Cold is the water
It freezes your already cold mind
Already cold, cold mind
And death is at your doorstep
And it will steal your innocence
But it will not steal your substance

But you are not alone in this
And you are not alone in this
As brothers we will stand and we'll hold your hand
Hold your hand

And you are the mother
The mother of your baby child
The one to whom you gave life
And you have your choices
And these are what make man great
His ladder to the stars

But you are not alone in this
And you are not alone in this
As brothers we will stand and we'll hold your hand
Hold your hand

And I will tell the night
Whisper, "Lose your sight"
But I can't move the mountains for you



Lyrics submitted by Nobody-special

Track duration: 02:53


Timshel song meanings
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  • 0
    General Comment:This song has two John Steinbeck references I can identify:

    "Cold is the water" is from "Of Mice and Men", where Lenny almost drowns.
    As boydig has stated, this is not the only "Of Mice and Men" reference here.

    The title "Timshel" comes from "East of Eden", where a Chinese Character, Lee, is trying to understand the biblical story of Cain and Abel. You see, in one translation, God said to Cain after he had killed his brother: "And if thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at thy door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him". Another translation said "and thou do rule over him".

    Lee goes to some Chinese scholars, learns Hebrew, and eventually learns that the word used there is "Timshel", meaning "thou mayest" rule over sin.

    He talks to Mr. Hamilton about this, and he says to him: "Why, that makes a man great, that gives him stature with the gods, for in his weakness and his filth and his murder of his brother he still has the greatest choice. ... But this--this is a ladder to climb to the stars."
    Flag 0Townon March 22, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Its about choosing life. Its about the controversy of choosing life or not.
    Very well written.
    Flag KJFSNSon March 20, 2013   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:Your actions are the children you give birth to.Your friends(and your God) will help you through their consequences. The consequences of your actions can be great(like ladders to the stars)or they can be obsticals like mountains which no one else can overcome for you. Life is like cold water on your head. It is the struggle which numbs the mind. The meaning of life defined by the consequences of your actions.
    Flag MrPhippson March 12, 2013   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:Maybe the song is about grief. A mother's grief. A mother that lost her son. Grief is cold, and will steal your innocence - it will steal your warmth but we are still here in substance. "But you are not alone in this" means that your family, your friends "your brothers" are here to comfort. We will do all we can, we will "whisper, 'Lose your sight' But I can't move the mountains for you" - I can help you with your grief but cannot change what has happened. I cannot bring him back.
    Flag variel07on February 26, 2013   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:I have a lack of Shakespeare knowledge, so my opinion on the song's meaning is quite a long shot from what it might truly mean. But here's how I feel it...

    "Cold is the water, it freezes your already cold mind" This line is referring to the struggles one faces in life, life being the water. The cold mine refers to someone who is already facing some pretty negative situations.

    "And death is at your doorstep, and it will steal your innocence" The first part of this line means that this person is very close to death, and the innocence being stolen referring to the person ending life. I first interpreted this as the person committing suicide, although other readers believe the song is about abortion.

    "But you are not alone in this, as brothers we will hold your hand." Reference to how you are never truly alone in your struggles, that there will always be someone looking out for you.

    "And you are the mother, the mother of your baby child, the one whom you gave life, and you have your choices, and these are what make man great, his ladder to the stars." So, the first part is pretty obvious, the subject of the song is a mother, and I think "you have your choices" means that the mother can choose to either leave her child by killing herself, or she can choose a different path, which will prove that she has strength (these are what make man great), and this might lead her to better things.

    The last few lines just basically mean that although others may be able to drive away the darkness in your head temporarily, it doesn't mean they can take away all your problems.

    Anyways, great song, touches everyone in a different, unique, and emotional way. Love you M&S.
    Flag crybabecryon January 15, 2013   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:This is a beautiful song. The gist of this is that nobody can fight your battles for you, but you are not alone in your struggle. As someone else commented, Timshel is the Hebrew word meaning "thou mayest." It means you have a choice, which is discussed in John Steinbeck's work "East of Eden."

    These are the lines from the book:

    “Don’t you see?” he cried. “The American Standard translation orders men to triumph over sin, and you can call sin ignorance. The King James translation makes a promise in ‘Thou shalt,’ meaning that men will surely triumph over sin. But the Hebrew word, the word timshel—‘Thou mayest’— that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if ‘Thou mayest’—it is also true that ‘Thou mayest not.’ Don’t you see?”

    The song talks about struggle and triumph.

    "And you are not alone in this
    As brothers we will stand and we'll hold your hand"

    "But I can't move the mountains for you"

    Pretty powerful.
    Flag derbyzebraon January 04, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It's from East of Eden, Marcus Mumford's favorite American novel. There's a whole dialogue in the book about the Hebrew word "Timshel" and what it means. He talks about this in an interview about the song.
    Flag racon2ron November 27, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:This song is a unique way of speaking to a women with an unwanted pregnancy. The lyrics speak to someone in a bleak situation 'Cold is the water, it freezes your already cold mind' and acknowledges that a life hangs in the balance 'death is at your doorstep.'

    Then, rather than preaching, legislating, or harassing the women, the lyrics gently promise that she will not be alone in this "you are not alone in this, as brothers we will stand and we'll hold your hand."

    To clarify the situation, the next verse acknowledges that the women is pregnant "you are the mother" and acknowledges that the baby in the womb is a life "the one to whom you gave life."

    The KEY LINE in this song is "And you have your choices, and these are what make man great, his ladder to the stars." The take away is that this tough situation also presents a unique chance for heroism. The women can become great and help move towards heaven by making the right choice.

    So yes, the women has the choice. The law and politics are irrelevant. BUT, one's choices are of profound personal and spiritual consequence.
    Flag fgh456on October 16, 2012   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:I can't really think of a meaning for this song but i'm thinking it might be about someone who is dying or has died.

    This part of the song definitely:
    But you are not alone in this
    And you are not alone in this
    As brothers we will stand and we'll hold your hand
    Hold your hand

    In life we all go through something that's difficult to deal with and we may feel alone. But for the lyrics above i think someone has died and they are saying ' you are not alone in this' because you may feel like you are but you aren't. It's also saying ' As brothers we will stand and we'll hold your hand' means that the brothers are always going to be there for you and will hold your hand through this.
    Flag dionnemcfon October 07, 2012   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:It could be about abortion, with the translation of timshel being 'thou mayest', or suggesting a choice or option.
    But I always think of a woman who has just had a baby and her partner has passed away. It sort of fits. And the song is sung by her friends or brothers who will take care of her but she also needs to stand strong on her own and take care of things.
    Flag green_eyes88on August 20, 2012   Link

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