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Trellick Tower Lyrics
You propel yourself into the arms of god
and christ and all the angels
Now you’re high above the people
who you used to call your equals
I will stay behind and live this life
You left me as a witness
who can tidy up your business
and record that someone lived here
in the shade of Trellick Tower
in those days of living gently
something holy used to love me
something holy used to touch me
Then he heard the voice I couldn’t hear
he’s gone to where it’s sent him
And now I’m praying for this pain to clear
he’s waiting on ascension
And now I’m praying but there’s still no change
You’re high as Trellick Tower
throw your head and when you let me spend
my life trying to climb you
and praying till my knees don’t fold
praying till my hands don’t close
praying till my fingers glow
And you’ve propelled yourself into the arms of god
and christ and all the saints
now I’ve been walking through our house
like separation made it sacred
I’ve been buried in the books you left
I treat them like they’re ancient
and I think relics’ ache for when the saint had breath
They miss the thing that changed them
And I’m a relic and you’re so so high
You’re high as Trellick Tower
throw your head and when you let me spend
my life trying to climb you
and praying till my knees don’t fold
praying till my hands don’t close
praying till my fingers glow
And in the shade of Trellick Tower
I spent a while trying to keep you
tell all the people moving on, “hey
something holy used to live here”
now I’m a relic of a love gone by
kneeling to address the sky
and I’ll keep praying till the binds untie
praying but I don’t know why
and I’ll keep praying till the binds untie
praying but I don’t know why
oh I’ll pray until the language dies
praying ‘cause you’re so so high
can I spend my life trying to climb you?
and christ and all the angels
Now you’re high above the people
who you used to call your equals
I will stay behind and live this life
You left me as a witness
who can tidy up your business
and record that someone lived here
in the shade of Trellick Tower
in those days of living gently
something holy used to love me
something holy used to touch me
Then he heard the voice I couldn’t hear
he’s gone to where it’s sent him
he’s waiting on ascension
You’re high as Trellick Tower
throw your head and when you let me spend
my life trying to climb you
and praying till my knees don’t fold
praying till my hands don’t close
praying till my fingers glow
and christ and all the saints
now I’ve been walking through our house
like separation made it sacred
I’ve been buried in the books you left
I treat them like they’re ancient
and I think relics’ ache for when the saint had breath
They miss the thing that changed them
You’re high as Trellick Tower
throw your head and when you let me spend
my life trying to climb you
and praying till my knees don’t fold
praying till my hands don’t close
praying till my fingers glow
I spent a while trying to keep you
tell all the people moving on, “hey
something holy used to live here”
now I’m a relic of a love gone by
kneeling to address the sky
and I’ll keep praying till the binds untie
praying but I don’t know why
and I’ll keep praying till the binds untie
praying but I don’t know why
praying ‘cause you’re so so high
can I spend my life trying to climb you?
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I think this is an incredible ending to 'Virtue'. The previous song, 'North' shows the narrator's resolves to change, with lines such as 'I swear you'll never lead me away again'. However, 'Trellick Tower' is altogether more truthful, ending with the question 'Can I spend my life trying to climb you?' showing how the narrator cannot just move on as easily as they had hoped.
The way Emmy the Great manages to use the theme of religion shows the bitterness of being left by someone who found God 'Now you're high above the people/ who you used to call your equals' but also the feeling that 'something holy used to love me' showing how his religion was originally something special to her. However, the idea of 'now I'm praying but there's still no change' and 'I'll pray until the language dies' illustrates the fundamental difference between the narrator and her ex, in that to her praying will never have an effect because the she does not believe.
Finally, this song perfectly captures the feeling of wanting someone to return, lines like 'I think relics ache for when the saint had breath/ They miss the thing that changed them' uses religion, the reason for the narrator's loneliness, in order to describe that feeling, a brave and effective move.
This song is so beautifully sung and the piano just sounds so perfect with her voice. It's amazing. I think this song is about her husband or lover, maybe, or someone else she really loved and was really close to who killed themselves and she's praying although she knows it won't help. (And now I'm praying but there's still no change)She really wants this person back, or just to be with them. (let me spend my life trying to climb you) Um, I think it's just pretty obvious. She seems to be the only one not moving on.. (Tell all the people moving on, Hey, something holy used to live here.) She believes this person was always an angel, but now he/she is literally an angel, if heaven and God and angels are real.
It's about her fiance who left her to find God, hence all the biblical references.
It's about her fiance who left her to find God, hence all the biblical references.