It seems to be the real meaning of the song: answers.yahoo.com/question/index

"The thing with the clarinet teacher is a common misconception about this song. It's been said so often that it's almost become a self-fulfilling truth. Can't remember where it was first mentioned but it's been picked up and gained momentum. Anyway, it's not true.

Back when I first saw Damien play years ago he explained the meaning of the song, and it took me a while to understand the relevance. I didn't get it at the time, but luckily someone taped the show and I was able to listen back to it.

The Blower in question wasn't a clarinet teacher, but the cockney rhyming slang for the telephone (Stick with me, I know it sounds ambiguous!). Before he was in Juniper Damien worked at a call centre selling mortgages and loans, and spent all day on the telephone. He grew sick of speaking to people for 8 hours a day without seeing anyone's face, and he began to fantasize about the people behind the many voices he heard. One summer day he phoned a house and a girl with a melodic soft, sweet voice answered the phone. He was calling for her father, but he wasn't in. Protocol said he should have ended the call and phoned back another time, but he was mesmerized and enchanted by her voice and ended up chatting to her for over an hour. Damien began a secret relationship of sorts with the girl, always calling when he knew her father wouldn't be home just so they could talk, despite knowing that it could get him sacked. He dreamed of her at night, daydreamed about her all day long.

This continued for over a month, but one day he called and there was no answer. For the next week he called again numerous times a day, but still nobody picked up the phone. Confused by this abrupt end to the relationship, Damien became angry and obsessive (you were right about the obsessive bit) and found out the address of the girl. He took a day off work and got the bus out to the address.

Hidden in a hedge he watched the front door fervently for any signs of life, but he didn't expect what he finally saw. The voice was unmistakably the same, and as she shouted 'bye mum', closing the front door behind her Damien was amazed to see that this dreamgirl of his was wearing a school uniform. He couldn't believe his eyes and could not stop staring at her in shock. All the pieces of the puzzle finally fell into place - she was at home during the school holidays, led him on and played games, then when school started back she just stopped. Damien was angry but obviously couldn't tell anybody about it for fear of being branded a perv. He left the company and formed Juniper shortly after.

Apparently, although this hasn't been confirmed, this girl was part of the inspiration for volcano as well. (She's still too young)"

This is my favorite song ever!

Such a powerful song. This is the one that had me in tears when I saw him perform it live. I feel like it's stripping all the dramatics away from love and distilling it into it's most essential elements until one is powerless but to just drink in the object of affection...regardless of whether it is his own to have or not. It just is a pure need.

I think the whole song he's talking about how much he loves her, but he things he will never have her, because he has had such an easy life, and hers has had so many struggles. He thinks he's not good enough for her, but can't stop thinking about her, (her being the Blower's Daughter). The Blower's Daughter loves him back, but is too scared to be in a relationship with him, and is somewhat traumatised by these struggles in her life. She also has had 'No hero in her sky' which might mean she has never had a true lover. This means she wouldn't believe the main singer loves her. She thinks he is just pretending in some way, and her defense mechanism to this is to say that she hates him, and doesn't want to talk to him. She realises later that she said this, which is why she says 'Oh, did I say that I loathe you? Did I say that I want to leave it all behind?' She can't believe she said this when she loved him. The main singer can't stop thinking about her until he finds someone else who loves him back. Anyways, thats the way I interpret it. Sort of a tragic love story, where the lovers are both too shy to believe the other's feelings. This could be totally wrong... but that's the way I see it.

"ohh, did I say that I loathe you? did I say that I want to leave it all behind.. I can't take my mind off of you" Such amazing lines. Feeling that strong for someone, but knowing that there are stronger, deeper feelings that no matter how much you want to hate someone, you know you never will. Rice is amazing in so many ways.

IMO this song is about unrequited love & the narrator's journey to coming to terms with the fact that all he can really do is move on from this person he feels so strongly about but who doesn't feel the same. It is a very raw & deeply sad song. I can totally relate to the narrator's dilemma, I've been there many timeS! For me the most beautiful part of the song is the last line; one can literally hear the despair in his voice. What a beautiful song, it reminds me of Radiohead's 'Creep'.

This song serves as a truthful interpretation of the enumerating attraction between a males and female and vice versa minus the romantic fallcies that are often binded within their idealogies reagarding love vs. infatuation. Such is often referred to as love, which Damien or the writer reminds amidst the song's conclusion, can infinitively occur. Only it's translators change, unless one(or two) choose(s) marriage, and even then, it often still happens...hence high divorce and infidelity rates. ∆

The best cover I've heard so far, The blowers daughter by Mel.

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I have to agree the inclusion of the song in the movie "Closer" is perfect. I think the verses "the shorter story / no love no glory / no hero in her skies" refer to a girl who doesn't believe in the big epic romantic view of love. And they'll "both forget the breeze" means that even if a wind of change comes, it won't mean much. He can't take his mind or his eyes off this person "'til [he] find[s] someone new."

he falls in love with his flute teacher's daughter- the blower's daughter. "the pupil in denial"

What a wonderful song to describe this ambiguity when a great love ends and somehow you are glad it's over. But merely somehow and sometimes.

Loathing someone is as strong a feeling as loving someone deeply.

The Blower's Daughter makes me think of an ex boyfriend, who I loved passionately and was loved back in the same way. It doesn't really matter, if two people are still together, when there had been such strong feelings. The love they shared has changed them forever and thus the other is still a part of you. Either you like it or not. I wish him all the best, I don't loathe him, but sometimes I miss him.