I spend too much time raiding windmills
We go side by side
Laughing until it's right

There's something that you won't show
Waiting where the light goes
Take the darkest hour-break it open
Water to repair what we have broken

There's something that you won't show
Waiting where the light goes
And anyway the wind blows
It's all worth waiting for

Pull on the borders to lighten the load
Tell all the passengers we're going home

I spend too much time seeking shelter
World without end couldn't hold her

There's something that you won't show
Waiting where the light goes
And anyway the wind blows
It's all worth waiting for
Anyway the wind blows



Lyrics submitted by rabidpenguin

Track duration: 03:47

"Windmills" as written by Dinning/guss/phillips/nichols

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Windmills song meanings
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27 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:For me this song is about as much as we chase dreams and the desires that may or may not come to fruition, in the end whatever life brings is a blessing. "Maybe anyway the wind blows, is all worth waiting for, anyway the wind blows." I think he realizes that after chasing fantasies like Don Quixote, he discovers that what he already has is what life is ultimately about. The journey is what makes life fulfilling rather than always trying to manipulate life to suit us -- "water to repair what we have broken."

    So we spend too much time chasing windmills, but it's time to go home and be with the ones we love. Because in the end that's all we have. Maybe anyway life takes us is special and worth living for rather than always being focused on the future where life may never be fulfilled.
    Flag LAGalaxyFan77on February 17, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I have been reading through each and every comment/interpretation and realized that your folks are very book smart and perceptive. I don't believe I could have disected and interpreted the music the way you all have. It's quite impressive and I really find it fascinating to read your thoughts. It gets kind of deep sometimes but I understood what most of you wrote and they all seem plausible. That's one of the great things about music. It's open to interpretation. I think the meaning of the song is in the "Ear Of The Beholder", which means there is no right or wrong (unless the artist provides us with an explaination as to how the song came about). When I hear a song, especially one as amazing as this one, I pay attention to how it makes me "Feel". I think the purpose of music is to make your think and feel. And if your lucky, it will transport you back in time in a matter of seconds and the memory that was brought back to you is as clear as if it happened yesterday. It's a wonderful gift it gives us. I love the Toads/Glenn Phillips music. I think he is a brilliant songwriter. He not only writes songs, he writes masterpieces. He hasn't recieved nearly the credit he deserves in my humble opinion. I rambling on to long here. I love to talk and it crosses over when I write a comment. I haven't learned to self-edit:)
    Flag Distarron October 17, 2010   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:Don Quijote was a knight from a novel who used to chase windmills because he thought that they were dragons and everybody laughed at him for doing so. The song is so sad, he spends too much time chasing dreams.
    Flag RhiLavenderon February 24, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Apparently, no one who has so far commented on this song has seen the movie "Latter Days" by C.J. Cox. The melody of this song is played repeatedly throughout the movie and the entire song sung by Toad the Wet Sprocket is play in the joyous final 2-3 minutes of the movie and while the credits roll.

    Latter Days is about a closeted gay Mormon missionary boy, Steve Sandvoss,who ends up in West LA living next door to a swinging-hot gay party boy, Wes Ramsey. The two encounter each other and struggle with their totally different lifestyles, values and attraction to one another.

    When you consider the words to Windmills in the context of the movie, it makes sense, its all about the transformation from being a person inclined to hide who he/she is, to being genuine to the world about what they think they must hide. The person playing behind the Windmills wants to cut out the nonsense (pull on the borders; tell the passengers we're GOING HOME!) and accept that the world won't end and the damage that may result by their self liberation (it will only take water to repair the damage) will be minimal compared to the joy that awaits them. Now matter what happens; no matter how the wind blows, IT'S ALL WORTH WAITING FOR! Waiting, as opposed to doing it immediately may suggest that if one is not quite ready today, wait and do it when you are ready but definitely plan on doing it.

    Now I don't know if the guys who wrote this song had this in mind, but clearly CJ Cox did when he selected Windmills to be the lead song in the Latter Days soundtrack.

    I'm gay myself am gay and came out of the closet as a result of seeing the movie Latter Days a few times over a period of days. I've always fantasized that if I ever get married, we'll play Windmills to walk down the aisle.
    Flag Moishgilon January 08, 2010   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:"There's something that you won't show
    Waiting where the light goes
    Take the darkest hour-break it open
    Water to repair what we have broken"

    Perhaps the first couple lines are referring to the fact that we have some divinity within each of us that is waiting to escape. The final line here may be referring to baptism - which, according to most Christian churches, washes away our sins (something we have broken).
    Flag rlyman44on December 29, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:There are a number of errors in the lyrics, here and all over the web.

    "Pull on the borders to lighten the load" doesn't make a lot of sense, and it doesn't seem to connect to the next line. That's because the correct lyrics are "Call on the porters to lighten the load." Porters are people whose job it is to carry your luggage.

    As one person noted, it is "Take the darkest doubt"

    And as another noted, it's is "Anywhere the wind blows," not "anyway."
    Flag MatthewFon December 24, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:he says "maybe anywhere the wind blows" instead of "and anyway"

    but..the part where it says "Take the darkest hour-break it open"
    does anyone think it says "take the darkest doubt-break it open"? just always sounded cooler to me.

    great great song. i saw them (toad) live recently back to back shows and they played this both times. amazing.
    Flag RichBOHon December 14, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:One of the finest songs ever recorded.
    Flag TheMonolithon October 06, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I've always loved Toad the wet sprocket and this song only makes me love them more. Such a shame they are no longer an official 'band'.

    Like the posts above, I agree "Windmills" is directly taken from the tale of Don Quixote (ie., chasing windmills and the albums title Dulcinea, Quixote's dream lover) and is used effectively in Glen's lyrics. I used to think the line

    "I spend too much time raiding windmills"

    was

    "I spend too much time reading the news"

    Then that wouldn't really fit into the context of the Don Quixote allusion, would it?


    Flag somebodyknowson May 29, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:'World without end, couldn't hold her' fantasy of perfection - a world without reality, without end, his unrealistic mind could not hold her... a love lost
    Or
    'World without end, couldn't hold her' infinite possibilities of reality couldn't hold her, she committed suicide, died of drug addiction, some sort of a fatal attempt to escape the vagaries of reality...

    Either way a love lost.

    Flag metaphoriouson May 16, 2009   Link

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