The Mother We Share

Not gonna speculate much, but: The Mother (that) We (all) Share is Mother Earth. No one has thought of it yet? That's really what I thought it is about. Really looking forward to other people's opinions.

Hello everyone, I'm rev. I'm the vocalist for a band out of Minnesota called Simplicia. I'm new to this site. I stumbled on it when I ran a search for lyrics to this song

As a song writer myself, I believe the meaning of a song in relation to the person listening is the crux of the en-devour. in other words as far as the artist is concerned, what a song means to the listener can be much more important than what the artist originally wrote it about. It's the truth. To be completely honest, if the writer felt the need to leave nothing open to interpretation, they most certainly have the means to do so. What it means to you can be the most pleasing part of lyrical ingestion and can often reflect more about the listener than the songwriter. This skill is not lost on the true music lover..

I love this song. I also love that in the comments on this song no one has said "she" meant this or "she" meant that or, this happened to "her"(the vocalist) or that happened to "her". Artists can share very personal details about themselves (and others) within their music. Above all they are story tellers, poets and, entertainers. The questions about the root of a song that are begged from the desire to identify with the artist singing it is a slippery slope. Taking someones music and lyrics as a road map to who they are as people is simply asking for trouble. You guys/girls said what it has meant to YOU. That's refreshing.

On to the song. I believe this song has the potential to be interpreted in five to six different ways. Personally, I think that's a pretty damn good spread for a song writer. If it is superficially distilled (undeservingly) into happy or unhappy, i actually would lean toward the happy and comforting end of the spectrum! In fact, to me this song is a snapshot within a love story. It's a real event of significance too.

Like previous comments have hinted I'm also inclined toward that of a sibling relationship. Most daring would be that of an incestuous one. In a given interpretation, the lines referring to the mother they share are not necessarily those of reverence. Respect?-sure but perhaps in the way and resented.

For the purpose of discussion here's an imaginative but twisted expansion: Imagine a brother and sister in love and a physical relationship for some time. The imediate predicament is one of growth and limitation. The biggest limiting factor is their aloof and heavy-handed mother. An insufferable type. The SISTER has been there time after time filling her mother's role. Comforting him, propping him up. giving him love. She knows the shortcomings of the mother and finds herself as the more competent mother to the boy.

As siblings I also find there to be a coming-of-age contingent for the both of them. -For her it is one of confidence, courage, sacrifice and, steadiness. She sees him as having to go. To leave is imperative -Partially to spread his wings and get out from underneath something for sure but, whatever it is it doesn't seem to be up for discussion. She's insistent that he goes somewhere. Somewherer removed. Somewhere safe. In a nutshell, as far as she's concerned he should have been gone yesterday. At this point she's resorted to pleading with him!

But why? Why so urgent? What could possibly have gone so wrong?

Perhaps it was HIS coming of age. As a mother to him she would have always seen him as her's but also as a boy. Throughout the years (and their undercover escapades) she has protected him and covered for him and actually "covering him".
What is she covering him with? Perhaps a blanket? But why? Possibly to hide him and claim there was no one else in her bed with her. It all seemed to have worked in the past. So what went wrong? What IS the predicament? Why is she now pleading with him to get away and escape? And from what? What is it for which she can't provide sanctity? What is the one thing she couldn't possibly sweep under the rug for him?-For the both of them??

How about her unplanned pregnancy? As the father to his own sister's unborn child it is something he would never be forgiven for. As for her, she's not going to even try to dodge her role in the mess. It's going to be apparent very soon. his omens are signs of her pregnancy. he is man, she is woman and woman is fucking pregnant! As soon as he's gone she's to be he one to face the music. She has almost no choice and is going to face it head on and for the both of them.. not so much of a 'break up' after all. more of a..'I'll see you soon...' All together It's a dilemma they are both very aware of and at this point the brother even suggests a way and a place for the both of them to escape TOGETHER.-They really don't have to part! she doesn't have to face this alone! But once again she's there to comfort him by saying that no matter how their mother shames them for their cold hearted evil ways, there is nothing she can do to keep their hearts from yearning for each other and seeking one another out.

Yet in the same vain- let us not forget the possibility of a father or step father in place of a brother. To me the father type role can can throw throw an opposing slant of a very devious nature to the entire song. This carries with it some very dark and vengful lines of thought within those lines. (hence the "unhappy")

What is the true "meaning" of the song? More to the point, what exactly did the song writer write it about?? Maybe a game of Frisbee in the rain on a Thursday. ..on second thought it's most likely.

No matter how we interprate a given song or pine to wrap it into our ugliness and cynicism we must all remember our primary responsibility while ingesting an art form. -To tear bare our breast whilst breathless and become the beholders of beauty. For me, It is the song writer who swings the sharpest of impliments.

Rev Minneapolis, MN

Jaime and Cersei Lannister. Think about it.

I think the last verse is written incorrectly. I listened to that part a couple times and watched her lip movement in the music video, I'm pretty sure it's "Into the night for once", not "until the night falls". Please fix this 'cause that potentially changes what the song is closer to meaning/could mean for others.

Here's the link to check yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_mTRvJ9fugM

I'm glad others found this to be about siblings like I did. When I heard this song, it reminds me of me and my sister. She is older by 21 months and struggles with a serious drug addiction. She is sober right now. But this song reminds me of the undying love for your sibling. But also that you must let them go. If she was to relapse again. I would have to let her go. I've done all I can for her, besides just physically dying myself. I pray this is not the outcome. And I'm optimistic of her recovery. But this song, reminds me of that utter pain of letting someone that is part of you, like a sibling, just go.

It seem to me to be two sisters who are very different one a wild free spirit and another proper and domineering and their love hate relationship. I believe it is written from the wild ones perspective, It seems as though both of them has little or no family except each other. Although they both have voiced interest in closer ties they often can not tolerate to much of the others personalities.

First time posting here... just had a light bulb go off in my head. I think Lauen was writing about the emotions of breaking things off with her previous bands.

"We come as far as we're ever gonna get"... the band is at a stand still, it isn't getting anywhere musically or succeeding in any way.

I think the "Mother [they] share" is music. As long as they have their musical talents, it will keep their "proud heads from falling" because in the end, they love music and love what they do and their is a lot of pride in doing so.

"The way is long, but you can make it easy on me"... this her conveying that she sees a greater potential in her new band, CHVRCHES and the other band can make it easy on her by letting her go-o o-o o-o o-o. =)

I can go on and on but it seems repetitive. Just my 2 cents. What do u guys think?

Hmm, my interpretation of this song appears to be rather different to most everyone else here, but here goes.

I'm under the pretense that the vocalist and the person they're singing about are actually the same person, albeit probably two different parts of the same consciousness. I believe that this is indicated by the fact that the lyrics keep switching between pronouns (I'm, we're, our, your, etc.).

I think that the singer is the stoic visage that the person is putting on over their tumultuous, emotional core. Something traumatic probably happened to the person that has left them confused and wondering where to go from there. I think this traumatic event was likely something illegal (rape, maybe?) as indicated by the line:

"And if I told the truth, I will always be free"

This points towards something happening to the person or someone close to them that has affected them deeply, but they find themselves unable to tell anyone what really happened.

I believe that the person is then considering suicide, and follows through. This is shown by the constant references to the person going, i.e.

"Until you realize, That you should go" or "It's a souvenir For when you go-o-oh"

With this line of thinking, the 'Mother we share' could be a reference to their actual mother; however, I believe that it is more likely to be the metaphorical 'Mother' that binds them together in their mind and connects them.

I imagine that the person was likely a proud, independant person before this incident happened, but was drastically changed after the aformentionned event, and this outward view of them is only visible now upon the singer, who is covering the emotionally distraught person.

I further believe that the person must have feared this sort of thing happening before it actually did, as indicated by the usage of the term 'omens' in the chorus.

Well, that was just my interpretation of this song, I can see where others are coming from though.

I tried to write an interpretation of this song and it became too long and too much like a written therapy session. So I deleted it and now, all I will say is that I relate to this song in a deep way. And what it speaks to me is about my relationship with my sister and my alcoholic mom... and the 3 way relationship we all have that leaves me feeling in the middle. The lyrics to me are literal... about being the "go to" confidant for a sibling hurt by being neglected by our mother and a mother hurt by being neglected by her mother.... and the cycle continues. It's about being on both sides and neither side simultaneously ( I am hurt by mother, which I can share with my sister, but I still love my mother which I can share with her and my sister can't) and how easy it would be on me if neither parties talked about the other... or just got along. It's also about self fulfilling prophecies... about predicting the future (omens) and therefore creating them. You think, therefore, you are.

Maybe someone else will relate to this interpretation but even if not, I feel comforted thinking this song was written about my own situation.

"Basically what Gnosticism says is that us--humans--and the creator God of the Bible, we're actually created by the same thing--this Mother Goddess--Mother Earth--who is kind of attacked by her offspring. God stakes claim as the creator of everything and promises an otherworldly salvation, denying the goodness of our own earth. The concept really spoke to us, and that's kind of what the song is about." --Lauren Mayberry (of CHVRCHES)