This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Here is your crown
And your seal and rings
And here is your love
For all things.
Here is your cart,
And your cardboard and piss
And here is your love
For all of this.
May everyone live,
And may everyone die.
Hello, my love,
And my love, Goodbye.
Here is your wine,
And your drunken fall
And here is your love.
Your love for it all.
Here is your sickness.
Your bed and your pan
And here is your love
For the woman, the man.
May everyone live,
And may everyone die.
Hello, my love,
And, my love, Goodbye.
And here is the night,
The night has begun
And here is your death
In the heart of your son.
And here is the dawn,
(Until death do us part)
And here is your death,
In your daughter's heart.
May everyone live,
And may everyone die.
Hello, my love,
And, my love, Goodbye.
And here you are hurried,
And here you are gone
And here is the love,
That it's all built upon.
Here is your cross,
Your nails and your hill
And here is your love,
That lists where it will
May everyone live,
And may everyone die.
Hello, my love,
And my love, Goodbye.
And your seal and rings
And here is your love
For all things.
Here is your cart,
And your cardboard and piss
And here is your love
For all of this.
May everyone live,
And may everyone die.
Hello, my love,
And my love, Goodbye.
Here is your wine,
And your drunken fall
And here is your love.
Your love for it all.
Here is your sickness.
Your bed and your pan
And here is your love
For the woman, the man.
May everyone live,
And may everyone die.
Hello, my love,
And, my love, Goodbye.
And here is the night,
The night has begun
And here is your death
In the heart of your son.
And here is the dawn,
(Until death do us part)
And here is your death,
In your daughter's heart.
May everyone live,
And may everyone die.
Hello, my love,
And, my love, Goodbye.
And here you are hurried,
And here you are gone
And here is the love,
That it's all built upon.
Here is your cross,
Your nails and your hill
And here is your love,
That lists where it will
May everyone live,
And may everyone die.
Hello, my love,
And my love, Goodbye.
Lyrics submitted by softasfire
Here It Is Lyrics as written by Sharon Robinson Leonard Cohen
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I take this as a spiritual paean to life.
It begins tracking the rise and fall of one man:
"Here is your crown, and your seal and your rings" -- love of life from a position of triumph & wealth. "Here is your cart, And your cardboard and piss" -- love of life from a position of failure & degradation. "Here is your wine, And your drunken fall" -- love of life from the depths of drunkenness. "Here is your sickness. Your bed and your pan;" -- love of life as the body dies.
Now we confront death:
"And here is the night, The night has begun; And here is your death In the heart of your son." -- Passing into death, perhaps observed by a son who believes death is the end. "And here is the dawn, (Until death do us part); And here is your death, In your daughter's heart." -- Passing into death, perhaps observed by a daughter who believes in heaven.
Now we reflect on the whole of life:
"And here you are hurried, And here you are gone; And here is the love, That it's all built upon." -- Ah, life is so fleeting, but it is build of love; (I do hear "hurried") "Here is your cross, Your nails and your hill; And here is the love, That lists where it will." -- What was your sacrifice that will carry you onwards? (I do hear lists, and interpret in the archaic mode of 'enlists' -- secure one for a purpose or cause.)
Throughout we have the refrain:
May everyone live, And may everyone die. Hello, my love, And my love, Goodbye
Of course all those who live also die; life is a cycle of greeting and discovery, and also of parting. But the author may also be singing a prayer that we all live with love, and that we all die with love.
Ultimately, a word for word interpretation as meaning something very specific may be beside the point with this one. As with all the great songs, it is the what the whole sings in the heart that is the meaning, not some elaborate dissection.