I love this. I agree that the meaning isn't the clearest, but that's one of the best things about this song–I can just keep pondering the message for as long as I like. The writing and the symbolism are so expertly done and can be interpreted a hundred different ways.
For example: the connections drawn between the deer and who he's addressing, in the climax of the song. It's as though his 'darling' is a deer in headlights while he's driving down the golden highway. Is he confronting her about something, prompting her deer-in-headlights reaction? Or is he speaking from the point of view of a driver about to hit a deer on the road, i.e., expressing some sort of panic or danger that /he/ feels? After all, the song talks about forgiveness and anger; there's presumably been some tension between the two of them. And how about that deer itself–it's almost like a spirit or spectral being of some sort, dwelling first by the border of the darkness and then leaving him to go to the valley of surrender . . . Eerie and compelling, but for the life of me I still can't figure out what it might mean!
And the final verse about the day (finally) slowly setting is such a terrific way to include a sense of catharsis, considering that he'd previously mentioned how the day never reaches its end. We can get some sleep, and indeed we can hope for higher lands, and for our troubles to be gone. Incredible.
I love this. I agree that the meaning isn't the clearest, but that's one of the best things about this song–I can just keep pondering the message for as long as I like. The writing and the symbolism are so expertly done and can be interpreted a hundred different ways.
For example: the connections drawn between the deer and who he's addressing, in the climax of the song. It's as though his 'darling' is a deer in headlights while he's driving down the golden highway. Is he confronting her about something, prompting her deer-in-headlights reaction? Or is he speaking from the point of view of a driver about to hit a deer on the road, i.e., expressing some sort of panic or danger that /he/ feels? After all, the song talks about forgiveness and anger; there's presumably been some tension between the two of them. And how about that deer itself–it's almost like a spirit or spectral being of some sort, dwelling first by the border of the darkness and then leaving him to go to the valley of surrender . . . Eerie and compelling, but for the life of me I still can't figure out what it might mean!
And the final verse about the day (finally) slowly setting is such a terrific way to include a sense of catharsis, considering that he'd previously mentioned how the day never reaches its end. We can get some sleep, and indeed we can hope for higher lands, and for our troubles to be gone. Incredible.