Gentle leaves, gentle leaves
Please array a path for me
The woods are blowing thick and fast around

Columbine, Columbine
Please alert this love of mine
Let him know his Margaret comes along

And all this stirring inside my belly
Won't quell my want for love
And I may swoon from all this swaying
But I won't want for love

Mistlethrush, Mistlethrush
Lay me down in the underbrush
My naked feet grow weary with the dusk

Willow Boughs, Willow Boughs,
Make a bed to lay me down
Let your branches bow to cradle us

And all this stirring inside my belly
Won't quell my want for love
And I may swoon from all this swaying
But I won't want for love

Oh, my own true love
Oh, my own true love
Can you hear me, love?
Can you hear me, love?

And all this stirring inside my belly
Won't quell my want for love
And I may swoon from all this swaying
But I won't want for love

Won't want for love
Won't want for love
Won't want for love


Lyrics submitted by MarcelLionheart

Won't Want For Love (Margaret In The Taiga) Lyrics as written by Colin Meloy

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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Won't Want for Love (Margaret in the Taiga) song meanings
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  • +3
    My Interpretation

    Why are people even debating this?!? The story is clear from the other songs that came before, as well as this song and the booklet...

    "And there she came upon A white and wounded fawn Singing: oh, the hazards of love"

    -> Margaret find a "wounded fawn" and tries to nurse him back to health.

    "The taiga shifted strange The beast began to change Singing: oh, the hazards of love"

    -> William turns into his human form.

    "But Margaret heaves a sigh Her hands clasped to her thigh Singing: oh, the hazards of love"

    -> Margaret is horny and by the "Hazards of love" repetition all throughout the song it's pretty clear that they have consensual sex. Otherwise Margaret would not be clasping her thighs (the body language of a woman who is "excited", not who is about to be raped).

    ".Thou unconsolable daughter,. said the sister .When wilt thou trouble the water in the cistern? And what irascible blackguard is the father?. And when young Margaret.s waistline grew wider The fruit of her amorous entwine inside her And so our heroine withdraws to the taiga"

    -> Margaret is pregnant, people do not know the father, and she runs away to the taiga (where William is) to be with the father of her child.

    "Please alert this love of mine Let him know his Margaret comes along"

    -> Again... NOT RAPE. She calls William "this love of mine". And calls herself "his Margaret" which is affectionate.

    "And all this stirring inside my belly Won.t quell my want for love And I may swoon from all this swelling But I won.t want for love"

    -> Perhaps you guys don't know this... But pregnant women get very horny sometimes. VERY horny. Margaret is very pregnant and wants to "be" with William very much.

    "I lay you down In clover bed The stars a roof Above our heads

    And we'll lie 'til the Corn Crake crows Bereft of the weight of our summer clothes And I'd wager all "

    -> William finds Margaret and they finally have sex again.

    "He Was a baby abandoned Entombed in a cradle of claim (clay?)

    And I was a soul Who took pity And stole him away

    And gave him the form of A fawn to inhabit By day "

    -> The Queen (some sort of Mother Nature-like figure) gives us the backstory of William: she kidnapped him from his human parents as a baby and made him half fawn (the form Margaret met him in). And now she's annoyed that Margaret is trying to take him away from her.

    "And here we died our little deaths And we were left to catch our breaths So swiftly lifting from our chests "

    -> Margaret and William both sing about how lovely the forest and the sky are... after they've just climaxed. "Little death" means orgasm.

    "And isn't a lovely way We got in from our play Isn't it ? A sweet little baby"

    -> Margaret calls what happened between them when they first met (and now) "our play". She was definitely NOT raped, but isn't taking the act as something important, either. They're just "playing".

    "Mother hear this proposition right Grant me freedom to enjoy this night And I'll return to you at break of light For the wanting comes in waves And waves And waves Still the wanting comes in waves Still the wanting comes in waves Still the wanting comes in waves And you owe me life And you owe me life "

    -> William offers to go back with his mum to the forest if she'll leave him and Margaret alone for one night. "The wanting comes in waves" could stand for either love/tenderness, or him being just as horny as she was.

    "Our heroine here falls prey to Her abductor"

    -> The Rake (introduced in the song before this one) kidnaps Margaret at the orders of The Queen.

    "And you have removed this temptation that's troubled my innocent child To abduct and abuse and to render her rift and defiled But the river is deep to the banks and the water is wild

    I will fly you to the far side"

    -> The Queen helps The Rake cross the river with a kidnapped Margaret. Perceived as a "troubling temptation".

    "Annan water Oh hear my true love's call Hear her holler Above your water's pall God, that I could That my two arms could give me wing And I would cross your breath And rest my breast about her amber ring Her amber ring"

    -> William pleads with the river to let him cross over to Margaret and the Rake.

    "Oh my own true love! Oh my own true love! Can you hear me, love? Can you hear me, love?"

    -> William calls for Margaret while the Rake is trying to scare her. William is coming for her with the same he came for her when she was in the taiga.

    "Oh Margaret the lapping waves are licking quietly at our ankles Another bow another breath this brilliant chill's come for the shackle.

    With this long last rush of air we speak our vows and sorry whispers, When the waves came crashing down, he closed his eyes and softly kissed her. "

    -> After the Rake's kids take revenge on him as ghosts, William and Margaret drown. I... honestly am not sure how this happens or if any more details were given in the booklet or anywhere else. In any case, this would be William's pleading with the river from earlier (he promised his bones if the river would let him pass), catching up to him and Margaret. Thus the guilt in his lines:

    "But I pulled you and I called you here, And I caught you and I brought you here These hazards of love, never more will trouble us. And these hazards of love, never more will trouble us."

    -> And they all dies. The end. :))

    CynicalTruthon September 12, 2016   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    It's been sort of said earlier, but the two "want for love"s have different meanings.

    "And all this stirring inside my belly won't quell my want for love" - means that her pregnancy isn't stopping her DESIRE FOR LOVE (want = noun)

    while

    "And I may swoon from all this swelling but I won't want for love" - means that she might get sick from her pregnancy but she won't BE BEREFT OF LOVE (want = verb)

    Just a little clarification from an English nerd!

    CENTAURSon August 12, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    people keep saying she was raped by the shape shifter.. but i just don't think that is the case. I think they shared a moment of passion. So I think wanderingaloud's translation isn't accurate.

    And now she is definitely pregnant.. but, as annanwater pointed out.. she's not going to let a little pregnant belly keep her from gettin' it on.

    The line "And I may swoon from all this swelling but I won't want for love" means.. I'm going to get it on.. and I may pass out because I'm so big and pregnant.. but I won't be horny anymore.

    jfoxxon March 20, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    There is no doubt, either from this song itself, or the back story of the songs before this that she is indeed pregnant. I'm with jfoxx as far as the alleged rapist goes. There's no reason to suspect rape for a few reasons, she refers to the "shape-shifting beast" as her love, and that "beast's" name is William, who is the love interest of margaret. In the lyrics that come with the CD, william is the one who calls "my own true love, can you hear me love."

    2marinerssurviveon March 25, 2009   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation

    Yeah, margaret definitely NOT raped. and im pretty sure she is pregnant as well. So margarets in the taiga and shes missing william and wants the forest to call him because she needs him to be with her. Now personally, the more i listen to this song the more i think she is going into labor in this song. Almost as if she is calling for william so that he can be here for her during the birth so she isnt alone. Whether or not this is true im not sure...but considering the baby has been moving a lot inside her and she may "swoon from all this swelling" this is my best guess.

    musicismylife926on April 09, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    "And I may swoon from all this swelling but I won't want for love"

    Couple people commented on this and it confused me too and took a bit before I had my own interpretation, but I think it's pretty straightforward, just confusing because lyrical grammar is weird and there aren't any punctuations.

    "And I may swoon from all this swelling but I won't, want for love"

    I think she's just saying she might faint from the swelling but won't because of her desire to see William.

    everybeston October 23, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Next we have sweet Margaret wandering into forest looking for dear William. Dark forest music follows her, and she kindly asks for a path to lead her to William. Why do I get the feeling it won't comply?

    Despite her pregnancy, she 'wants' William.

    Seeing as I've listened all the way through a couple times, I wonder if it takes them a while to find each other because the Queen seems to have some power of the forest and keeps them separated for a while.

    However, Margie knows if she can find Will, she won't want for love...

    (Whoever was chosen for Margaret does fantastic and represents Margaret's frailty well with her vocals.)

    SwimmingInSunDropon May 27, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion

    Becky Stark's voice in this song is absolutely breathtaking. She is a fabulous vocalist. I don't like many female singers but her soprano is perfect, especially as Margaret.

    i burn betteron March 08, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Does anyone think she is pregnant? I keep getting this idea that Margaret is pregnant cause she talks about the stirring in my belly and what not. That could just be butterflies or something, but in the bower scene it says "And when young Margaret's waistline grew wider, The fruit of her amorous entwine inside her" actually that whole song kinda makes me think she's pregnant... Anyway I love this song. Becky Stark has a beautiful voice!

    kiko21on March 12, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Folks, we have a new favorite.

    It seems to be two lovers trying to reach each other. Margaret seems to be pregnant, which has been alluded to here.

    It seems as if she is worried about the presence of the child, but she says, in the end, "Well, at least if he comes, I won't want for love," meaning, "Okay, well at least he will love me and take care of me." Getting that impression.

    thecoldparton March 17, 2009   Link

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