This song is an ingenious poem celebrating the beauty of the unfolding of the universe, the laws of physics, life and nature, and finally love. Everything is portrayed as a series of orbits, whether electrons, planets, hawks, or him being drawn to his lover. The song finishes with Josh Ritter putting his lover as the finale of it all! The entire universe is made into a metaphor for his love.
Most of the references people are confused by are to quantum physics. The first whole verse is the big bang and the ensuing formation of the elements, and stars and planets and such. The middle is straightforward but the last 8 lines or so refer to Einstein's theory of relativity, where energy, time, and matter are all linked.
This song is an ingenious poem celebrating the beauty of the unfolding of the universe, the laws of physics, life and nature, and finally love. Everything is portrayed as a series of orbits, whether electrons, planets, hawks, or him being drawn to his lover. The song finishes with Josh Ritter putting his lover as the finale of it all! The entire universe is made into a metaphor for his love.
Most of the references people are confused by are to quantum physics. The first whole verse is the big bang and the ensuing formation of the elements, and stars and planets and such. The middle is straightforward but the last 8 lines or so refer to Einstein's theory of relativity, where energy, time, and matter are all linked.