i've only recently come across this song and, like others who have commented, love it. upon hearing, i thought the song was written from the perspective of eurydice. in it, she sings about her and orpheus's ultimately tragic journey back from hades to the living world.
the exquisite pathos of the song derives at least in part from it being sung during the journey, when eurydice still has hope that, once they reach the living world, she will be able to hear her orpheus sing. however, as the listener knows, orpheus will turn around a moment too soon, and eurydice will be whisked away back into the underworld, leaving orpheus alone again.
some lines that suggest, or at least are consistent with, this interpretation are:
"I wrestle with an outlook on life...That shifts between darkness and shadowy light". eurydice was a shadow as she walked with orpheus to the living world;
"But orpheus sleeps on his back still dead to the world" - there is a nice double entendre here: "dead to the world" indicates both "fast asleep" and that orpheus is in the realm of the dead; and
"Please believe, when this joke is tired of laughing...I will hear the promise of my orpheus sing" - the joke is the condition placed by the gods on both orpheus and eurydice safely returning to the living world, namely, orpheus must not look at eurydice before both are back in the living world.
@brh I think you're correct. But as art is in the eye of the listener , there are many interpretations. I like the first comment as well. I heard this when in the 80's when I was heavily into poetry, Rilke and theatre. A very lush and vibrant time living in San Francisco. At that same time, Wings of Desire (by Wim Wenders) came out and it was a sychroncity of poetry, music and film that still informs and moves me to this day.
@brh I think you're correct. But as art is in the eye of the listener , there are many interpretations. I like the first comment as well. I heard this when in the 80's when I was heavily into poetry, Rilke and theatre. A very lush and vibrant time living in San Francisco. At that same time, Wings of Desire (by Wim Wenders) came out and it was a sychroncity of poetry, music and film that still informs and moves me to this day.
i've only recently come across this song and, like others who have commented, love it. upon hearing, i thought the song was written from the perspective of eurydice. in it, she sings about her and orpheus's ultimately tragic journey back from hades to the living world.
the exquisite pathos of the song derives at least in part from it being sung during the journey, when eurydice still has hope that, once they reach the living world, she will be able to hear her orpheus sing. however, as the listener knows, orpheus will turn around a moment too soon, and eurydice will be whisked away back into the underworld, leaving orpheus alone again.
some lines that suggest, or at least are consistent with, this interpretation are:
"I wrestle with an outlook on life...That shifts between darkness and shadowy light". eurydice was a shadow as she walked with orpheus to the living world;
"But orpheus sleeps on his back still dead to the world" - there is a nice double entendre here: "dead to the world" indicates both "fast asleep" and that orpheus is in the realm of the dead; and
"Please believe, when this joke is tired of laughing...I will hear the promise of my orpheus sing" - the joke is the condition placed by the gods on both orpheus and eurydice safely returning to the living world, namely, orpheus must not look at eurydice before both are back in the living world.
@brh I think you're correct. But as art is in the eye of the listener , there are many interpretations. I like the first comment as well. I heard this when in the 80's when I was heavily into poetry, Rilke and theatre. A very lush and vibrant time living in San Francisco. At that same time, Wings of Desire (by Wim Wenders) came out and it was a sychroncity of poetry, music and film that still informs and moves me to this day.
@brh I think you're correct. But as art is in the eye of the listener , there are many interpretations. I like the first comment as well. I heard this when in the 80's when I was heavily into poetry, Rilke and theatre. A very lush and vibrant time living in San Francisco. At that same time, Wings of Desire (by Wim Wenders) came out and it was a sychroncity of poetry, music and film that still informs and moves me to this day.