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I could have been a sailor, could have been
a cook
A real live lover, could have been a book
I could have been a signpost, could have been
a clock
As simple as a kettle, steady as a rock
I could be
Here and now
I would be. I should be
But how?
I could have been
One of these things first
I could have been
One of these things first.
I could have been your pillar, could have been
your door
I could have stayed beside you, could have stayed
for more
I could have been your statue
Could have been your friend
A whole long lilfetime could have been the end
I could be yours so true
I would be. I should be through and through.
I could have been
One of these things first
I could have been
One of these things first.
I could have beena whistle, could have been
a flute
A real live giver, could have been a boot
I could have been a signpost, could have been
a clock
As simple as a kettle steady as a rock
I could even be here
I would be. I should be so near
I could have been
One of these things first
I could have been
One of these things first.
a cook
A real live lover, could have been a book
I could have been a signpost, could have been
a clock
As simple as a kettle, steady as a rock
I could be
Here and now
I would be. I should be
But how?
I could have been
One of these things first
I could have been
One of these things first.
I could have been your pillar, could have been
your door
I could have stayed beside you, could have stayed
for more
I could have been your statue
Could have been your friend
A whole long lilfetime could have been the end
I could be yours so true
I would be. I should be through and through.
I could have been
One of these things first
I could have been
One of these things first.
I could have beena whistle, could have been
a flute
A real live giver, could have been a boot
I could have been a signpost, could have been
a clock
As simple as a kettle steady as a rock
I could even be here
I would be. I should be so near
I could have been
One of these things first
I could have been
One of these things first.
Lyrics submitted by foxyurchin
Track duration: 04:51
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And while that's admirable and should be the standard in love, the downside is that when you lose that person or that person loses you, the years of invested time to that commitment pretty much destroys the being of the other after they've lost that person.
Now that may not be true, but the fear of how that would feel like is what a lot of men feel when they ponder a lifetime commitment with someone.
Being with one person until the end is probably the manliest thing a man could do. Not many men have that virtue. I think Nick Drake (or the voice he created in the lyric) is really questioning his worth if he cannot be with someone until the end given that it can be inferred that he (the voice in the lyric) is no longer with that person.
"Sure," he's saying, "I should be able to go on tour and give interviews, to play facing people...heck, to have normal relationships with people! But I could just as soon be a kettle or a clock or a signpost as do any of those things that come so easily to you."
I could be-- even here.
I would be-- I should be-- so near.
I could have been one of these things first."
to me this song was always about the buddhist idea of rebirth as mentioned, but also the buddhist mentality of appreciation for the present form and acceptance of the grand Is. It's about learning/trying to just be, and how hard it is to not think of all the coulds shoulds and woulds along the way. hindsight is 20/20, but things simply happen/ed a certain way based on the variables at any given moment. How things COULD have been so many other ways but in fact weren't, and the beauty around them being and having been the way they are. the stanza i quoted sums it up to me. His life could be simple as a kettle, and steady as a rock-- and then the epiphany-- it could be like that in his current form. would be, should be, and almost is! Maybe even was before..
great tune, and i'm proud i liked garden state more for it rather than the other way around.
In the first verse he looks at what kind of person he could have been in general. “First” here refers to before he met the person in verse 2.
He could have been an explorer (a sailer), a provider (a cook), a lover, someone who spent their time gaining knowledge about the world (a book). He could have been simply something to show others the direction they should go in (a sign post), he could have been simply something to show others the stage of their life they were at (a clock). He could have been simple and unremarkable (a kettle), he could have been strong and reliable (a rock). He could still be any of those things but doesn’t know how to change.
In the second verse he looks at what kind of a person he could have been during a specific relationship. Here “first” refers to before the relationship ended.
He could have been the person’s support (a pillar), an escape route from something else, or entrance into something different (door), could have been the unchanging constant that reflected what the other person was and belonged to the other person completely without taking anything from the relationship himself (your statue), could have just remained a friend (as difficult to be as all these other things). Then their relationship would have lasted a lifetime. He could have been, he should have been… before the relationship ended.
In the final verse deals with the end of the relationship. The “first” here refers to before he had the experiences he had. Before he had had certain experiences, he would have had the choice to do either of these things (which are complete opposites). However after the experiences, the choice is no longer his. He could have been the one pointing out the problems, annoying and controlling (a whistle), he could have been the opposite, singing all the praises of the other person, trying to please them (a flute). He could have just kept giving and giving (a real live giver) or he could have ended it by just kicking the other person out of his life (a boot). He repeats that he could have been a signpost and a clock but this time meaning specifically to the other person – he could have been their warning sign, could have told them where they were heading, could have told them who they were. He could have made them aware of the days that passed, the commitments in life, time running out, kept them busy in between other things. Could have just been simple and unremarkable to the person, could have been a strong and reliable thing in that person’s life.
Even now, divided by time and/or physical distance, he can still be those things to the person. But he should have been those things before they broke up… now it’s too late. The choices he made defined him and there is no way that he could be something other than what he is, there is no way the relationship could have gone any way other than how it did.
Thank you so much for your post and thoughtfulness.
I could have been a real live lover,
as steady as a rock
I could be here and now.
I would be. I should be, But how?
I could have been your pillar,
I could have stayed beside you,
could have stayed for more
Could have been your friend
A whole long lilfetime
Could have been the end
I could be yours so true
I would be. I should be
Through and through.
I could have been a real live giver,
Could have been as steady as a rock
I could even be here
I would be. I should be so near