all his friends might be dead, as well as Nettie, though his love for her is everlasting
"The world has gone black before my eyes" --> he lost all his love, now he can only love his memories, which are just a shadow of his loves, that would explain the blackness in his vision
"Today I'll stand in faith and raise
The voice of praise
The sun is strong, I'm standing in the light
I wish to God that it were night "
He's sure he'll see her in heaven. The last sentence may be him wishing he was dead already. He's ready to go.">
Nettie Moore Meanings & Lyrics Discussion by Shep1986 | SongMeanings
all his friends might be dead, as well as Nettie, though his love for her is everlasting
"The world has gone black before my eyes" --> he lost all his love, now he can only love his memories, which are just a shadow of his loves, that would explain the blackness in his vision
"Today I'll stand in faith and raise
The voice of praise
The sun is strong, I'm standing in the light
I wish to God that it were night "
He's sure he'll see her in heaven. The last sentence may be him wishing he was dead already. He's ready to go." />
Dylan is taking time to reflect on the natural occurrences around him.
"Winter's gone, the river's on the rise" means the snowmelt has caused rivers to surge with their annual high levels of water.
Dylan also talks about "the temperature dropped/ I think the rain has stopped."
It really sounds like what frankbooth said, Dylan is some old-timer, probably in the country who is sitting around his cabin, noticing things in his backyard.
This awareness is complementing the main theme of the song: insights into the world around him and his relationship with this woman who is a big source of love in his life. The song is like a collection of insights and epiphanies, and the observances of nature are like pauses that make the song seem like the natural train-of-thought wanderings of an old man.
At various moments throughout the song, Dylan is humbled, disappointed in himself, full of bravado, and hopeful about the future. Like frankbooth speculated, I think Nettie Moore is dead, and all the talk of her in the present tense may just be memories.
"I loved you then and always will, but now there's no one left to tell" --> all his friends might be dead, as well as Nettie, though his love for her is everlasting
"The world has gone black before my eyes" --> he lost all his love, now he can only love his memories, which are just a shadow of his loves, that would explain the blackness in his vision
"Today I'll stand in faith and raise
The voice of praise
The sun is strong, I'm standing in the light
I wish to God that it were night "
He's sure he'll see her in heaven. The last sentence may be him wishing he was dead already. He's ready to go.
Dylan is taking time to reflect on the natural occurrences around him. "Winter's gone, the river's on the rise" means the snowmelt has caused rivers to surge with their annual high levels of water. Dylan also talks about "the temperature dropped/ I think the rain has stopped." It really sounds like what frankbooth said, Dylan is some old-timer, probably in the country who is sitting around his cabin, noticing things in his backyard. This awareness is complementing the main theme of the song: insights into the world around him and his relationship with this woman who is a big source of love in his life. The song is like a collection of insights and epiphanies, and the observances of nature are like pauses that make the song seem like the natural train-of-thought wanderings of an old man.
At various moments throughout the song, Dylan is humbled, disappointed in himself, full of bravado, and hopeful about the future. Like frankbooth speculated, I think Nettie Moore is dead, and all the talk of her in the present tense may just be memories.
"I loved you then and always will, but now there's no one left to tell" --> all his friends might be dead, as well as Nettie, though his love for her is everlasting "The world has gone black before my eyes" --> he lost all his love, now he can only love his memories, which are just a shadow of his loves, that would explain the blackness in his vision
"Today I'll stand in faith and raise The voice of praise The sun is strong, I'm standing in the light I wish to God that it were night " He's sure he'll see her in heaven. The last sentence may be him wishing he was dead already. He's ready to go.