Into White

Though not immediately obvious, the references to " yellow Delaney" and "blue eyed drummer" and "red legged chicken" are flowers. Flowers sleep at night and spiders climb on flowers. I don't believe there is any deep or existential meaning here. It is night time in the song but the dawn will bring day light and the images described will empty into white. It is simply a whimsical story that rolls off the tongue so freely and creates pleasing images for us to see while listening... Songs often do not have deep meaning....

wow the violin in this song really finishes it off. really good vibrato

I always think of this song as a companion piece to 'Lilywhite'. Whereas in that song I feel he is describing his reaction to the death of another, in 'Into White' I feel he is describing his own death; or the dying dream before death occurs. Everyone hopes for a painless, peaceful death and I think the lyrics here are representing the various things a dying person might contemplate before succumbing. After all, every image eventually empties into white.

i think this song is about how nothing really maters in the world today, cause it could be gone in a heartbeat, a great song and im suprised it had no comments

This is one of my personal favourites by Cat.

I take this song to be a piece of creative writing. To me, it sounds like he's describing the serenity of this surrounding. The words he uses in this song are brilliant, accompanied with the light guitar and the delicate highpitched strokes of the violin, makes this song a quiet, delicate masterpiece.

"Green pepper walls and water ice Tables of paper wood, windows of light "

"acres of sky"

"A sad Blue eyed drummer rehearses outside" If you close your eyes and just picture what he is saying in this song, there's only one word for it, beauty.

The "into white" wraps up the tranquility, serenity and beauty in this song in a conclusion of oblivion.

I just love this song. Also love Tuesday's Dead and Can't Keep it In - my favorites.

I believe this song is beautiful interpretation of true 'white light' when it is shone through s prism (Newton) and is split into all the colours of the visible sepctrum (ie a rainbow ROYGBIV). All the colours of the visible spectrum are contained in this white light and therefore must 'empty into white' to return back to the source of light and love from whence it came. It also paints a picture for our 'house of nature' and in regards to the dogmouse, Delanie, drummer, chicken etc. I always thought these referred to plants and flowers (red legged chicken - type of plant - ready to strike - ready to put out a cutting) and a blue eyed drummer - pretty flower (with a black spider dancing on its middle black 'eye') Just some thoughts in love and light namaste

Cat Stevens is, as most know, a deeply spiritual man. Into White refers to the fading from the particular -- from the objects, the concerns, the "isms" that make up who we think we are, and the transition to the "unitive", to the whole, or, if you will, to "God" (not as the name is usually thought of, tho). Misco came close when referring to death, but not the physical death that he (?) mentions. Rather, it is the dissolution of that "self", which is the necessary precondition -- the work -- that has to be done to let go of our attachment to all that stuff. The house that he is building is real -- but it is a house for the heart, not for the head. Btw, I love the phrase "windows of light". I can't make too much out of the spider dancing on the eye. Thoughts anyone. I find that when I hear this song, it stays with me for days afterwards. Be well, all. -- Ken

I love songs that leave so much to interpretation. Looking at the comments for this song, there is such a lovely range of views. It is interesting to note that Cat Stevens had a near death experience in the late 1960s when he nearly died of Tuberculosis and spent a year recuperating. TB could still kill in those days. (Van Morrison refers to a friends' death of TB in his album TB Sheets.) Cat Stevens had plenty of time to reflect on the meaning of life and what lies beyond during his long period of recovery. Going 'Into White' is a common experience of people having near death experiences.

If this song isnt about death I dont know what is.

Enjoyed your comments on this beautiful song. I would only add the “yellow Delaney” refers to an actual person, Beauford Delaney, a contrmporary of James Baldwin, an African American painter in Paris, who spent a time obsessed with yellow, which he considered a color of pure spirit. Stevens, also a painter was familiar with his work.