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The Speed of Things Lyrics

All in the terror of the moment
That pounces as it open swings
A line of dots illuminated
For I have seen the speed of things

I fed you in your chair this morning
You made a mess of everything
By afternoon, you drove a sports car
You were driving at the speed of things

You held my hand when I was crying
You were allergic to bee stings
I threw some earth onto your coffin
And thought about the speed of things

I kissed you by the clear, cold river
I felt like I was growing wings
But I grew horns and found another
Oh, a girl to share the speed of things
Oh, a girl to share the speed of things

All in the terror of the moment
That pounces as it open swings
A line of dots illuminated
For I have seen the speed of things
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Cover art for The Speed of Things lyrics by Robyn Hitchcock

Perhaps Hitchcock's most heartbreakingly beautiful song.

The title says it all, really. The three middle verses relate, in a very melancholy way, how confounding the passage of time can be.

"I fed you in your chair this morning You made a mess of everything By afternoon, you drove a sports car You were driving at the speed of things"

These lines are addressed to a child who goes from a toddler eating in a high chair to an adult driving a sports car, seemingly in one day (parents of adult children can relate to this sentiment quite well).

"You held my hand when I was crying You were allergic to bee stings I threw some earth onto your coffin And thought about the speed of things"

This verse appears to be addressed to a parent or guardian who comforted the singer as a child, but passes away unexpectedly.

"I kissed you by the clear, cold river I felt like I was growing wings But I grew horns and found another Oh, a girl to share the speed of things"

These lines have real bite: addressed to a former lover, the singer recalls the euphoria of this early love, but admits his betrayal of this relationship as he discovers someone else he wants to spend his time with.

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