Sunlight In A Jar

The Lucksmiths

We've never been much chop
At all that sensual stuff
One of us always seems to stop
Before the other's had enough
Like a self-help manual that's been written in Braille
It seems the more that we touch
The more we learn about our failings

I'm struck speechless by the nape of your neck
But your requests and suggestions
Have a similar effect
A litany of prettiness and pettiness, too
I reckon every second second
We come up with something new

I tried to write an opera for us
But I didn't get that far
'Cause trying to sum you up in song
Is like catching sunlight in a jar

Complex, completely credible love
The kind that is made, not handed to you from above
Is difficult to talk about and harder to write
Like the rhythm of a pulse, or the contours of firelight

Overblown libretto and a sumptuous score
Could never contain the contradictions I adore
We can just be chaos and then something aligns
It's so hard to contain, maintain it or define it

I tried to write another chorus
But I didn't get that far
'Cause trying to sum you up in song
Is like catching sunlight in a jar
It's like catching sunlight in a jar


Lyrics submitted by BlueAndStarry

Sunlight In A Jar song meanings
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  • 0
    General Commenti love every word of this song.
    fireplaceon April 06, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI know that all the other lyric sites say otherwise, but I think it's "overblown vibrato", not "libretto". I distinctly hear a v sound.

    And vibrato (a quality of singing) makes more sense than libretto (the text of an opera), when being used with the adjective "overblown". At least I think so.
    JeSuisBienCaleeon April 14, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General CommentThis may be my favourite love song. I love how Tali says "The kind that is made not handed to you from above". It makes the emotions real, they were created by two people. It grew. It does "libretto". The overblown makes sense too. Overblown means over written. He's saying that even the most overelaborate opera could never define or explain how he feels about this person. Truely beautiful.
    goodnightjuliaon April 18, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI suppose libretto would work, but there's a very distinct V sound. I even asked friends because I thought I was going crazy, since all the lyric sites say libretto. Everyone I've asked also hears the V.
    JeSuisBienCaleeon April 19, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Commentthis is my favorite lucksmiths song.
    bittersweethearton June 29, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General CommentLove is hard to describe, but what I love most about this song is the fact he explains it so well. A real gem of a song!! One of my favorites of theirs, too.
    delialon March 30, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Commenti love the end of the first verse... the part about the self-help manual written in Braille :-)
    AA2004on May 12, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Commentthe lucksmiths website says libretto. case closed.
    bradyaon June 15, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General CommentOne of my favorite Lucksmith songs. Like someone else said, it's got to be one of my all-time favorite love songs.
    dixyon March 03, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment"Overblown libretto and a sumptuous score could never contain the contradictions I adore."

    This song is just special. It's simply beautiful.
    myexpiredsoupon October 02, 2011   Link

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