this is one of my favorite songs by far
the lyrics definitely make it seem like it's about a someone dying (maybe of Alzheimer's? cuz he says "never mind the words" which implies that whoever the song was for had trouble remembering lyrics), as "slow marching band" conjures images of a funeral procession (well, all of the lyrics seem to imply something about death), or maybe it's about moving on in some other sad way, like losing all memories and abilities to Alzheimer's. It seems like it's for a former band member (the whole stanza starting with "take a hand"). and ian anderson (or the whole band) is just letting whoever go as they must instead of trying to stop/reverse the inevitable
but his tone of voice sound almost like paternal love, especially for a daughter. maybe because of the way he puts the word "love" after "don't say goodbye" cuz i know saying "love" like that is a British* thing that usually men say to girls or younger women as a term of endearment
*yah i know they're Irish, but the point I'm making is a distinction between American English and the rest of the English-speaking world, which uses British spellings and colloquialisms
this is one of my favorite songs by far the lyrics definitely make it seem like it's about a someone dying (maybe of Alzheimer's? cuz he says "never mind the words" which implies that whoever the song was for had trouble remembering lyrics), as "slow marching band" conjures images of a funeral procession (well, all of the lyrics seem to imply something about death), or maybe it's about moving on in some other sad way, like losing all memories and abilities to Alzheimer's. It seems like it's for a former band member (the whole stanza starting with "take a hand"). and ian anderson (or the whole band) is just letting whoever go as they must instead of trying to stop/reverse the inevitable but his tone of voice sound almost like paternal love, especially for a daughter. maybe because of the way he puts the word "love" after "don't say goodbye" cuz i know saying "love" like that is a British* thing that usually men say to girls or younger women as a term of endearment
*yah i know they're Irish, but the point I'm making is a distinction between American English and the rest of the English-speaking world, which uses British spellings and colloquialisms