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Close the door and drift away
Into a sea of uncertainty
Where all your hopes and dreams
Have faded out of reach.
Remember all the bad dreams
Are not far from reality
Would you write again for me?
(let me whisper something in your ear).
And you awake and there you are
Not far off from the line before
And just how long did it take for you to understand
Where your feelings stopped and writing began
Convince yourself to take control
Play to the hilt this unlikely role.
Remember all the bad dreams
Are not far from reality
Will you write again for me?
And who bade you stop this living art?
Have you forgotten just what you are?
If you don't want to then you could at least pretend
That the paper's your soul and your blood's the pen
And maybe then you'd see the light
And read the truth, that you had to write.
If heaven sent you downstream
Where banished eyes haven't been
Would you smile again for me?
You misread your fate line
Had long run out ahead of time
Would you write again for me?
And you awake and there you are
Not far off from the line before
And just how long did it take for you to understand
Where your feelings stopped and writing began
Convince yourself to take control
Play to the hilt this unlikely role.
If heaven sent you downstream
Where banished eyes haven't been
Would you smile again for me?
Into a sea of uncertainty
Where all your hopes and dreams
Have faded out of reach.
Remember all the bad dreams
Are not far from reality
Would you write again for me?
(let me whisper something in your ear).
And you awake and there you are
Not far off from the line before
And just how long did it take for you to understand
Where your feelings stopped and writing began
Convince yourself to take control
Play to the hilt this unlikely role.
Remember all the bad dreams
Are not far from reality
Will you write again for me?
And who bade you stop this living art?
Have you forgotten just what you are?
If you don't want to then you could at least pretend
That the paper's your soul and your blood's the pen
And maybe then you'd see the light
And read the truth, that you had to write.
If heaven sent you downstream
Where banished eyes haven't been
Would you smile again for me?
You misread your fate line
Had long run out ahead of time
Would you write again for me?
And you awake and there you are
Not far off from the line before
And just how long did it take for you to understand
Where your feelings stopped and writing began
Convince yourself to take control
Play to the hilt this unlikely role.
If heaven sent you downstream
Where banished eyes haven't been
Would you smile again for me?
Lyrics submitted by punkrockchick217
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"This song was written when Brian Wilson was just about to release the Smile album for the first time. In it I tried to explore the idea of the composer who is unable or unwilling to face the weight of their own genius, and allow their fears to stop them from accomplishing great work. The art accompanying this song on the CD is a picture of Bach, but we’d originally wanted to put a picture of Brian Wilson there, and were told we couldn’t by some idiotic little director at our label’s art department. It’s stupid things like that that made us decide to avoid major labels, and so should you."
I felt like the song was written for me at that time in that moment. I was a young journalist and my grandfather had been my biggest fan. I felt like he was asking me if I would write again for him. And being so close to my grandfather, I truly felt like I needed to pretend "the paper's your soul and your blood's the pen," in order to give my grandfather the obituary of his great life that he deserved, written by a descendant of his blood line. When it finally asks if you will smile again for me, it seemed to say that after all is said and done, he wanted me to keep smiling and press on in my writing and life.
I know I'm a dork but if anyone from TOD ever reads this, I want you to know how extremely much this song means to me.
also, the lyrical depth is astounding.