I can't see where people are getting myxamatosis from. The disease was mentioned in the book, though I don't believe it was mentioned in the movie and certainly I don't remember any of the rabbits dying from it. Since this song was written specifically for the movie, its safe to assume it is pertaining to what happens in the movie.
And none of the rabbits get myxmatosis in the movie.
I think its pretty simple, actually. This was played when Fiver thought hazel was dying. Its about Hazel dying, thats really all there is to it. 'how can the light that burned so brightly suddenly burn so pale' means how can one so spirited and alive suddenly be so close to death.
People are taking the lyrics far far too literally with these myxamatosis ideas.
The whole song is just about one being alive and full of spirit and then suddenly not being so anymore.
Its Fivers thoughts, and you have to remember he is a rabbit. The beauty of watership down is that the characters are written like real rabbits, not little humans, so there is a lot they do not understand and everything is very simple and basic.
To write a song full of humanesque metaphors would not be in keeping with the story.
So the lyrics to this are quite 'childish' in a way, like a child wondering about these things, since essentially, thats how these animals are.
I just strongly disagree with the myxamatosis thing. If that had been what hazel had died of, then sure. But other than being about rabbits, there is no connection to the disease in this book or movie at all.
I can't see where people are getting myxamatosis from. The disease was mentioned in the book, though I don't believe it was mentioned in the movie and certainly I don't remember any of the rabbits dying from it. Since this song was written specifically for the movie, its safe to assume it is pertaining to what happens in the movie.
And none of the rabbits get myxmatosis in the movie.
I think its pretty simple, actually. This was played when Fiver thought hazel was dying. Its about Hazel dying, thats really all there is to it. 'how can the light that burned so brightly suddenly burn so pale' means how can one so spirited and alive suddenly be so close to death. People are taking the lyrics far far too literally with these myxamatosis ideas. The whole song is just about one being alive and full of spirit and then suddenly not being so anymore. Its Fivers thoughts, and you have to remember he is a rabbit. The beauty of watership down is that the characters are written like real rabbits, not little humans, so there is a lot they do not understand and everything is very simple and basic. To write a song full of humanesque metaphors would not be in keeping with the story. So the lyrics to this are quite 'childish' in a way, like a child wondering about these things, since essentially, thats how these animals are.
I just strongly disagree with the myxamatosis thing. If that had been what hazel had died of, then sure. But other than being about rabbits, there is no connection to the disease in this book or movie at all.