I saw the darkness in your eyes
You said you see through it,
It’s just the shadows of the pines
And that it’s a pain once was begotten
From the cradle, a time now forgotten
So how could you know until you know?
I said the sun shines on fools and lovers
Alike, and darkness is nature’s way
Of saying there’s nothing it can’t touch
With its long, skinny fingers of death
You raised your shoulder and told me
“Remorseful are days I feel happy,
For happiness only happens to the blind”
Then you sang and it was the wind
Giving lift under the wings of your spirit
And it was then I finally saw
That perhaps I’d rather be blind
And see with my beating heart
Above the shadows of the pines
Beyond the dimness of my foolish eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a brief synopsis of the narrative running through these lyrics. It was inspired by a conversation I had with my mum a few years ago.
It might sound sad but it has a positive message. It begins in the first verse with a conversation—‘there is something troubling you and I don’t know what it is’ then the antagonist replies saying it’s been there always and she doesn’t really notice anymore.
In the next verse, the conversation continues and the protagonist says ‘it doesn’t really matter in a way because you are loved despite this (the sun shines on fools and lovers alike)’, talking about the neutrality of nature and that nature has plans for all to pass away and perhaps that’s what he sees. The antagonist finishes the conversation saying only people who are ignorant to the suffering of others can be happy.
In the final verse the antagonist starts to sing and the protagonist realises that what he saw was perhaps an illusion, or maybe the antagonist feels joy despite the darkness in her life. This inspires the protagonist, admiring her and wishes to feel joy at the same tone—whether he is suffering or not.