The One I Love

agreed that it's a soldier (an American soldier, more specifically)...agreed that it's the Vietnam war because the twist and shout and turtle dove both fit the time period...the repo man I think could be literal and figurative, but mostly i think it's literal since during that time period the woman he's singing to that he's in love with probably couldn't support herself and pay for their belongings bc of the repression of women that still existed so prevelantly during that time period...also they were probably lower class to begin with bc upper-class young men went to college and largely as a group avoided the draft and the military..also the way he dreams of the "big hotel" and dancing as he dies makes him seem like a lower class guy as well..if he was upper-class, he'd call it the ritz or whatever...he'd call it by name...you know? just my opinion...and yes, EricWill it's definitely a girl not his country, but you're not completely off...I think "the stars above" are the stars in the flag and they represent his country (America) bc he wants her to know that he loves her more than he loves his country, and that he died trying to give her a better life with finer things (things that they probably couldn't afford...hence the "repo man")...he's saying he died fighting a war for his country, but he was doing it out (fighting) out of his love for her, not his country...that's my opinion anyway..

Lets work through it bit by bit:

'Gonna close my eyes Gonna watch you go.'

The man is dying. As yet, we've not established why. By closing his eyes, he is seeing the person he loves for the last time, as he watches her fade.

'Running through this life, darling Like a field of snow.'

People often say that when close to death, your life flashes before your eyes.

'As the tracer glides in its graceful arc, Send a little prayer out to you cross the falling dark.'

Tracers being the bullets and flares that are fired on a battlefield. Ahhh, so he's a soldier...As he knows he is dying, he is literally sending a prayer to his lover. The falling dark, probably being the light fading as he nears death.

'Perfect summer's night not a wind that breathes. Just the bullets whispering gentle amongst the new green leaves.'

Confirmation of his being a soldier. I'd take a stab in the dark that its a Vietnam soldier, for reasons I'll explain shortly.

'Don't see elysium Don't see no fiery hell. Just the lights all bright baby in the big hotel.'

He's saying he isn't having a religious experience - does heaven or hell exist? If they do, he doesn't see them yet. Elysium being a place in Greek mythology of ideal happiness, entered after death - ie Heaven.

'Next wave coming in, like an ocean roar'

Hmmm, could be the next wave of attack, or the next wave of pain, I can't decide.

'We can twist and shout, do the turtle dove,'

Right the kicker for me, suggests that its a Vietnam soldier. Both popular dances in the 60's when the Vietnam war was raging. Also, the mention he makes of 'new green leaves' suggests a forest/jungle war theatre as opposed to the recent desert wars we've had in the 90's.

There you go, thats what I think.

idk if it's a soldier or what. Either way, it's a love that can never be. Fields of snow are beautiful, but they can't withstand the seasons. Tell the repo man(because you're not mine) and the stars above..... The reference to bullets could be referencing the fact that they'd be under fire if they chose to be together.
Don't see Elysium (reference to Elysian Fields) Don't see no fiery hell The only thing that matters is what they have now. The repercussions of that don't matter, wether it's hell or Elysian Fields. They don't see and/or don't care about the repercussions of either. All they have is right now, even though right now will never last.

Another great song by David Gray, well heres my opinion about what its about, its about someone he loved who he has lost the only way he can see her is close his eyes and imagine her "Gonna close my eyes, Gonna watch you go" also the "repo man" i think this could be God as he has reposed her from him and taken her too heaven. Then as the song goes on you can see he is starting to miss her more and regrets all the things he didnt get too say and he feels like hes dieing without her

"These things I might have said only wish I could Now I'm leaking life faster than I'm leaking blood"

Tell the repo man huh?

Is it not about a person who is dying on a battlefield, and he's singing to his lady back home far away from the scene of the war

The repo man puzzled me, but I think Scottish Lion has it correct. However I agree with Althlete***, that she is alive and it is he who is dying.

I'm not sure where the contributor found these lyrics, but I would like to offer some small corrections: in the first verse, "send a little prayer OUT to you 'cross the falling dark" in the second, "perfect summer's night, not a wind that breathes" in the third, "just the lights so bright baby, in the Bay Hotel. Next wave coming in, like an ocean roar".

And I love this song.

deffo, the repo man could be god, or indeed leader of those he is in war against perhaps, or his own leaders and goverment who have conscribed him to battle!perhaps

pretty sure tis bout him being on a battlefield in war time

I think this song is about a man dying on the battlefield who is hoping (and about) to be reunited with his love. He's dying, worried about whether he'll end up in heaven with his love. And It's almost as if he's trying to get her to guide him to her.

its actually "girl and watch you go"