker caves" I think this is the realization that their loved one is experiencing mental problems and that the problems are dark. I like the line "We had a lot of love we thought would light the way", which I think means that the love they have for the person will make the journey easier, but they were sad to find "the wrecks of buildings and ships that sank in starlight". which I think represent safety and innocence that has crumbled and dreams that have sunk. The line "We saw the ghosts of angels that spoke of falls from tremendous heights" I think is to do with the times that the person has had their confidence broken, either by something in reality, or by their cognitive distortions and so their good intentions are destroyed. The second verse starts with the line "We saw your old flames and some were burning yet" Which I think is about past loves and how there are still strong feelings for some. I really like the next line "It made us smile to see just how well tended each was kept" which I think is about the fact that the person holds so dear to the memories of failed loves and they are unable to let go of them and move on. "But other fires were burning too and I saw the battlefields. The dying Light Brigade stretched out across the wheel" I think this means that there are mental battles that are still raging and that the overwhelming defeats (as in the charge of the Light Brigade) are constantly scrutinized; tortured over a breaking wheel. Verse three starts by contemplating that we all have largely the same physical equipment to deal with life, but I think the inclusion of the line "we tell ourselves down here" gives the indication that this is just a misunderstanding of the symptoms and causes of depression, as it then continues by describing how, to others, they seem to be a perfect person, but inside, the person is emotionally self-harming. That which they thought was a halo turns out to be the over-critical eye of the person's inner self watching their every move. And then it concludes by stating that it's hard to believe that someone who radiates light and goodness could have so much inward darkness for themself. It's up there with 'Here at the Right Time' as one of my favourite Josh Ritter lyrics. Really sad, but really beautiful. |
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