i know better than to say something like "This song means...." to a song like this, written by a man with such intricate thought processes. And we definitely need to tie Jessy Ribordy to a chair and make him talk. That man has a mind that is full enough of legend, classical literature and trivial knowledge to burst the skull of any average human, and the world is such a better place with him in it.
But i will admit when i hear this song, i feel like i hear it talking about enduring suffering by holding on to what is true and lovely (Philippians 4:8) . In Dante's book Inferno, Acheron is a river around Hell, and in Greek mythology, the river Acheron symbolizes pain. "The green lift" (drawing poison), the archer (poison darts, "flaming arrows" or "fiery darts", Ephesians 6:16), "I'll pull the fangs out" (venom) suggest injury by poison. "Spinning room it's getting dark" (the speaker is suffering--succumbing to the effects of the injury). An islet is a remarkably tiny island; any number of venomous spiders on it would be dangerous because one could not get away from them.
In the chorus, though, it sounds to me as though he is watching the twilight descend, and the sky is turning dark as the Siletz -- an indescribably beautiful but dark, beguiling river on the Northwest coast. For a while, perhaps, he is removed from the attacks he endures day by day as life goes on. He is "poised and still", putting his trust in God to heal, care and fight for him, rather than thrashing about in the attacks and trying to fight them on his own. (Psalm 37:7, Psalm 46:10, Exodus 14:14)
At the end he is still pursuing his way to "the fortress" -- he continues to fight against the discouragement of daily suffering he feels and sees, fights the good fight, continues to where the King he fights for is waiting for him. As i believe Mr. Ribordy and his band are passionate Christ-followers, that King would likely be Jesus.
My two cents...and maybe a little bit more :) . i love this song. It's one of those songs that leaves you feeling as though you don't know how you made it through the day without it, before you found this one..
i know better than to say something like "This song means...." to a song like this, written by a man with such intricate thought processes. And we definitely need to tie Jessy Ribordy to a chair and make him talk. That man has a mind that is full enough of legend, classical literature and trivial knowledge to burst the skull of any average human, and the world is such a better place with him in it.
But i will admit when i hear this song, i feel like i hear it talking about enduring suffering by holding on to what is true and lovely (Philippians 4:8) . In Dante's book Inferno, Acheron is a river around Hell, and in Greek mythology, the river Acheron symbolizes pain. "The green lift" (drawing poison), the archer (poison darts, "flaming arrows" or "fiery darts", Ephesians 6:16), "I'll pull the fangs out" (venom) suggest injury by poison. "Spinning room it's getting dark" (the speaker is suffering--succumbing to the effects of the injury). An islet is a remarkably tiny island; any number of venomous spiders on it would be dangerous because one could not get away from them.
In the chorus, though, it sounds to me as though he is watching the twilight descend, and the sky is turning dark as the Siletz -- an indescribably beautiful but dark, beguiling river on the Northwest coast. For a while, perhaps, he is removed from the attacks he endures day by day as life goes on. He is "poised and still", putting his trust in God to heal, care and fight for him, rather than thrashing about in the attacks and trying to fight them on his own. (Psalm 37:7, Psalm 46:10, Exodus 14:14)
At the end he is still pursuing his way to "the fortress" -- he continues to fight against the discouragement of daily suffering he feels and sees, fights the good fight, continues to where the King he fights for is waiting for him. As i believe Mr. Ribordy and his band are passionate Christ-followers, that King would likely be Jesus.
My two cents...and maybe a little bit more :) . i love this song. It's one of those songs that leaves you feeling as though you don't know how you made it through the day without it, before you found this one..