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Lilac Hem Lyrics
Follow the rings around my eyes
Down the back
And outside
Cross the trees our children climb
All alone
It dresses down
Wave goodbye
Wave goodbye
Wave goodbye
Thirty years have come untied
Since I took you as my wife
Your clothes are laid out on the bed
The lilacs
Line the hem
Line the hem
I hear you breathing
I hear you breathing
Breathe
Breathe
Down the back
And outside
Cross the trees our children climb
All alone
It dresses down
Wave goodbye
Wave goodbye
Wave goodbye
Since I took you as my wife
Your clothes are laid out on the bed
The lilacs
Line the hem
Line the hem
I hear you breathing
I hear you breathing
Breathe
Breathe
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
I am surprised that more people don’t know J Tillman’s music or has commented on this.
My interpretation of the song… or at least what I think Josh Tillman means.
"Lilac Hem"
Follow the rings around my eyes Down the back And outside
“A poetic way to say, look how my face has aged”
Cross the trees our children climb All alone It dresses down Wave goodbye Wave goodbye Wave goodbye
“He reminisces about his children when they were young and climbing a tree that is now old and barren. His children are now grown up and moved away”
Thirty years have come untied Since I took you as my wife
“He speaks to his wife about how time has flown by”
Your clothes are laid out on the bed The lilacs Line the hem Line the hem
“I am not sure how to interpret this, maybe his wife passed away, and the clothes & lilacs are laid out in remembrance of her”
I hear you breathing I hear you breathing Breathe Breathe
“He loves her so much that still holding onto the memory of her, he can hear her breathing”
Over all, such a deep and poetic song. J Tillman is a great musical artist.