Love has been the cause
Of all this suffering
And what has been our loss
Has been it's gaining
So lay your burdens down
And stop your crying
Will we let it burn
Burn us down, burn us
Low have been the odds
Of our reuniting
And where now can we turn
When we've got nothing
Will we let it burn
Burn us down, burn us
We'll let it burn
Burn us down, burn us
And maybe it'll turn
Us around
The Cost has been around for an awfully long time as a Glen Hansard song. It was originally called "Let It Burn" and was destined for the Burn The Maps album.
It's about how everything good in life, and love and even music, has a negative, and a cost.
It's Glen taking stock and realising that in being such a hardworking artist, and dedicating his whole life to music, he's paid a high cost. A high cost in terms of not having started his own family, not having a regular home, few regular friends - basically having a life that's far from "normal". And how overwhelming the realisation of all of that is when it hits you, late at night, in a hotel room.
Put in other words, in Glen's words in fact, "it's about meeting the Devil. Don't ever fuck with the devil. If you ever meet him, run". Meaning of course, that that realisation of the cost you've paid for the things you've done in your own life, can be as destructive and "evil" as the romanticised idea of the traditional Devil.
The actual lyrics are :
Love has been the cause Of all this suffering And what has been our loss Has been it's gaining So lay your burdens down And stop your crying
Will we let it burn Burn us down, burn us
Low have been the odds Of our reuniting And where now can we turn When we've got nothing
Will we let it burn Burn us down, burn us
We'll let it burn Burn us down, burn us And maybe it'll turn Us around
The Cost has been around for an awfully long time as a Glen Hansard song. It was originally called "Let It Burn" and was destined for the Burn The Maps album.
It's about how everything good in life, and love and even music, has a negative, and a cost.
It's Glen taking stock and realising that in being such a hardworking artist, and dedicating his whole life to music, he's paid a high cost. A high cost in terms of not having started his own family, not having a regular home, few regular friends - basically having a life that's far from "normal". And how overwhelming the realisation of all of that is when it hits you, late at night, in a hotel room.
Put in other words, in Glen's words in fact, "it's about meeting the Devil. Don't ever fuck with the devil. If you ever meet him, run". Meaning of course, that that realisation of the cost you've paid for the things you've done in your own life, can be as destructive and "evil" as the romanticised idea of the traditional Devil.