This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Eighty years, an old lady now, sitting on the front porch
Watching the clouds roll by
They remind her of her lover, how he left her, and of times long ago,
When she used color carelessly, painted his portrait
A thousand times, or maybe just his smile,
Her and her canvas would follow him wherever he would go
'Cause they were painters and they were painting themselves
A lovely world
Oil streaked daisies covered the living room walls
He put water colored roses in her hair
He said, "Love, I love you,
I want to give you the mountains, the sunshine,
The sunset too
I want to give you a world as beautiful as you are to me"
'Cause I'm a painter and I want to paint you
A lovely way
So they sat down and made a drawing of their love,
They made it an art to live by
They painted every passion, every home, created every beautiful child
In the winter they were weavers of warmth,
In the summer they were carpenters of love
They thought blue prints were too sad so they made them yellow
And they were painters and they had painted themselves
A lovely world
Until one day the rain fell as thick as black oil
And in her heart she knew something was wrong
She went running through the orchard screaming,
"No God, don't take him from me!"
But by the time she got there, she feared he already had gone
She got to where he lay, water colored roses in his hands for her
She threw them down screaming, "Damn you man, don't leave me
With nothing left behind but these cold paintings, these cold portraits
To remind me!"
He said, "Love I only leave a little, try to understand
I put my soul in this life we've created with these four hands
Love, I leave, but only a little, this world holds me still
My body may die now, but these paintings are real"
La li lai la li lai la li lai
So many seasons came and many seasons went
And many times she saw her love's face watering the flowers,
Talking to the trees and singing to his children,
And when the wind blew, she knew he was listening,
And how he seemed to laugh along, and how he seemed to hold her
When she was crying
'Cause they were painters and they had painted themselves
A lovely world
Eighty years, an old lady now, sitting on the front porch
Watching the clouds roll by
They remind her of her lover, how he left her, and of times long ago,
When she used color carelessly, painted his portrait
A thousand times, or maybe just his smile,
Her and her canvas would follow him wherever he would go
Yes, she and her canvas still follow
'Cause they are painters and they are painting themselves
A lovely
'Cause they are painters and they are painting themselves
A lovely world
Watching the clouds roll by
They remind her of her lover, how he left her, and of times long ago,
When she used color carelessly, painted his portrait
A thousand times, or maybe just his smile,
Her and her canvas would follow him wherever he would go
'Cause they were painters and they were painting themselves
A lovely world
Oil streaked daisies covered the living room walls
He put water colored roses in her hair
He said, "Love, I love you,
I want to give you the mountains, the sunshine,
The sunset too
I want to give you a world as beautiful as you are to me"
'Cause I'm a painter and I want to paint you
A lovely way
So they sat down and made a drawing of their love,
They made it an art to live by
They painted every passion, every home, created every beautiful child
In the winter they were weavers of warmth,
In the summer they were carpenters of love
They thought blue prints were too sad so they made them yellow
And they were painters and they had painted themselves
A lovely world
Until one day the rain fell as thick as black oil
And in her heart she knew something was wrong
She went running through the orchard screaming,
"No God, don't take him from me!"
But by the time she got there, she feared he already had gone
She got to where he lay, water colored roses in his hands for her
She threw them down screaming, "Damn you man, don't leave me
With nothing left behind but these cold paintings, these cold portraits
To remind me!"
He said, "Love I only leave a little, try to understand
I put my soul in this life we've created with these four hands
Love, I leave, but only a little, this world holds me still
My body may die now, but these paintings are real"
La li lai la li lai la li lai
So many seasons came and many seasons went
And many times she saw her love's face watering the flowers,
Talking to the trees and singing to his children,
And when the wind blew, she knew he was listening,
And how he seemed to laugh along, and how he seemed to hold her
When she was crying
'Cause they were painters and they had painted themselves
A lovely world
Eighty years, an old lady now, sitting on the front porch
Watching the clouds roll by
They remind her of her lover, how he left her, and of times long ago,
When she used color carelessly, painted his portrait
A thousand times, or maybe just his smile,
Her and her canvas would follow him wherever he would go
Yes, she and her canvas still follow
'Cause they are painters and they are painting themselves
A lovely
'Cause they are painters and they are painting themselves
A lovely world
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Punchline
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Amazing
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This song stands for just about everything I want out of life. Art is my world, and to be able to share not only that but such a strong and wonderful love with someone would be heaven. This has to be one of my favorite songs ever.
But alas...it also stands for the deep pain that such strong love can bring, and no one should ever have to go through that.
Such a great song.
I think no interpretation of this song is necessary, the lyrics speak for themselves... I love this song, it sets me crying every time, the beauty of the lyrics is simply overwhelming
This song is absolutely beautiful. I still cant sing along to it without holding back tears. Especially
"Love I only leave a little, try to understand. I put my soul in this life weve created with these four hands.."
It wouldnt have been the same coming from any other artist. Jewel has such a lovely way of showing emotion on every level.
BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!! makes me cry everytime
I can't sing along without crying a little, either. Especially the part "And how he seemed to hold her when she was crying"...gets me every time.
Jewel has a lovely way of conveying emotion with her voice. And her lyrics are breathtaking. I also love how the key of her guitar goes from major to minor when the song takes the sad turn. You know something bad is coming, with just a simple shift in music.
I love this song so much! I don't know why though. In a way it kind of makes me sad but it still is a good song. probably one of my favs. of hers.
"I don't know why, but it makes me sad"-Lord of the Rings.
I know how you feel SunnyD. Its such a bittersweet song.
"Eighty Years...."
this song reminds me of my grandparents... my grandmother was an artist and she used to paint all the time. she was amazing.. I cant draw if my life depended on it but i'm a ballerina. i was doing a show in a town not far from home and they had one of her paintings on the wall...it felt like she was watching me... i miss her.. this song reminds me of her and her optimistic views on everything
This song is absolutely beautiful. I still cant sing along to it without holding back tears. Especially
"Love I only leave a little, try to understand. I put my soul in this life weve created with these four hands.."
It wouldnt have been the same coming from any other artist. Jewel has such a lovely way of showing emotion on every level.
This song is absolutely beautiful. I still cant sing along to it without holding back tears. Especially
"Love I only leave a little, try to understand. I put my soul in this life weve created with these four hands.."
It wouldnt have been the same coming from any other artist. Jewel has such a lovely way of showing emotion on every level.