This is a lullaby, but one so honest and bittersweet, it's absolutely lovely in all the right ways. Nearly a perfect song, in my opinion.
First, I think it's to her child, for a few reasons. "Hard as we try / The bough breaks and the cradle falls" definitely alludes to a baby and cradle. Also, it's clearly a lullaby tune. Pretty clear.
And the song is about life and what may come for this child. She's telling this baby, let me apologize to you now for all of this stuff that's going to happen to you -- all of the falls, the sadness, the pain and despair -- the life that's just going to happen, good and bad. Every parent knows this is going to happen to their kids, but this song; god, this is the honest truth right here.
She's saying, you can live your life, and you will. You'll sing your song and you will change your mind a lot ("you can get it wrong"), you might find religion ("kiss the rock of ages"), fall in love (I think "walk a while down the mystery mile"), go to war ("beat the drums of freedom"), and through it all, all this life, "through the rush and roar," you can only be true to yourself, you can only "call 'em like you see 'em." And, I think she's sorry for that too. Sorry that life's not more predictable, that people aren't more trustworthy, that you can't "see between the liars and the sages."
But, maybe that's just life. I think this song is the most succinct, clear, beautiful explanation of how wonderfully unpredictable and scary life can be, and I think the end just says, well, that's just how it is, just go with it.
Personally I think it's a little on the pessimistic side, because of course there's so much more to life than the bad stuff. But, learning to go with all of that is part of the process and I think that's what this is about.
Such a beautiful song, too. A perfect tune to carry this sweet sentiment. One of my all-time favorites, and my 2nd favorite of Colvin's songs (If I Were Brave being #1). It's been a while, glad I remembered it again.
This is a lullaby, but one so honest and bittersweet, it's absolutely lovely in all the right ways. Nearly a perfect song, in my opinion.
First, I think it's to her child, for a few reasons. "Hard as we try / The bough breaks and the cradle falls" definitely alludes to a baby and cradle. Also, it's clearly a lullaby tune. Pretty clear.
And the song is about life and what may come for this child. She's telling this baby, let me apologize to you now for all of this stuff that's going to happen to you -- all of the falls, the sadness, the pain and despair -- the life that's just going to happen, good and bad. Every parent knows this is going to happen to their kids, but this song; god, this is the honest truth right here.
She's saying, you can live your life, and you will. You'll sing your song and you will change your mind a lot ("you can get it wrong"), you might find religion ("kiss the rock of ages"), fall in love (I think "walk a while down the mystery mile"), go to war ("beat the drums of freedom"), and through it all, all this life, "through the rush and roar," you can only be true to yourself, you can only "call 'em like you see 'em." And, I think she's sorry for that too. Sorry that life's not more predictable, that people aren't more trustworthy, that you can't "see between the liars and the sages."
But, maybe that's just life. I think this song is the most succinct, clear, beautiful explanation of how wonderfully unpredictable and scary life can be, and I think the end just says, well, that's just how it is, just go with it.
Personally I think it's a little on the pessimistic side, because of course there's so much more to life than the bad stuff. But, learning to go with all of that is part of the process and I think that's what this is about.
Such a beautiful song, too. A perfect tune to carry this sweet sentiment. One of my all-time favorites, and my 2nd favorite of Colvin's songs (If I Were Brave being #1). It's been a while, glad I remembered it again.