Laid our blessings on the ground,
The softening of sound
Draws us closed again

Stay, stay and watch the coals
Till they cease to glow
Like empty promises

Why, Why did you go, why did you go away?
Why, Why did you go, why did you go away?

Baby?

There's nothing I can say
Nothing I can do
To bring you back again

This of life I know is true
It's all a falling through
And so I reach for you

Why, Why did you go, why did you go away?
Why, Why did you go, why did you go away?

Don't you care
That it may seem unfair?
(You steal things you ought to borrow)
Don't you find
That it may seem unkind?
(I'd rather breathe than drown in sorrow)

Why, why did you go
Why did you go away baby


Lyrics submitted by lyriclover81

A Falling Through Lyrics as written by Raycharles Jack Lamontagne

Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

A Falling Through song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

10 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +1
    General Comment

    I love this song because to me its about losing a relationship and trust in someone, and still wanting nothing but that person, even if you know it was not going to work out. The line "stay, stay and watch the coals till they cease to glow" is the best

    alisha0715on October 23, 2008   Link
  • +1
    Song Meaning

    It's true, Ray Lamontagne is trying to describe the feeling someone has when their preconcieved notion of someone is destroyed. "Why did you go away?" Why did you turn out to be someone I could never respect?

    I'd rather breathe than drown in sorrow.

    inertiamoveson October 01, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I feel like this song is NOT about death. No, I believe it is about that relashonship ending and the feeling of sorrow, beyond belief...to the point where you simply feel dead. "Laid the blessings on the ground" could mean like you laid the towel on the ground, one of you just gave up...they are done. "Watch the coals till the seize to glow to me means that that you simply fell out of love.like at first you were so I love, and it was like a fire blazing!! But slowly you guys stopped feeding the fire...and eventually the fire was just a small pile of coals...and they soon would go out. You are not in love anymore... "Empty promises" could be like promising to be togehter forever...and ending up splitting up, breaking promises like it ment nothing to you. "Why did you go away?" Is saying why did you fall out of love with me? Why did you leave me here with all this pain? What did i do wrong? How could you just leave, walk away from all that we had, all the memories we made? "There's nothing I can say, nothing I can do to bring you back again" could mean that she already made up her mind long ago, she is done. She is gone and you cant change her mind anymore, that time is up. Also, the way he calls her "baby" at the end shows that she was close to him, that they were in a relationship... This is all the feeling of sorrow, pain, regret,guilt, depression, being emotionally drained,empty....just dead.

    mulleinjaneon November 24, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    "Stay, stay and watch the coals till they cease to glow"

    warmchordson October 16, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    another beautiful song by ray... this song was playing just now when i read about obama's grandma passing away. maybe that influenced my interpretation, but it seems to me that this song is about the passing of life:

    "laid the blessings on the ground" - flowers by a grave "watch the coals til they seize to glow" - live until you die "there's nothing i can say or do to bring you back again. this of life i know is true" - once we die, we don't come back, period

    i could pull additional metaphors out, but these seem like the most obvious ones. i'm not sure who ray wrote this for, but it fits beautifully with moments in my life.

    rjwake9on November 03, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I immediately thought this song was about death. I just lost my grandmother at the end of November, so maybe I am sensitive and jumped to conclusions, but that is exactly what it reminded me of -- losing someone and asking why, why did you go?

    "There’s nothing I can say nothing I can do to bring you back again This of life I know is true"

    JessixLynn87on December 13, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think it is written about a dead relationship the writer never wanted to end.

    "Steal things that oughta be borrowed"

    Stole his heart, but she should have borrowed it.

    Of course, this is just a hopeless romantics take of the song. Different meanings for different situations.

    Lucaspon January 29, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This is probably my favorite song off this album and at first i thought it was about a lost love or relationship but the more time I spent listening to it, I agree that it's about death. Well, to me anyways. But I think what I love most about Ray is that it absolutely doesnt matter what the songs are about. They're absolutely amazing...even if you haven no idea what he's talking about. The emotion from his voice is what grabs you and punches you in the heart and has you hanging on his every word.

    sunnyshine579on April 21, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    When I first heard this song I immediately thought it was about the death of a loved one. "There's nothing I can say, nothing I can do to bring you back again" sounds like the end of something.

    whatsinasongon October 17, 2009   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning

    This song is certainly about a death. Beit a relationship or a life, but likely both. Perhaps the writer really cared for someone suffering with Depression that committed suicide. This song speaks of unresolved feelings for someone who may have been on and off in the writer's life ("draws us closed AGAIN"). "Again" and possibly for the last time. I get the feeling it's depression from the line "I'd rather breathe than drown in sorrow", and people who have depression have a higher likelihood of committing suicide without treatment. When someone close to you commits suicide it is as if they "stole" your heart, because you could never resolve to make it right again. Very sad lyrics, put to very beautiful music. It is a fantastic track.

    songsleuthon February 16, 2011   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Album art
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere. In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Album art
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Album art
When We Were Young
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Album art
Page
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.