Heart of a Girl

The story of how Brandon met his wife, Tana.

I think it's just about how he appreciates that his wife has stuck by him through everything. It starts with their meeting and skips through the years. He's "see[n] the time drippin' down the clock" and "[she's] still here" and she'll continue to sick by him "Standing on stone, you stand beside me and honour the plans that were made."

In terms of the actual music though, I just have to say wow. Such a beautiful song! Lanois did it again. I love the sampling/alteration of Lou Reed's 'Walk on the Wild Side' -Mark is great- and the way in which Brandon speak-sings the first couple of verses (especially the "and she said" and "and I said to her."

It's defo about his wife sticking with him. I like how brandon flowers has his both feet on the ground. He's making wise decisions to keep his family life strong. I love his interviews, I love the way he thinks, i love his music, i love the man!

Very reminiscent of Fitzgerald, especially 'The Great Gatsby'. -When he met his wife, he had no real aims, only vague aspirations lost at the cross-roads. He was one of many waiters and dealers without direction in their dreams- America as a whole is symbolised in them; the whole of America seems to be 'standing still'.

• His wife confesses the same, but Mr Flowers says that he will 'listen to the heart of a girl', and together their lives will find something to aspire to- some reason to run faster, stretch out further etc. Eventually, they do this by hearing the 'ancient refrain'- the song of the founding fathers. But as time 'drips down the clock', such music drifts further and further into the past. And 'time is raging' like never before.
• Mr Flowers mourns for the lost America so far from his wife's earnest grief- modern America is just a ripple made by the pearl that fell into the ocean; lost seemingly forever. But the hands of the founding fathers are reaching now, steering the meandering river of America back into that ocean, and the pearl that lies within. And the hand is a heart, too- the heart Flowers was waiting for; the heart that is his wife's heart, and everyone else's heart as well. -In this vision of the future, everyone 'honours the plans that were made' in America's conception. And no-one is alone, because they have dreams- real dreams, with direction and purpose. With such dreams, in such a future, we will never truly be alone- and whether one shouts about such a future or not, it will come. -And Flowers, though part of an America currently lost in the vale of the night, still feels the presence of the forefathers in America- that's how he knows such a future will come. We might compare Mr Flowers to Jay Gatsby, in such a limited extent. Because Gatsby was in a similar boat- everyone around him wanted only to be rich, not to be accompanied with soul-fuelling dreams. The difference was that while Mr Flowers has his wife, Gatsby only really had Nick to share his vision with- Mr Flowers seems to be happier. Perhaps that's why.

This song gets more and more Mormon the more I listen to it.