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I've felt you coming, girl, as you drew near
I knew you'd find me, 'cause I longed you here
Are you my destiny?
Is this how you'll appear?
Wrapped in a coat with tears in your eyes?
Well, take that coat, babe, and throw it on the floor
Are you the one that I've been waiting for?
As you've been moving surely toward me
My soul has comforted and assured me
That in time, my heart, it will reward me
And that all will be revealed
So I've sat and I've watched an ice-age thaw
Are you the one that I've been waiting for?
Out of sorrow entire worlds have been built
Out of longing great wonders have been willed
They're only little tears, darling, let them spill
And lay your head upon my shoulder
Outside my window, the world has gone to war
Are you the one that I've been waiting for?
Oh, we will know, won't we?
The stars will explode in the sky
Oh, but they don't, do they?
Stars have their moment and then they die
There's a man who spoke wonders, though I've never met him
He said: "He who seeks, finds, and who knocks, will be let in,"
I think of you in motion and just how close you are getting
And how every little thing anticipates you
All down my veins my heart-strings call
Are you the one that I've been waiting for?
I knew you'd find me, 'cause I longed you here
Are you my destiny?
Is this how you'll appear?
Wrapped in a coat with tears in your eyes?
Well, take that coat, babe, and throw it on the floor
Are you the one that I've been waiting for?
As you've been moving surely toward me
My soul has comforted and assured me
That in time, my heart, it will reward me
And that all will be revealed
So I've sat and I've watched an ice-age thaw
Are you the one that I've been waiting for?
Out of sorrow entire worlds have been built
Out of longing great wonders have been willed
They're only little tears, darling, let them spill
And lay your head upon my shoulder
Outside my window, the world has gone to war
Are you the one that I've been waiting for?
Oh, we will know, won't we?
The stars will explode in the sky
Oh, but they don't, do they?
Stars have their moment and then they die
There's a man who spoke wonders, though I've never met him
He said: "He who seeks, finds, and who knocks, will be let in,"
I think of you in motion and just how close you are getting
And how every little thing anticipates you
All down my veins my heart-strings call
Are you the one that I've been waiting for?
Lyrics submitted by delial, edited by Mellow_Harsher
Track duration: 04:05
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He reasons that usually people talk of an explosion of love but his was more of a river flowing to that conclusion and he's considering whether he's arrived there yet.
Following this, I feel that he is drawing a distinction between the traditional, explosion of love that may fade, "Stars have their moment, then they die." and this new, more subtle love. I think - perhaps hope - that he is saying the latter is 'true' and lasts longer.
What is clear is that he's expressing hope that he will find this love in the future, soon.
But how will he know for certain when he has found his true love? Will there be clear signs? Will stars explode overhead?
I think he's also expressing how there are very few certainties in life. There is an implication of fear or doubt, by saying it would be nice if we knew for certain, if when we knew we met our true love we could be certain because of undeniable indications, if stars exploded overhead when we met, but in reality we know that doesn't happen.
In reality the only certainty in life is that life blooms and then it fades, the inevitable transcience of time.
Sometimes we don't know that we've met out true love until time has passed. Maybe why some have interpretted this song as longing for a lost love. All Nick is expressing is clear longing for true love, and hope he will find true love soon. The implication being that "true love" would endure, maybe that is the only indication that it is "true love" versus another kind of love that could not be lost, just as other loves have.
The biblical reference I think points out that he can find in each lover past or future what he looks for, or what he's been waiting for. And perhaps even, in reflecting his past loves, that he only ever found what he was looking for, and just has to change the focus of his vision. :)
At least that's what it means to me. . . ;)
And also, this is one of the most touching and moving songs I've ever heard.
"We don't have to be stars exploding in the night or electric eels under the covers. We don't have to be anything quite so unreal, let's just be lovers."
and while I don't think the songs relate much I do think this line expresses something similar. Like everyone is saying about the hyped up concept of love, we expect some sort of miracle to fall on us when we fall in love but actually nothing like that happens, the world just keeps going. What this song really emphasizes to me is that it's not the stars exploding around you, or the fireworks in a movie kiss that make love so incredible, it's just the love, it's that person standing infront of you wrapped in a coat, the way you feel them all down your veins, how the world can go to war outside your window and all you care about is being there for them.
- the stars don't explode in the sky-
this is just the opposite how we feel when we are in love or think we have found love.
Second, I always saw it as someone looking back on the quest for love. The disappointment that he expresses when he sings, "Oh, we will know, won't we? The stars will explode in the sky, Oh, but they don't, do they? Stars have their moment and then they die"
It sounds like the crushing disappointment of finding that love isn't like it is in films and books, but still he's looking and so he's asking, "Are you the one that I've been waiting for?"
This is love.... we dont have that.... i waited for this?
Second, I always saw it as someone looking back on the quest for love. The disappointment that he expresses when he sings, "Oh, we will know, won't we? The stars will explode in the sky, Oh, but they don't, do they? Stars have their moment and then they die"
It sounds like the crushing disappointment of finding that love isn't like it is in films and books, but still he's looking and so he's asking, "Are you the one that I've been waiting for?"
I knew you'd find me, 'cause I longed you here
He's been looking for someone to love and who'll love him in a pure way. Strange when you consider Nick Cave's reputation with women but I think the whole sleeping with so soon part has cheapened the women in his life and he's looking for something different. I don't know how to articulate it properly but I relate to it so much, the entire song.