2 Meanings
Add Yours
Follow
Share
Q&A
One Flesh Lyrics
With the sun in your eyes
It's easy mistaking
The truth from the lies
In the love that you're making
Don't pretend it isn't so
With the sun in your eyes
It always reveals
A voluntary bondage
That always appeals
It's how you make the garden grow
But why this weakness
No one knows
Our conscience cries its sorrow
While we sleep
But once the morning comes
Out the back door
Silently it creeps
With the sun in your eyes
Always reminding
A sense of excitement
You've no hope of finding
With the chains that bind your feet
Belonging or longing
For a few empty hours
In a stranger's bed
To chase away
A fear that's in your head
And why this weakness
No one knows
The vacant faceless voices on the phone
Bring words that offer no
Consolation when you're on your own
Beaten on the brow of history
A unison forged in slavery
In all that's hope and decency
A hope for you and a hope for me
For every woman, child and man
To those who'll chain you if they can
The babe you're bouncing on your knee
Needs your help now can't you see
It's easy mistaking
The truth from the lies
In the love that you're making
Don't pretend it isn't so
It always reveals
A voluntary bondage
That always appeals
It's how you make the garden grow
No one knows
Our conscience cries its sorrow
While we sleep
But once the morning comes
Out the back door
Silently it creeps
Always reminding
A sense of excitement
You've no hope of finding
With the chains that bind your feet
For a few empty hours
In a stranger's bed
To chase away
A fear that's in your head
No one knows
The vacant faceless voices on the phone
Bring words that offer no
Consolation when you're on your own
A unison forged in slavery
In all that's hope and decency
A hope for you and a hope for me
For every woman, child and man
To those who'll chain you if they can
The babe you're bouncing on your knee
Needs your help now can't you see
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
According to Mark:
"I'd always had a dim view about the way women were treated in our culture, especially within the traditional British working class marriage. These lyrics were really dedicated to my mother. Again we had half the song sorted but didn't know where to go with the end. As usual we played the new song at a gig in Berlin and we were all wondering what would happen when we got to the end. Having an audience staring at you is great motivation for artistic block and when the end came, we just made it up as we went along. Fortunately the sound engineer recorded the gig and we were able to reference it when we came to record the album."
Excellent song. Very passionate.
The song is a commentary on the human condition and the challenges that people face when navigating through life. People often struggle to distinguish truth from lies, and this confusion is made worse when they are overcome by desire. The metaphor of the sun in your eyes represents the difficulty of seeing things clearly and being able to make the right decisions when someone is blinded by their own emotions. It also touches on themes of bondage, weakness, and the need for hope and decency.
"A voluntary bondage that always appeals, it's how you make the garden grow" People are often drawn to situations that are not good for them, but that they find pleasure in the struggle. The lyrics also highlight the sense of hopelessness that many people feel in the face of adversity, but they also emphasize the need for people to help one another and work together to make the world a better place.
"For every woman child and man, to those who'll chain you if they can, the babe you're bouncing on your knee needs your help now can't you see" emphasizes the need for people to be aware of the struggles of others and to work to make the world a better place for everyone.