Hey hey hey, the end is near
On a good day you can see the end from here
But I won't turn back now though the way is clear
I will stay for the remainder
I saw a life and I called it mine
I saw it drawn so sweet and fine
And I had begun to fill in all the lines
Right down to what we'd name her
Our nature does not change by will
In the winter 'round the ruined mill
The creek is lying flat and still
It is water though it's frozen
So, across the years and miles and through
On a good day you can feel my love for you
Will you leave me be so that we can stay true
To the path that you have chosen?
On a good day you can see the end from here
But I won't turn back now though the way is clear
I will stay for the remainder
I saw a life and I called it mine
I saw it drawn so sweet and fine
And I had begun to fill in all the lines
Right down to what we'd name her
Our nature does not change by will
In the winter 'round the ruined mill
The creek is lying flat and still
It is water though it's frozen
So, across the years and miles and through
On a good day you can feel my love for you
Will you leave me be so that we can stay true
To the path that you have chosen?
Lyrics submitted by mutinyinheaven_x
On a Good Day Lyrics as written by Joanna Newsom
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I do think this is simply about two people who, despite their efforts to change or make it work, realize that they are just fundamentally different or incompatible, and that they can't deny their true nature (Our nature does not change by will/Water though it's frozen etc.). That's my take, the grieving for a life that was dreamed of and will never be, plans, hopes expectations etc.
That's what I'm going to take from it anyway, because it resonate with me. It's ambiguous enough that it can mean something else to somebody else, and that's one of the beautiful things about the song, whatever Joanna's inspiration might actually have been.