I thought it was Easter time
the way the light rose
rose that morning
Lately you\'ve been on my mind
You showed me the rope
ropes to climb
over mountains
and to pull myself
out of a landslide
of a landslide
I thought it was harvest time
You always loved the smell of wood burning
She with her honey hair
Dalhousie Castle
she would meet you there
In the winter
Butter yellow
The flames you stirred
Yes, you could stir
I raise a glass
Make a toast
A toast in your honor
I hear your laugh
and beg me not to dance
on your right standing by
is Mr. Bojangles
With a toast he\'s telling me it\'s time
to raise a glass
Make a toast A toast in your honor
I hear you laugh and beg me not to dance
\'cause on your right standing by
is Mr.Bojangles
with a toast he\'s telling me it\'s time
To let you go Let you go
I thought I\'d see you again.
You say you might do
Maybe in a carving
in a cathedral
Somewhere in Barcelona.
the way the light rose
rose that morning
Lately you\'ve been on my mind
You showed me the rope
ropes to climb
over mountains
and to pull myself
out of a landslide
of a landslide
You always loved the smell of wood burning
She with her honey hair
Dalhousie Castle
she would meet you there
In the winter
Butter yellow
The flames you stirred
Yes, you could stir
Make a toast
A toast in your honor
I hear your laugh
and beg me not to dance
on your right standing by
is Mr. Bojangles
With a toast he\'s telling me it\'s time
to raise a glass
Make a toast A toast in your honor
I hear you laugh and beg me not to dance
\'cause on your right standing by
is Mr.Bojangles
with a toast he\'s telling me it\'s time
To let you go Let you go
You say you might do
Maybe in a carving
in a cathedral
Somewhere in Barcelona.
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
Tori's brother Michal died a few months before the album was released, and she added this one for him.
I don't think we'll ever understand everything, it's too personal. I almost feel like a peeping Tom listening to it, but it's so lovely, hearing someone's grief like that. It might be my favorite thing about Tori, we get to hear her pain and brokeness without feeling alienated.
Well, seen from this point of view it makes a lot more sense, and it's even more touching. So, it would talk about everyday moments and other more important ones: a sunset at Easter, the fact he has been a firm point for her (the rope-landslide part) in some part of her life, a lov e of his life (the Dalhousie castle part), his capacity to move her ("Yes, you could stir"), and some moment in Barcelona. The fact it's all about a toast is not reductive, according to me, but perfectly in tone with the rest of the song, which is really familiar, and talks about t he loss just as a momentary absence, which allows her to recollect all the nice moments of their life together. Beautiful song, anyway. Like more the chorus than the verse, but fine anyway.
This song is so painful.
"With a toast he\'s telling me it\'s time to raise a glass Make a toast A toast in your honor I hear you laugh and beg me not to dance \'cause on your right standing by is Mr.Bojangles with a toast he\'s telling me it\'s time To let you go Let you go"
I particularly love this verse whereby Tori tries to gain the strength to move on from his brother's passing.
Does any know what does Mr Bojangles mean?
This song is so painful.
"With a toast he\'s telling me it\'s time to raise a glass Make a toast A toast in your honor I hear you laugh and beg me not to dance \'cause on your right standing by is Mr.Bojangles with a toast he\'s telling me it\'s time To let you go Let you go"
I particularly love this verse whereby Tori tries to gain the strength to move on from his brother's passing.
Does any know what does Mr Bojangles mean?
Mr. Bojangles is a song written by Bob Dylan. I'm not sure though of what he means by it. I'm sure there is some symbolism.
Oops, found out more cos I am the curious type. Mr. Bojangles was actually written by Jerry Jeff Walker but sung by Dylan, Nina Simone, Bread and numerous others.
Interestingly enough, Mr. Bill "Bojangles" Robinson was a real person, born in 1878. He was a legendary black entertainer, a tap dancer, back in the early 1900's.
More info at http://www.schlatter.org/bojangles.htm
Maybe I'm completely off base on this, but for some reason, somewhere in my life I remember some association of Mr. Bojangles with Death. Just my two cents.
This one just wrecks me. "The Beekeeper" was obviously not Tori's best-regarded album -- and yeah, it's my least favorite out of the current eight -- but between the celebration of a new life in "Ribbons Undone" and the tribute to an ended one in "Toast," I'm still sold.
I agree with itsALLprogramMUSIC. Whenever I start to want to know too much about the references in this song to her brother's life, the analytical part of my brain simply shuts down and says, "This is hers. Just listen and be moved by what it takes to do that." The only song I've heard that comes anywhere close to it, as a meditation on death and love and memory, is Vienna Teng's haunting a cappella song "Passage," which (go figure) has Tori's influence written all over it.
Wikipedia entry on Mr. Bojangles, with some interesting history:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Bojangles_%28song%29
I don't think she could have written and/or performed a better song in honor of her lost brother. Very beautiful. I like the guitar, not from a technical stand-point, but the delicateness and mood... I love you Tori!!!
I am not sure why everyone thinks Beekeeper is their least favorite, there are other albums of hers that I cannot get into as much as this one. I am not saying this is her best... or her worst for that case... I'm just not sure of others' opinions... let me know your thoughts