There she sits her hands are held
Tight around her glass
She only needs to be alone
She knows this mood will pass
To realize that she was strong
And he too weak to stay
And to realize that she is better off this way

Brief candles in her mind
Bright and tiny gems of memory
Brief candles burn so fine
Leaves a light inside where she can see
What makes it all worthwhile
Her sadness makes her smile

His alone girl fades away
Left out on a limb
Finds he needs her more because
She's no more need for him
He understood so very well
The things she had to say
Soon he'll understand that he is better off this way

Brief candles in his mind
Bright and tiny gems of memory
Brief candles burn so fine
Leaves a light inside where he can see
What makes it all worthwhile
His sadness makes him smile

In the corner see his face
The man just sips his drink
Not one feeling does he show
Far too numb to think
He does not say a single word
No word of love to say
Maybe he will soon believe he's better off this way

Brief candles in his mind
Bright and tiny gems of memory
Brief candles burn so fine
Leaves a light inside where he can see
What makes it all worthwhile
His sadness makes him smile


Lyrics submitted by xJoeBoothx

Brief Candles Lyrics as written by C. White

Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Brief Candles song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

8 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +1
    General Comment

    whatever it means this song is happening

    kidfortoday70on June 23, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The title of Brief Candles comes from Aldous Huxley's collection of stories Brief Candles.

    planetearthon January 18, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Basically, telling a story about a break up...

    and the love that burned in them went out...and as time passes, hopefully he'llc ome realize that it wasen't meant to be.

    Indieflashbulbon July 16, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The title also refers to the "tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" soliloquy in Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'.

    fortmon December 01, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    an amazing song...

    TheNipperon December 11, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    A LOVE THAT'S FADING...AND A GIRL REALIZING SHE'S ENOUGH STRONG TO BEAR THAT PASSING FEELING.

    GAGAUMPAon September 29, 2011   Link
  • 0
    Song Fact

    This song is unique in the Zombies' catalog, in that the verses are sung by three different band members. The Chorus is sung by Colin Blunstone. Verse one is sung by Rod Argent. Verse two by the song's author, bassist Chris White, and, besides singing the lead on Butcher's Tale, is Chris' only turn as a lead vocalist for a Zombies' song. Verse three is sung by the Zombies' usual lead vocalist, Colin Blunstone.

    jimbo10155on October 07, 2017   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think the song is a bit ambiguous than previous posters would have it, the relationship has ended, but is it really for the best?

    They'll believe they are 'better off this way', but are they? really? That 'better off this way' feels like use of a deliberate cliche to indicate all is not what it seems, and that there's a degree of ambivalence there.

    The harmonies on this track are amazing.

    potbelliedfoolon December 09, 2019   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines: "Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet" So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other: "I had all and then most of you" Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart "Some and now none of you" Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship. This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Album art
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Album art
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve. The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future. Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere" The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Album art
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version. Great version of a great song,
Album art
Magical
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.