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Morning's hard coffee's cold
Pretending that the days mean more than getting old
Stale headlines other drenched in pride
Marching to their drum with fear standing beside
But if I close my eyes and throw back my head
I can see his face and I hear the words he said
And my memories ache and my senses burn
Did he dream too late will we ever learn
I, I want to testify
My love still lives and breathes
And my soul is screaming why
The thoughts won't let me sleep
Don't let hearts break
And don't let children cry
Before it gets too late
I want to testify
I take what's said as my daily dread
I turn the page and I turn my head
I pick I choose on the evening news
Cause by cause they fight and one by one they lose
Must I live my days in these concrete ways
Will the fire break through this smokey haze
And I swear tonight I'm gonna find that place
It's not the love that dies but the understanding ways
I, I want to testify
My love still lives and breathes
And my soul is screaming why
The thoughts won't let me sleep
Don't let hearts break
And don't let children cry
Before it gets too late
I want to testify
Rip through the wire that screens in my window
Throw open the shade that covers my mind
I'm going to touch I've got to believe
The bell tolls for me
I, I want to testify
My love still lives and breathes
And my soul is screaming why
The thoughts won't let me sleep
Don't let hearts break
And don't let children cry
Before it gets too late
I want to testify
Pretending that the days mean more than getting old
Stale headlines other drenched in pride
Marching to their drum with fear standing beside
But if I close my eyes and throw back my head
I can see his face and I hear the words he said
And my memories ache and my senses burn
Did he dream too late will we ever learn
My love still lives and breathes
And my soul is screaming why
The thoughts won't let me sleep
Don't let hearts break
And don't let children cry
Before it gets too late
I want to testify
I turn the page and I turn my head
I pick I choose on the evening news
Cause by cause they fight and one by one they lose
Must I live my days in these concrete ways
Will the fire break through this smokey haze
And I swear tonight I'm gonna find that place
It's not the love that dies but the understanding ways
My love still lives and breathes
And my soul is screaming why
The thoughts won't let me sleep
Don't let hearts break
And don't let children cry
Before it gets too late
I want to testify
Throw open the shade that covers my mind
I'm going to touch I've got to believe
The bell tolls for me
My love still lives and breathes
And my soul is screaming why
The thoughts won't let me sleep
Don't let hearts break
And don't let children cry
Before it gets too late
I want to testify
Song Info
Submitted by
ice On Jun 09, 2001
More Melissa Etheridge
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Before coming out, Melissa Etheridge was brilliant at shaping lyrics that applied to people whatever a partner’s gender is. She continued this practice along with making lyrics vague and universal enough for the listener to assign meaning. This song is not about a male lover, rather about any man or my interpretation, “The Man” who symbolically keeps the oppressed down. This is why there are so many references to the news and turning her head to it. Written in the late 80s, after the world had abandoned the gat community to die to AIDs and gay rights were barely spoken outside of gay circles, she wants to testify before it is too late, before too many die not knowing the freedom they could have. This extends behind gay rights, as in true ME fashion, she doesn't assign it to the community, but allows more universal understanding.
I know shes a lesbian but this must have been written pre-homo.
This being said, what i got from this was that she is haunted by the thoughts of a man that she was never able to make it work with/ be with/ or it ended with.
"soul is screaming why"....
... she wants to testify or explain herself. She may seem foolish but she isn't so with out reason. She wants to tell her story, make others understand or maybe place blame on him. Either way, or both, she's living with feelings that she is unable to do anything with for whatever reason, and these lyrics really show the dilemma and unfairness of it all.