18 Meanings
Add Yours
Share
Q&A

January Hymn Lyrics

On a winter's Sunday I go
To clear away the snow
And green the ground below

April all an ocean away
Is this the better way to spend the day?
Keeping the winter at bay

What were the words I meant to say before you left?
When I could see your breath lead
Where you were going to
Maybe I should just let it be
And maybe it will all come back to me
Sing oh, January, oh

How I lived a childhood in snow
And all my teens in tow
Stuffed in strata of clothes

Pale the winter days after dark
Wandering the gray memorial park
A fleeting beating of hearts

What were the words I meant to say before she left?
When I could see her breath lead
Where she was going to
Maybe I should just let it be
And maybe it will all come back to me
Sing oh, Janu, oh January, oh
Questions and Answers

Ask specific questions and get answers to unlock more indepth meanings & facts.

18 Meanings

Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.

Cover art for January Hymn lyrics by Decemberists, The

"April all an ocean away?"

And pretty sure it's "Sing oh, january..."

Lyric Correction

Shoot, I meant to rate this + but I clicked the wrong button.

It is "Sing oh, January, oh"

Not Valid
Cover art for January Hymn lyrics by Decemberists, The

I believe it is "When I could see your breath lead / where you were going to."

Lyric Correction
Cover art for January Hymn lyrics by Decemberists, The

The tracklisting for the new album "The King is Dead" came out (yay!) and I this song is actually called January Hymn.

Cover art for January Hymn lyrics by Decemberists, The

"April all an ocean away"

"Sing oh, January, oh"

"And all my teens in tow Stuffed in strata of clothes" (strata as in layers)

"Wandering the gray memorial park"

Lyric Correction

One correction to your corrections: How I lived a childhood in the snow And all my dreams in tow Stuffed and strata of clothes

Not Valid
Cover art for January Hymn lyrics by Decemberists, The

The perfect song to listen to on a snowy winter day

Cover art for January Hymn lyrics by Decemberists, The

To me, this song seems to parallel two similar situations at a different time. The first is in the presence tense, and the narrator is an adult shoveling snow. He is parting with someone, and I get the impression it is his wife. He doesn’t know what to say as she leaves.

This makes him remember walking through the park with, I guess, a different girl in his teens. He didn’t know what to say then either and it seems things didn’t work out.

I wonder if he’s wishing he would have figured out what to say back then to avoid the situation he is in now.

Either way, it’s a really beautiful song.

My Interpretation
Cover art for January Hymn lyrics by Decemberists, The

I think the "snow" and "winter" are metaphors about being lonely, and wanting to be with someone, but knowing it's too late.

Song Meaning
Cover art for January Hymn lyrics by Decemberists, The

The line "where you are going to" and the accompanying melody seem really familiar. Is this a tribute to another song? I'm pretty sure it is but I can't put my finger on it and it's driving me nuts

I think it's "Tambourine Man" by Bob Dylan - the bit with the "I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to"

Not Valid
Cover art for January Hymn lyrics by Decemberists, The

I love this song but can't make sense of the lines "When I could see her breath lead/Where she were going to," could someone please explain to me what they mean? (literally, at least)

when it's really cold out your breath forms a cloud in front of you, which is the literal interpretation I get for seeing her breath lead

Not Valid

thanks, maybe she is looking away from him, her mind already set to where she's going to, and her breath seems to be leading the way...

Not Valid

for some reason, this scene reminds me of another Dylan's song, "I couldn't see what you could show me/Your scarf had kept your mouth well hid... I couldn't see when it started snowing/Your voice was all that I heard/I couldn't see where we were going"

Not Valid
Cover art for January Hymn lyrics by Decemberists, The

On a winter's Sunday I go To clear away the snow And green the ground below

April all an ocean away Is this a better way to spend the day? Keeping the winter at bay

What were the words I meant to say Before you left When I could see your breath lead Where you were going to

Maybe I should just let it be And maybe it will all come back to me Sing Oh, January, Oh

How I lived a childhood in the snow And all my teens in tow Stuffed and strata of clothes

Hail the winter days after dark Wondering the gray memorial park A Fleeting beating of hearts

What were the words I meant to say Before She left When I could see her breath lead Where she were going to

Maybe I should just let it be And maybe it will all come back to me Seeing, oh, Janu-- Oh, January, Oh

(there were enough parts that needed correction, I just thought it'd be easier to go line by line. Sorry for the flood of things. This song makes me cry every time I listen to it - which is often - due to my sister, whom I was very close to, being killed in a car crash, in January, at the age of 19. Love forever to my amazing sister Sun Yi, wherever she was to make sure this song got to me.)

Lyric Correction

On a winter's Sunday I go To clear away the snow And green the ground below

April all an ocean away (makes sense since a lot of this album deals with months/seasons) Is this a better way to spend the day? Keeping the winter at bay

What were the words I meant to say Before you left When I could see your breath lead Where you were going to

Maybe I should just let it be And maybe it will all come back to me Sing Oh, January, Oh

How I lived a childhood in snow And all my teens...

Not Valid