1 Meaning
Add Yours
Follow
Share
Q&A
Wide Eyes Lyrics
Overlooking the canyon,
Right from where I'm standing,
I swear I see my former glory still burning
It had every intent of returning
There's years to planning and landing
To prepare for jumping the canyon
It’s not the death-defying, or cheering,
It’s the thrill of clearing, barely clearing
And if you see no hope for me
I still see hope for you
In the high rise of the morning
The exception that proves my rule
Still I'm tying up loose ends
I'm tying them to a chance to defy them
To protect and hide them, untie them
These are not the ones you want to untie them
And now I'm jumping the canyon
After years of planning and planning
It's the monumental challenge of feeling
That you must fight before you start freewheeling
And if I see no hope for me
I still see hope for you
In the wide eyes of the morning
The exception that proves my rule
And if I see no hope for me
I still see hope for you
In the high rise of the morning
The exception that proves my rule
Proves my rule
Right from where I'm standing,
I swear I see my former glory still burning
It had every intent of returning
To prepare for jumping the canyon
It’s not the death-defying, or cheering,
It’s the thrill of clearing, barely clearing
I still see hope for you
In the high rise of the morning
The exception that proves my rule
I'm tying them to a chance to defy them
To protect and hide them, untie them
These are not the ones you want to untie them
After years of planning and planning
It's the monumental challenge of feeling
That you must fight before you start freewheeling
I still see hope for you
In the wide eyes of the morning
The exception that proves my rule
I still see hope for you
In the high rise of the morning
The exception that proves my rule
Song Info
Submitted by
songmeanings On Aug 07, 2014
More The New Pornographers
The Bleeding Heart Show
Letter from an Occupant
Myriad Harbour
The Laws Have Changed
My Rights Versus Yours
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
This is a really sweet and poignant duet between two people who were perhaps once close, but no longer speak to each other. Newman's character is attempting to jump the (metaphorical) canyon after years of planning while Case's character watches him from below ("In the high rise of the morning"). Case is cynical, but she has faith in Newman to succeed at the monumental challenge in front of him and it is clear that she still admires him for trying.
The "exception that proves my rule" means that she believes Newman will succeed in clearing the canyon, but that he is crazy to even attempt it given how, normally, a person would surely fail. Her stubbornness and lack of self-confidence is evident in the repetition of "proves my rule," but she still sees hope for him regardless of their past. Great song.