It's hard to describe the meaning I get out of this. There's just so much about death, relationships, and life all combined into one but here's my take.
He's singing to a lover who worries about their future together. She asks about death; claiming that if they're going to stop loving each other when they die, then what they have now (love) isn't real.
"And if life and love would fade predictably, we made ourselves a kind of predictable lie"
This makes him think about death. He basically rations that death is overrated, or silly. He implies that whatever it holds which frightens her, already exists in her current life
"We looked so silly there all decomposed half turned to dust in tattered clothes
Though we properly look just as silly now"
In the chorus he's saying goodbye to the innocence of feeling invincible or that love is unstoppable. They know that's not true. And he reassures her that he can't predict what while happen in their relationship but she also can't predict what he'll do (my guess, he's telling her to stop assuming he will leave)
Then he reflects on life and love. Like her, he wonders if love is really possible.
"And it left me to wonder if people ever know each other...."
The next verse confuses me most. I think he's saying that there needs to be something keeping them alive (love?). Then he seems to imply that the more we know about death and life the less divine it is, and the only conclusion we can draw is that everyone will die.
"A moment passed, we hear how it sounds
Then it seems a little less profound
like where all going the same way down..."
So he concludes that all they can do is to continue as they are: he writes songs and they spend time together. But when he's in bed with her he notices that she's always worried about what will happen when she dies.
"You wake in tears sometimes; I can see the thoughts flash across your eyes
Darlin' will you be kind, and be a good man, and stay behind if I get old"
He reassures her that regardless of what people say, he will continue to love her even after she dies.
And of course he ends by somehow uncliche-ing the ultimate cliche: "It's better to love whether you win, lose or die"
This is one of my favorite songs by them.
It's hard to describe the meaning I get out of this. There's just so much about death, relationships, and life all combined into one but here's my take.
He's singing to a lover who worries about their future together. She asks about death; claiming that if they're going to stop loving each other when they die, then what they have now (love) isn't real. "And if life and love would fade predictably, we made ourselves a kind of predictable lie"
This makes him think about death. He basically rations that death is overrated, or silly. He implies that whatever it holds which frightens her, already exists in her current life "We looked so silly there all decomposed half turned to dust in tattered clothes Though we properly look just as silly now"
In the chorus he's saying goodbye to the innocence of feeling invincible or that love is unstoppable. They know that's not true. And he reassures her that he can't predict what while happen in their relationship but she also can't predict what he'll do (my guess, he's telling her to stop assuming he will leave)
Then he reflects on life and love. Like her, he wonders if love is really possible. "And it left me to wonder if people ever know each other...."
The next verse confuses me most. I think he's saying that there needs to be something keeping them alive (love?). Then he seems to imply that the more we know about death and life the less divine it is, and the only conclusion we can draw is that everyone will die. "A moment passed, we hear how it sounds Then it seems a little less profound like where all going the same way down..."
So he concludes that all they can do is to continue as they are: he writes songs and they spend time together. But when he's in bed with her he notices that she's always worried about what will happen when she dies. "You wake in tears sometimes; I can see the thoughts flash across your eyes Darlin' will you be kind, and be a good man, and stay behind if I get old"
He reassures her that regardless of what people say, he will continue to love her even after she dies. And of course he ends by somehow uncliche-ing the ultimate cliche: "It's better to love whether you win, lose or die"
That's just my opinion. Very Wuthering Heights.