As far as I know Wendy Matthews was first to perform this song. It was successful on the Australian charts, but not phenomenally.
My first interpretation is the most obvious one - the lyrics point to the pining and loss felt by a rejected lover 'you're leaving me behind.' The rejected one is not angry or even destabilised, but aware of the way she was commited and cleaved to the one who spurned her 'I was only ever running back to your side'. Thus, it the lyrics evoke pain and dignity.
The second interpretation is a lot easier to 'get' if you see the Music Video for the song, and a screening of the music video on the Australian Music TV program Rage has been uploaded to youtube. The music video repeatedly cuts to an old man whose facial expressions, looking up, painful acceptance in his eyes, indicates he is thinking of his deceased life partner. Considering the lyrics based on this, it is clearly about loss, but loss due to death rather than rejection. The 'you're leaving me behind' lyric takes on a new meaning in this context.
Both interpretations are valid. And interestingly, both interpetations give the same meta-meaning to the song, that is the pain and dignity of an individual experiencing loss.
As far as I know Wendy Matthews was first to perform this song. It was successful on the Australian charts, but not phenomenally.
My first interpretation is the most obvious one - the lyrics point to the pining and loss felt by a rejected lover 'you're leaving me behind.' The rejected one is not angry or even destabilised, but aware of the way she was commited and cleaved to the one who spurned her 'I was only ever running back to your side'. Thus, it the lyrics evoke pain and dignity.
The second interpretation is a lot easier to 'get' if you see the Music Video for the song, and a screening of the music video on the Australian Music TV program Rage has been uploaded to youtube. The music video repeatedly cuts to an old man whose facial expressions, looking up, painful acceptance in his eyes, indicates he is thinking of his deceased life partner. Considering the lyrics based on this, it is clearly about loss, but loss due to death rather than rejection. The 'you're leaving me behind' lyric takes on a new meaning in this context.
Both interpretations are valid. And interestingly, both interpetations give the same meta-meaning to the song, that is the pain and dignity of an individual experiencing loss.