Private Universe

A band called "Lifeform" covered this song a few years ago. It was on an album called, "Covering." The album is still for sale on some websites, but I've heard nothing about them in years. Too bad...they were a great band.

It means a lot to me as what it speaks of is a part of my life. I guess the core of the song is that sometimes we experience a feeling with someone and we cannot just go on, push it away and forget about it the next day. Somehow it is so strong and pervades. It's about both the people feeling this way, admitting to it and taking action before the "dinner that is cold" as mentioned in the song, starts to go off. It's about taking over the situation by taking advantage of it. By realizing that this something so strong and because of that it needs to be dealt with-then enjoyed!

The song is about how Neil felt after talking to a Queensland Radio Announcer about a near death experience. The birds talking refers to the announcer thinking that birds talked to him. I know this because I was able to ask Neil about it several years ago. Its just the most atmospheric song.

I love this song. Its just right. Soothing and disquieting at the same time. Everytime I listen to it I get the feeling that I've missed something important, either in the song, in my own life, or with regard to the world in general. Its a very inspiring and definatly one of my favourite tracks.

I've always loved other CH songs but lately I've found an awesome-ness in this one! I find it hard to decipher the lyrics, but in a way I can relate.

In the lyric book of Together Alone, the lyric instead of time is on the table is "love is on the table and the dinner's cold." If it was written with the "Love" one than maybe the song is about how the love is sort of up for grabs. This is just my view and I am not sure.

There's definitely a feeling of a dark cloud hanging over one's head in this song- and it comes as much from the atmosphere and the melody as the lyric.

I first heard this song when my husband was diagnosed with cancer. At the time I felt like the song was about watching someone you love fade away. Time is precious, ("Time is on the table and the dinner's cold"); Wishing that you could make time stand still ("endless summer") and "lift the curse"; bargaining with a higher being ("birds talk to me, if I go down on my knees"); and wanting to make all the pain and the chaos go away and exist only in your "private universe".

I believe Kyms' story about the song, but this is what it will always be about to me. It's a great example of how the true meaning of a song is ultimately in the mind of the listener.

That's heavy vaquera. To me it's about unrequited love. The emptiness you feel when you love someone, but they have other interests.

Part1

I agree that there is a certain amount of darkness and pain represented in this beautiful song. I have two different interpretations, both starting from the viewpoint of a child who has a troubled home life. I'm not implying that this is what Neil was writing about, it's just what I hear.

The first version is sung entirely from the viewpoint of the child. There's a continuous cycle of fighting and making up between his parents, and he never knows what will happen when they're together. He is hopeful that the periods of calm will last, but is continually disappointed when they don't. He sees their ongoing struggle to keep their marriage together, and doesn't want to be any part of it. He doesn't view home as a safe or happy place, and finds ways to stay away, taking refuge outdoors. Perhaps his father is abusive, or an alcoholic.

Six o'clock is the time that the father is expected home from work for dinner. Some days the father is late, and the later he is, the more likely it is that there will be trouble. The boy wants to stay out of harm's way until he can assess the situation and know if it's safe to return home. This is a dreaded time of day when he wants to retreat from the real world. He has learned to self-isolate and flee from conflict, taking solace in nature, where there are no people to harm or disappoint him. This is his escape, where he is able to lose himself and shut out his home life, and find a sense of calm, beauty, and peace. He tries to hold on to the feeling, knowing that he can't stay forever, and will eventually have to go back home.

If you listen with this story in mind, it will be clear how the lyrics fit. The apple tree can be taken literally, or figuratively. Maybe the boy has watched his parents from an actual tree, and maybe he's watching from upstairs, imagining that he's somewhere else. The same with the birds - he may be taking refuge outside and hearing actual birds, or he may be hiding in a closet, imagining them (some kids talk to their stuffed animals). Maybe both are true. It doesn't matter - it's the feeling that this boy has found a way of coping, by creating a world where he can retreat from the pain and chaos of his everyday life.

Part 2

In the second version, the story is the same, but the child is grown. He is an adult in a meaningful relationship who wants to keep it uncomplicated due to his disillusionment with love. His partner wants and deserves more, and he's trying to come to terms with whether or not he is capable of that. He doesn't want to argue or struggle, as he has never seen it pay off, and conflict tends to trigger his instinct to flee. He is reluctant to commit in any traditional sense, but at the same time, doesn't want to ruin a good thing or lose a chance at long-term happiness, which he's had glimpses of.

His heart is telling him that love might be worth the trouble, but his head is telling him that it's not. He has too many bad memories of his parent's relationship and home life, and doesn't want to go down the same path. Rather than make a bad decision, he would prefer to maintain the status quo. He doesn't see a need to change anything, but knows that this is selfishness born of fear. He hasn't learned to properly cope with his feelings about love as an adult, but eventually decides that he wants the chance to figure it all out before the opportunity passes him by.

In the beginning of the song, he's reflecting on why he is the way he is, and why he wants to run for cover when confronted with his choices. The promise of love is tempting, but he doesn't trust that it will end well. He associates the reality of love with pain and chaos. In the initial choruses, he's remembering his childhood, and the private universe that he ran to for escape. He's worried that if he is pushed too much into uncomfortable territory, he will completely withdraw or take off. The child in him believes that he doesn't need or want anyone.

The adult comes to realize that he doesn't want to be without his partner, regardless of the risks involved. He acknowledges how special the relationship is, and the pleasure that it brings him. He realizes that if he doesn't take a leap, life will pass him by. He has a love worth fighting for. He has finally let someone in with whom he has created a new private universe, where, for at least a few hours at a time, they can shut out the world, get lost in each other, and nothing bad happens. This is his new sanctuary, which he refers to in the final choruses. He wants to hold on, in the hope that he can conquer his fears, lift the curse of his past, and learn how to face life and love in the real world together.

Just my two cents :)