Well, she's obviously talking about the myth of the nymph Daphne, who turned herself into a tree rather than surrender her virginity to Apollo. But there's more to this song than just an old story.
I think in the second part she's contemplating the myth from a modern perspective. She's acknowledging the tragedy of the great sacrifices we make in order to preserve our "purity" (for the singer this probably has less to do with actual virginity than a general sense of truth or righteousness). And in the end she praises those who have suffered because they refused to give up on what was "pure". She reveres them, wearing their virtues proudly like a "leaf crown".
Well, she's obviously talking about the myth of the nymph Daphne, who turned herself into a tree rather than surrender her virginity to Apollo. But there's more to this song than just an old story.
I think in the second part she's contemplating the myth from a modern perspective. She's acknowledging the tragedy of the great sacrifices we make in order to preserve our "purity" (for the singer this probably has less to do with actual virginity than a general sense of truth or righteousness). And in the end she praises those who have suffered because they refused to give up on what was "pure". She reveres them, wearing their virtues proudly like a "leaf crown".