Kim Carnes

Brass and Batons

1 Meaning

Add Yours

Q&A

Brass and Batons Lyrics

Take heart the pages turning fast
I'll be waiting here in the hourglass
There's a fire in the heartland
There is a dream on every door
When the past is a brass band
Then you know what you're shooting for
Brass and batons they fade away
They're only moments in the haze
Brass and batons like magic wands
You wave them once and they're gone
And the river keeps changin'
Johnny works harder every day
Got an eye on the good life
Fortune's just a day away
Sundial with a great hand
Sweeping dust across the floor
Puts the strain on a sane man
Til he knows what he's looking for
Brass and batons they fade away
They're only moments in the haze
Brass and batons like magic wands
You wave them once and they're gone
New moon in the evening
Playing tricks on my mind
I swear I felt you heavy breathing
On my neck a thousand times
So let's play it like we used to
Play it sweet and then
I'll meet you in the spotlight
When it comes 'round again
Brass and batons they fade away
They're only moments in the haze
Brass and batons like magic wands
You wave them once and they're gone
And their gone

Submitted by

songmeanings On Feb 06, 2012

Bette Davis Eyes

Crazy in the Night (Barking at Airplanes)

The Universal Song

I'll Be Here Where The Heart Is

More Love [*]

Take heart the pages turning fast 
I'll be waiting here in the hourglass 
There's a fire in the heartland 
There is a dream on every door 
When the past is a brass band 
Then you know what you're shooting for
Brass and batons they fade away 
They're only moments in the haze 
Brass and batons like magic wands 
You wave them once and they're gone
And the river keeps changin' 
Johnny works harder every day 
Got an eye on the good life 
Fortune's just a day away 
Sundial with a great hand 
Sweeping dust across the floor 
Puts the strain on a sane man 
Til he knows what he's looking for
Brass and batons they fade away 
They're only moments in the haze 
Brass and batons like magic wands 
You wave them once and they're gone
New moon in the evening
Playing tricks on my mind 
I swear I felt you heavy breathing 
On my neck a thousand times 
So let's play it like we used to 
Play it sweet and then 
I'll meet you in the spotlight 
When it comes 'round again
Brass and batons they fade away 
They're only moments in the haze 
Brass and batons like magic wands 
You wave them once and they're gone
And their gone

Lyrics saved successfully! Thanks!

These lyrics are currently locked and can only be edited by moderators and administrators.

You must be logged in to edit lyrics.

Unable to save lyrics. Please try again.

Lyrics cannot contain links.

Lyric edit submitted successfully and is pending approval. Approvals usually take 24 hours.

Keep it true to the song

Fix what’s wrong, but don’t rewrite what the artist wrote. Stick to the official released version — album booklet, label site, verified lyric video, etc. If you’re guessing, pause and double-check.

Respect the structure

Songs have rhythm. Pages do too. Leave line breaks where they belong. Don’t smash things together or add extra empty space just for looks.

Punctuation counts (but vibe-editing doesn’t)

Correct typos? Yes. Re-punctuating a whole verse because it ‘looks better’? Probably not. Keep capitalization and punctuation close to the official source.

Don’t mix versions

If you’re editing the explicit version, keep it explicit. If it’s the clean version, keep it clean. No mashups.

Let the lyrics be lyrics

This isn’t the place for interpretations, memories, stories, or trivia — that’s what comments are for. Keep metadata, translations, and bracketed stage directions out unless they’re officially part of the song.

Edit lightly

If two lines are wrong… fix the two lines. No need to bulldoze the whole page. Think ‘surgical,’ not ‘remix.’

When in doubt, ask the crowd

Not sure what they’re singing in that fuzzy bridge? Drop a question in the comments and let the music nerds swarm. Someone always knows.

SongMeanings

Submitter

2012-02-06 15:25:01

1 Meaning

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

Sort by

by Jackiemoves888

6h ago

The song explores several key themes through its lyrics: The Fleetness of Time: The central metaphor of "brass and batons" refers to moments of celebratory fanfare or "magic wands" that appear briefly before they "fade away". The Nature of Memory: It depicts the past as a "brass band" that creates a sense of direction or purpose, yet acknowledges that these memories are ultimately "moments in the haze" that vanish once they are over. The Search for Meaning: The lyrics describe characters like "Johnny" working hard for a "good life" that feels just out of reach, contrasting the persistent grind of the present with the fleeting, dreamlike quality of the past. Nostalgia and Connection: The final verses evoke a sense of longing for past intimacy, with the singer inviting a former companion to "play it like we used to" and meet again "in the spotlight". In the song "Brass & Batons," the brass band serves as a complex metaphor for the weight, clarity, and temporary nature of human experience and memory. Its significance can be broken down into three key roles: A Symbol of Direction: The lyrics state, "When the past is a brass band / Then you know what you're shooting for". In this context, the brass band represents a loud, clear, and structured version of the past that provides a sense of purpose or a goal to strive toward. The "Tyranny of Memory": Critically described as a meditation on the "tyranny of memory," the brass band embodies the way powerful past events can dominate the present. Like a loud band, these memories are impossible to ignore, yet they remain fleeting. Ephemeral Fanfare: The brass band is paired with "batons" to represent moments of grand "magic" that quickly "fade away". It highlights the contrast between the loud, celebratory "haze" of a memory and the quiet, persistent grind of daily life (symbolized by the character Johnny working for a "good life" just a day away). The brass band thus acts as a "leitmotif" for nostalgia—a loud, evocative signpost that brings the listener back to a specific feeling before vanishing back into the "haze" of time.

Positive

Subjective

Nostalgia

Memory

Nostalgia

Time

Meaning

Connection

The song explores several key themes through its lyrics:
The Fleetness of Time: The central metaphor of "brass and batons" refers to moments of celebratory fanfare or "magic wands" that appear briefly before they "fade away".
The Nature of Memory: It depicts the past as a "brass band" that creates a sense of direction or purpose, yet acknowledges that these memories are ultimately "moments in the haze" that vanish once they are over.
The Search for Meaning: The lyrics describe characters like "Johnny" working hard for a "good life" that feels just out of reach, contrasting the persistent grind of the present with the fleeting, dreamlike quality of the past.
Nostalgia and Connection: The final verses evoke a sense of longing for past intimacy, with the singer inviting a former companion to "play it like we used to" and meet again "in the spotlight".
In the song "Brass & Batons," the brass band serves as a complex metaphor for the weight, clarity, and temporary nature of human experience and memory. Its significance can be broken down into three key roles: 
A Symbol of Direction: The lyrics state, "When the past is a brass band / Then you know what you're shooting for". In this context, the brass band represents a loud, clear, and structured version of the past that provides a sense of purpose or a goal to strive toward.
The "Tyranny of Memory": Critically described as a meditation on the "tyranny of memory," the brass band embodies the way powerful past events can dominate the present. Like a loud band, these memories are impossible to ignore, yet they remain fleeting.
Ephemeral Fanfare: The brass band is paired with "batons" to represent moments of grand "magic" that quickly "fade away". It highlights the contrast between the loud, celebratory "haze" of a memory and the quiet, persistent grind of daily life (symbolized by the character Johnny working for a "good life" just a day away). The brass band thus acts as a "leitmotif" for nostalgia—a loud, evocative signpost that brings the listener back to a specific feeling before vanishing back into the "haze" of time.

Reason:

Users:

Reply · 0 Share