Lyric discussion by miccon 

Cover art for Ophelia lyrics by Natalie Merchant

My grandmother recently passed away and in the years preceding her death she suffered from dementia. At her funeral I was struck by what an amazing woman she had been before the dementia and when I listen to this song I get that feeling again, especially the end of the song, because that is unfortunately how I most remember my grandmother. To me, this song is about the loss of a personality that once shone brightly, and it's heartbreaking.

My Interpretation