1 Meaning
Add Yours
Follow
Share
Q&A
Pilgrims Progress Lyrics
(fisher / reid)
I sat me down to write a simple story
Which maybe in the end became a song
In trying to find the words which might begin it
I found these were the thoughts I brought along
At first I took my weight to be an anchor
And gathered up my fears to guide me round
But then I clearly saw my own delusion
And found my struggles further bogged me down
In starting out I thought to go exploring
And set my foot upon the nearest road
In vain I looked to find the promised turning
But only saw how far I was from home
In searching I forsook the paths of learning
And sought instead to find some pirate's gold
In fighting I did hurt those dearest to me
And still no hidden truths could I unfold
I sat me down to write a simple story
Which maybe in the end became a song
The words have all been writ by one before me
We're taking turns in trying to pass them on
Oh, we're taking turns in trying to pass them on
Which maybe in the end became a song
In trying to find the words which might begin it
I found these were the thoughts I brought along
And gathered up my fears to guide me round
But then I clearly saw my own delusion
And found my struggles further bogged me down
And set my foot upon the nearest road
In vain I looked to find the promised turning
But only saw how far I was from home
And sought instead to find some pirate's gold
In fighting I did hurt those dearest to me
And still no hidden truths could I unfold
Which maybe in the end became a song
The words have all been writ by one before me
We're taking turns in trying to pass them on
Oh, we're taking turns in trying to pass them on
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
The message to this song is a beautiful, simple truth. Pilgrim's Progress is perhaps named after the 17th century piece of literature of the same name by John Bunyan, and based on the same allegorical premise. Here, the progress is a journey taken by a pilgim, perhaps a Christian, or maybe just a traveler who seeks enlightenment. Here he is lamenting back on his journey.
He took the "weight" of an anchor that weighs him down as negatives, no doubt meaning the things he found to be burdens or flaws that he saw in himself, maybe his relationship with other people. As the saying goes "we have nothing to fear but fear itself", but he did not accept or come to terms with his faults, but struggled against them, which only burdened him further. He was self-defeating. So already he was off to a bad start.
He heads off with glory in his eyes, to go exploring to find success and riches. He seeks the quick and easy path to righteousness, but he only reminds himself how cut off and isolated he is. Instead of taking the noble, hard path of learning and wisdom, he seeks fame and glory, fighting and hurting those he meets and the people closest to him, for material possessions. Unwittingly, he has betrayed the very reason he set off on this pilgrimage in the first place.
By the concluding verse, he admits that many others have come before him to lament of their failures. But they're all taking turns to remind each other of what went wrong. Once we reach old age, we all look back on how vain and foolish we were as young men, but it is too late to remind anyone of this but ourselves. It is an endless cycle.