The Way The Whole Thing Ends Lyrics

Lyric discussion by bluejack 

Cover art for The Way The Whole Thing Ends lyrics by Gillian Welch

Such a beautiful ode to people falling apart.

The lover who cannot hold true;

Two "stories" of children, a boy and a girl, who choose the wrong path in life;

Two images of the lonely one, separated from community and family;

The simplicity of each image belies a complexity of tone and emotional impact: the narrator ties it all back to broken friendship. We who were together are so no longer, and there's a hardness there. There is no offer of forgiveness or reconciliation.

"That's the way the whole thing ends."

After this, I recommend listening to "One Wrong Turn" by Greg Brown.

My Interpretation