I, I wrote a poem
on your porcelain white back
and you, you cut the cord in me,
and you, wore the mask-
painted red, with golden cross,
and in your hands of glitter blue,
you hold the knife the cuts the sun,
the polished knife, it cuts me too.
And I'm nailed onto your shadow,
and I thank you for my birth,
I hear your voice, like silver crystals,
raining tears upon these words.
And I, I remember
I remember who you were.
I saw you standing in the ruins,
cut from white stone and yellow earth...
Then you come for me...

Through the hills of iron,
through the leaves of rust,
through the turning white mist,
through the steel wire and underbrush,
through the lines that mark your face,
through the living joy that I erased,
beneath the pools of shining glass,
beneath the water and through the past...
You come for me, and you come for me...
You put your eyes in my head,
you put your voice in my mouth,
you put your mind in my mind,
you put your blood in my blood,
you put your hand into my side,
you put your lips onto my skin...
and you come for me, you come for me...
and you come...

And the fire will burn my eyes out,
but the truth will refuse to leave my mouth.
And the water will run thick black,
and this planet will rupture and crack.
And you people will whisper with her name,
and your children will curl up in the flames.
And her fingers will touch the empty space,
and the starlight will shine behind her face.
And her body will show the secret heat,
and the ocean will gather at her feet.
And her two arms will hold the life I lost,
but her blue eyes will nullify the cost-
of attrition, self-hate and inner rage,
running down my face and through my veins.
I'll kneel naked upon the burning coals,
I'll steal the diamond that flashes in your soul,
if you'll come for me-
if you come for me-
will you come for me...?
And we'll rise above,
we'll rise and rise and rise above...

I can't live without you

Goodbye Jane


Lyrics submitted by Atno000, edited by alex103980, AlexanderLovesOrlando

Two Women song meanings
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2 Comments

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  • +1
    My Interpretation

    Presumably the two women are a mother and a daughter. Which kinda makes this a song about all the women in the world. We all know how integral the concept of motherhood is in Gira's lyricism.

    I don't know if the theory of a mother and a companion/spouse holds up, but I wouldn't rule that out either.

    infinityontrialon September 21, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    The two women are most definitely Michael Gira's mother and Jane / The Living Jarboe, who was a member of The Swans with Gira. The portrait on the cover of the album "How I Loved You" is of Gira's mother. At the very end of the song, if you listen very closely, you can hear Gira say, "Goodbye, Jane."

    To me, the first half of the song is thanking his mother for bringing him into the world, and the latter half is thanking Jarboe for saving him from self-destruction, and possibly admitting to a very deep love for her that was either never expressed or shared.

    Regardless, it is a very beautiful, powerful song, and I thank Michael Gira for creating it.

    meatloafninjaon February 22, 2014   Link

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