I like how the perspective in the song changes from beginning to end...at least, that's the way I see it. The first is from an old man's point of view, talking to his wife/family. The second is a little blurry, but maybe it's the grandpa's final thoughts, like an echo right after his death. the third is a third-party narration of his estate and the lonely house he left behind. The last is his surviving family, children or grandchildren perhaps, recovering in the wake of his death. this song wins.
I respectfully disagree. I think the whole song is from the perspective of the grandson.
I respectfully disagree. I think the whole song is from the perspective of the grandson.
In the first stanza, the death of his grandfather has reminded him of his own mortality. He is telling his wife they should appreciate the time they have together because it can slip away like the breeze through the window.
In the first stanza, the death of his grandfather has reminded him of his own mortality. He is telling his wife they should appreciate the time they have together because it can slip away like the breeze through the window.
I think the second stanza is about bottling up your feelings, or perhaps not wearing your heart on your sleeve. You don't go looking for sympathy. I think it's sort of a traditional male pride thing. I think the second half of the stanza is...
I think the second stanza is about bottling up your feelings, or perhaps not wearing your heart on your sleeve. You don't go looking for sympathy. I think it's sort of a traditional male pride thing. I think the second half of the stanza is looking to the future, after the grandson is dead. Perhaps at the funeral his friends get emotional when his widow walks in. I don't know, this part has always sort of confused me.
The third stanza is my favorite collection of words in the entire English language, except for when my daughters say "I love you, daddy". My grandfather was a South Carolina farmer. He has been dead for over twenty years and his farm has since fallen into disrepair. This stanza fills me with a sweet, beautiful sorrow I can't begin to describe.
Anyway, the third stanza is about the slow healing of grief. Eventually they will forget the sorrow. They will go back to feeling like they will always be young, but the grandson promises to remember his grandfather, and his own mortality, and will cherish his relationship with his wife (or lover, or whatever).
That's how I interpret the song. Sam Beam is a master at providing the perfect combination of detail and vagueness so that you can grasp onto something in the song and then fill in the blanks with your own experience to create a more personal interpretation. What does this song mean to you?
I like how the perspective in the song changes from beginning to end...at least, that's the way I see it. The first is from an old man's point of view, talking to his wife/family. The second is a little blurry, but maybe it's the grandpa's final thoughts, like an echo right after his death. the third is a third-party narration of his estate and the lonely house he left behind. The last is his surviving family, children or grandchildren perhaps, recovering in the wake of his death. this song wins.
I respectfully disagree. I think the whole song is from the perspective of the grandson.
I respectfully disagree. I think the whole song is from the perspective of the grandson.
In the first stanza, the death of his grandfather has reminded him of his own mortality. He is telling his wife they should appreciate the time they have together because it can slip away like the breeze through the window.
In the first stanza, the death of his grandfather has reminded him of his own mortality. He is telling his wife they should appreciate the time they have together because it can slip away like the breeze through the window.
I think the second stanza is about bottling up your feelings, or perhaps not wearing your heart on your sleeve. You don't go looking for sympathy. I think it's sort of a traditional male pride thing. I think the second half of the stanza is...
I think the second stanza is about bottling up your feelings, or perhaps not wearing your heart on your sleeve. You don't go looking for sympathy. I think it's sort of a traditional male pride thing. I think the second half of the stanza is looking to the future, after the grandson is dead. Perhaps at the funeral his friends get emotional when his widow walks in. I don't know, this part has always sort of confused me.
The third stanza is my favorite collection of words in the entire English language, except for when my daughters say "I love you, daddy". My grandfather was a South Carolina farmer. He has been dead for over twenty years and his farm has since fallen into disrepair. This stanza fills me with a sweet, beautiful sorrow I can't begin to describe.
Anyway, the third stanza is about the slow healing of grief. Eventually they will forget the sorrow. They will go back to feeling like they will always be young, but the grandson promises to remember his grandfather, and his own mortality, and will cherish his relationship with his wife (or lover, or whatever).
That's how I interpret the song. Sam Beam is a master at providing the perfect combination of detail and vagueness so that you can grasp onto something in the song and then fill in the blanks with your own experience to create a more personal interpretation. What does this song mean to you?