I completely agree with and understand the interpretation of this song as the end of a relationship, but I also think there is an entirely valid secondary interpretation as well. I can definitely see how one might view this song as the relationship between God and a devoted believer.
Specifically, I think that the follower is near death and desires God's reassurance and blessing. The line "And when silence greets my last goodbye" brings to mind the death of the believer and the departure of the soul. Not to detract too much, but I would like to connect this line to Shakespeare's 'Hamlet', as Hamlet's final words before death are "The rest is silence." The earlier phrase of "our last dance" in the first line of the song also brings this thought, perhaps of the final moment of life.
Furthermore, the line "Cause they're all just slaves to the Gods they've made" suggests that those who are in the physical world surrounding the dying believer are not followers of the same religion, and actually worship false deities. The line follows with "But you and I, just shone, just shone," insinuating that the believer was unbothered by the others because he/she had the light of God in life.
Finally, the principle images in the song are eyes, the sun, and a cloud, and they all connect to the interpretation of faith. The eyes are suggestive of the ever-present eyes of God. The sun connects directly to the song's title and has symbolized almighty power and salvation since ancient times. The cloud is likely a simple metaphor for heaven, with the "dancing" as a representation of basking in heaven.
This is personally my favorite of James Blunt's songs because of just how ambiguous it is upon examination. Blunt often wrote on themes of religion in some of his songs and this song is no exception. Lastly, I will add that this interpretation connects fairly well to the title of the whole album - "All the Lost Souls"
I completely agree with and understand the interpretation of this song as the end of a relationship, but I also think there is an entirely valid secondary interpretation as well. I can definitely see how one might view this song as the relationship between God and a devoted believer.
Specifically, I think that the follower is near death and desires God's reassurance and blessing. The line "And when silence greets my last goodbye" brings to mind the death of the believer and the departure of the soul. Not to detract too much, but I would like to connect this line to Shakespeare's 'Hamlet', as Hamlet's final words before death are "The rest is silence." The earlier phrase of "our last dance" in the first line of the song also brings this thought, perhaps of the final moment of life.
Furthermore, the line "Cause they're all just slaves to the Gods they've made" suggests that those who are in the physical world surrounding the dying believer are not followers of the same religion, and actually worship false deities. The line follows with "But you and I, just shone, just shone," insinuating that the believer was unbothered by the others because he/she had the light of God in life.
Finally, the principle images in the song are eyes, the sun, and a cloud, and they all connect to the interpretation of faith. The eyes are suggestive of the ever-present eyes of God. The sun connects directly to the song's title and has symbolized almighty power and salvation since ancient times. The cloud is likely a simple metaphor for heaven, with the "dancing" as a representation of basking in heaven.
This is personally my favorite of James Blunt's songs because of just how ambiguous it is upon examination. Blunt often wrote on themes of religion in some of his songs and this song is no exception. Lastly, I will add that this interpretation connects fairly well to the title of the whole album - "All the Lost Souls"