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Lodestar Lyrics
out of the night, into the water
we push the boat from shore
breaking the air and the stillness of the bay
intensity of stars reflected in the harbour
silently ignite
the oar dips into oil like water
and we are away
your hand won't write
not tonight
but your mind may wander
into those deep lagoons that you know
and your boat will go by starlight alone
da da da da da da da da
you sang to the moon
in the great black night
with no lodestar in sight
out of the night
out of the water
we pull the boat back to shore
breathe in the air and the stillness of the bay
intensity of stars reflected in the water
silently ignite
the oar dips into oil like water
and we are away
under the moon in the great black night
with no lodestar in sight
and wait for it
there are only two things now
this great black night
and the fireglow
and listen! the darkness rings
the darkness....
listen! the darkness rings
and wait for it
there are only two of us now
this great black night, scooped out
and this fireglow
listen! the darkness rings
the darkness...
listen! the darkness rings
take off your things
and listen!
the darkness rings
Sarah and a new love go for a leisurely late-night boat ride on the bay, being guided by the moon and stars alone. I think it is about the possibilities of a new relationship, finding out about each other in the darkness. A lodestar is a star that is used as a point of reference for all others. With no guiding lodestar in the sky, Sarah is equating the night with the relationship. There are no goals, no plans, just the beautiful ambiguity that a new relationship brings. With great uncertainty comes great possibilities.
That's a good thought... Personally, I like to sing this when I get out on the canoe. How would you phrase the "oil like water" part? The water is like oil? The way the oar dips in is like in oil? That's the only part that confuses me.
I think she's just trying to further the "darkness" theme. Close your eyes and it's night out, you're on the water and the water is black (like oil). It's a bit of a dreamy song too, so you might imagine that the water is not only reflecting white/yellow light, but that it looks a bit iridescent. Any way you shake it, it's a bit mysterious and other worldly.
I think she's just trying to further the "darkness" theme. Close your eyes and it's night out, you're on the water and the water is black (like oil). It's a bit of a dreamy song too, so you might imagine that the water is not only reflecting white/yellow light, but that it looks a bit iridescent. Any way you shake it, it's a bit mysterious and other worldly.
I love how the song just crescendos near the end as if the dizzying perfection of the moment is almost maddening, then dies on the last line as if she's falling exausted from sensual indulgence into her lover's arms.
Oh my goodness, tubesocks, are you Sarah herself?
I looked up the meaning of 'Lodestar' and came up with the whole 'guiding light' thing but I also got some sort of belief or moral. When I met her in October I asked her what she meant by 'lodestar' and she said, well, basically what you said. She also said it was a good clothes dryer.
This song is so beautiful. I love the idea of just two lovers with nothing to go by but the darkness and the fire, no stars to guide them, only eachother's desires and curiosity. Out on the water in the darkness, with a million stars in the sky... Ahhhhh, to have something like that again! By the way, the oil-like water, I think that is just a way to describe the way the water looks in the dark: black, smooth and so on.
In response to the interpretation of the lyrics describing a new relationship, I think they could also describe a matured relationship that nevertheless has been unstable in some way. The lodestar may not be the purpose or the goal of the relationship itself, but the signal they each rely on to know that the other is still with them. Sometimes the lodestar goes missing.
The lodestar reference is that of \'no guiding light\' which implies that all relationships - in this case romantic (imho) - requires us to be like the Fool (tarot card) in order for us to fully immerse ourselves but also that we must have faith (non religious) in the unknown. And by the sound of it, these two in this song are doing a good job at both.