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Oh, oh deep water, black and cold like the night
I stand with arms wide open,
I've run a twisted line
I'm a stranger in the eyes of the Maker
I could not see for the fog in my eyes
I could not feel for the fear in my life
And from across the great divide, In the distance I saw a light
Jean Baptiste's walking to me with the Maker
My body is bent and broken by long and dangerous sleep
I can't work the fields of Abraham and turn my head away
I'm not a stranger in the hands of the Maker
Brother John, have you seen the homeless daughters
Standing there with broken wings
I have seen the flaming swords
There over east of Eden
Burning in the eyes of the Maker
Burning in the eyes of the Maker
Burning in the eyes of the Maker
Oh, river rise from your sleep
I stand with arms wide open,
I've run a twisted line
I'm a stranger in the eyes of the Maker
I could not see for the fog in my eyes
I could not feel for the fear in my life
And from across the great divide, In the distance I saw a light
Jean Baptiste's walking to me with the Maker
My body is bent and broken by long and dangerous sleep
I can't work the fields of Abraham and turn my head away
I'm not a stranger in the hands of the Maker
Brother John, have you seen the homeless daughters
Standing there with broken wings
I have seen the flaming swords
There over east of Eden
Burning in the eyes of the Maker
Burning in the eyes of the Maker
Burning in the eyes of the Maker
Oh, river rise from your sleep
Lyrics submitted by onewaronemore
Track duration: 04:14
"The Maker" as written by Daniel Roland Lanois
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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It has profound and deep Christian symbology, so knowing your bible is key to interpreting its meaning.
The lyrics reflects on man's relationship with God, and the inherent frailty of the flesh and that of the spirit, and how we all must seek redemption, absolution, and salvation, when faced with God upon judgement day. "Deep water, black, and cold like the night", is a way of describing fear and lack of direction without God's influence in your life.
He is ready to surrender with his arms wide open.
"His twisted mile" are all the justifications he has made towards himself to avoid God's plan for his life. This world, wich is blocking his sight of God, is described as the fog in his eyes. He couldn't feel God in his life, out of the all the fear and confusion this world creates. The great divide in this context is the transition between life and death, thus the barrier between heaven and earth. The song as a whole is about living in awareness of God, but not committing to God as much as he desires, but ultimately his sins is washed away upon repentance and submission to God's will. He sees the maker and John the baptist coming towards him. The maker, as used in this instance, suggest Jesus Christ.
Notice how he first appears to be a stranger in the eyes of the maker, in the first verse, meaning that the maker does not at first recognises his appearance, in all his sins. His spirit is then cleansed with the absolution, whereas God now knows him. In the second verse, he is no longer found to be a stranger in the hands of the maker.
The homeless daughters, by my guess would be Eve, who was cast out of the Garden of Eden, and Mary Magdalena, a sinner, who was a prostitute, and saved by Jesus. To be a "Homeless woman" was used as a term for prostitutes in biblical times. The last verse refers to one cherub that guards the access to paradise with a flaming sword. This is the same sword that was used to guard the garden of Eden before Adam and Eve was cast out. After the Exodus, God put it at the gates of paradise, and in that moment the flame is reflected in the eyes of God himself.
The holy spirit is the river wich is rising from its sleep, inside him.
"i have seen the flaming sword
there, over east of eden"
this is an AMAZING song....
seems to me its about someone who has either lost their faith or doesn't believe in god but god believes in them regardless.....