| Dar Williams – Mercy of the Fallen Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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Please consider the astronomical references, as it can not be understood without them. On a cloudy night, she could not see her "north star" and when lost went to the constellation "Leo the lion." "Met a king and met a giant." The brightest star in Leo is Regulus (the king star) the second brightest is the red giant (R. Leonis) - a variable brightness star. "Errant light" - possibly refers to Leo and the confident, aggressive and warlike nature which could be considered a (wrong) "errant light." Also; variable possibly (wayward) errant brightness. "The mercy of the fallen" - Dar makes my eyes water here. She claims the fallen may know what is right, and that the fallen are merciful of others who fall, but she does not know what is right. This could also be a reference to fallen angels. "I saw all the bright people." "In imposing flocks they landed", "And they got what they demanded" "And they scratched at the ground." Notice it says "people", and, "they demanded" - these were not a flock of birds. This may be a reference to people from the sky/stars who may have visited earth long ago, and possibly left after mining certain minerals. Sumeria and many other cultures have references, and pictures of bright, winged gods or god like people who came from the sky, and writings about gold they mined. "They flew, and the field grew as sweetly for the flightless." Agriculture benefited from their visit, and, either some flightless sky/star people were left or, the flightless are us. "Who had longing yet despite this" It seems those who were left wished to go, or wished the ones who left would have stayed. "They could hear every sound." This may sound dumb, but she needed something to rhyme with ground, so it seems she put in a weak line here, basically meaning they heard them go. Note: Some religious researches have claimed the concept of fallen angels originated with the Sumerians, and the sky people, as they seemed to fall from the sky. "In self-inflicted exile" - more great writing by Dar, and more mercy for the fallen (possible end of life God reference- "last mile"). "Falstaff" - Shakespear's comic character. Falstaff would mess up anything, so Dar's "best of Falstaff planners" is a joke about dreaming in the chaos that would result from trying to plan the unplanable. "The many stars that guide us." Possibly referring to the meanings associated with stars, such as astrology, or to getting bearings by stars (sailors, and explorers sometimes still do). "We have some of them inside us." We are all made of star stuff (Carl Sagan), and it is possible we have some genetic material left by sky/star people, inside us. Ok...yes, I realize I am probably wrong about some things. However; this is essentially a "star song", and no one else in the comments noticed. If you listen to this song again, consider visualizing it in a dream looking down on earth - Dar states she "met Leo the lion"(she is lost in the stars). |
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