Esmerelda Lyrics

Lyric discussion by inia0 

Cover art for Esmerelda lyrics by Ben Howard

[Oh Blinded, now I see I could not hold you My orange tree left in the darkened room From three of us to share]

Looking in retrospect, he knows he didn't have the capacity to love and hold her. Perhaps this is due to him struggling with his own demons, which is reinforced in the next lines - he refers to her as his orange tree, a symbolism of giving - for the three of them to share. The third 'person' could be whatever he is struggling with, which feels like a presence that never leaves them alone. My guess would be depression.

[Maybe you were free before My blackened wing covered you I took the sing from your song I made a bed where you don't belong]

He feels like he trapped her in this negative/toxic environment with their relationship. She is affected by him, and becomes worse off than if she hadn't met him.

[Poor me, she fell beneath the Wheels to help me up Black sea, I failed to be a light You found alone]

"Poor me" sounds sarcastic, he realizes now that back then he never saw her pain, only knew his own demons. She sacrificed parts of herself to help him. He realizes that he never gave her anything back.

....stuff along the same lines....

(She dies, either literally or her spirit dies figuratively)

[And now I'm going places on my own]

Maybe her 'death' was a wake-up call for him, he carries on in life. This line states he is alone, but might also hint that he feels she should have been with him 'going places' in life, except she no longer can because she sacrificed her own path for him to go on.

My Interpretation