This song is certainly about abortion. Here's how I choose to dissect it. The opening verse - "Since the operation I heard you're breathing just for one" - this clearly indicates the subject matter. As does "You left another message, said it's done". The first of several references to the child as an insubstantiated, imaginary, or not yet a whole being is "Now everything is imaginary, especially what you love". This both describes the child and the state of mind that the mother enters after the abortion. Its a horrific feeling of grieving for something that isn't there, and in a sense never was. Grieving for someone you've never met yet you're inexplicably in love with.
Next verse:
"Standing on a doorstep full of nervous butterflies
Waiting to be asked to come inside"
I believe this refers to waiting outside the hospital or home of the mother after the operation. Undoubtedly this is going to be a horrible feeling of uncertainty, guilt, and fear.
Next verse:
"But I keep going out
I can't sleep next to a stranger when I'm coming down
It's 8 a.m., my heart is beating too loud"
This suggests that he turns to drugs to distract him from the grief he feels as a result of losing a child. Which drug? I don't know, and I don't think it is of particular importance here. What is important is why he has turned to drugs. Most interestingly does this particular personal pain suggest that this could have been Conor's child; or is he merely placing himself in the shoes of the father?
"Don't be so amazing or I'll miss you too much
I felt something that I had never touched"
I believe this again refers to the lost child.
"You can move mountains with your misery if you don't"
This is a beautifully lyrical line depicting the extent of the grief if it is confronted head on, unsupported. The grief must be either masked by drugs, by company, or by simply getting in touch with nature. Going for a walk (as he seems to do in the final verse) still seems to be the best way of clearing your head.
"It comes to me in fragments, even those still split in two
Under the leaves of that old lime tree I stood examining the fruit
Some were ripe and some were rotten, I felt naseous with the truth"
This refers to the painful memory of the abortion coming back to him sporadically - "in fragments" - throughout his mourning. The use of the lime tree is intriguing. I believe he has attempted to find comfort in nature as Coleridge does, hence the reference in the title. Unfortunately he sees a different metaphor in the lime's fruit. The "ripe" and "rotten" refering back to the child as being "rotten"; never fully reaching its potential , becoming tainted and then lost. As he notices this he feels "naseous" with pangs of realisation and is forced to take this moment to confront his grief head on.
"There will never be a time more opportune
So I just won't be late
The window closes, shocks roll over in a tidal wave
And all the color drains out of the frame"
This is when the grief hits and overwhelms him.
"So pleased with a daydream that now living is no good"
This is a truly fantastic lyric which depicts how he had become so attached to his imagined child, that now it is gone, living in reality is rendered pointless.
"I took off my shoes and walked into the woods
I felt lost and found with every step I took"
He walks again to find comfort for this event but this lyric has a more important meaning in the context of the album. He has spent the entire album searching for emotional and spiritual contentment. The whole album is about going from place to place looking for somewhere where he can be at peace. Then once he has finally found somewhere in the penultimate song
"I must belong somewhere,
I know that know thay's why I'm staying here."
his contentment is smashed by a tragic personal event. This child's death has displaced him once again. He now must begin his search all over again. This is an exceptionally painful realisation.
Opinions?
Whatever you think this is a truly magnificent end to a very fine album.
I agree with most of your interpretation. I don't think the "some are ripe and some are rotten" is referring to the child being rotten. I think he means some of the memories of the event. He knows why the abortion was done and I have a feeling that he agreed to it. Although the "sleeping next to a stranger" part would indicate otherwise. However, if we go along with the idea that he did agree to the woman getting an abortion, then I think he is saying that he understands that it needed to be done and that it...
I agree with most of your interpretation. I don't think the "some are ripe and some are rotten" is referring to the child being rotten. I think he means some of the memories of the event. He knows why the abortion was done and I have a feeling that he agreed to it. Although the "sleeping next to a stranger" part would indicate otherwise. However, if we go along with the idea that he did agree to the woman getting an abortion, then I think he is saying that he understands that it needed to be done and that it was the best decision, however, he is clearly mourning. I also think the part where he is "lost and found with every step he takes" is sort of the same thing. In all of his thinking, he at times feels at peace with the situation (or forces himself to believe he is at peace) and at times, the grieving comes back to him.
I understood the last part after recently braking up with my boyfriend. At times I convinced myself that it was the right thing to do, and then later I'd convince myself to call him and try to make up. And it just goes back and forth that way. Lost and found with each step. It makes so much sense once you've been there.
I agree with most of your interpretation. I don't think the "some are ripe and some are rotten" is referring to the child being rotten. I think he means some of the memories of the event. He knows why the abortion was done and I have a feeling that he agreed to it. Although the "sleeping next to a stranger" part would indicate otherwise. However, if we go along with the idea that he did agree to the woman getting an abortion, then I think he is saying that he understands that it needed to be done and that it...
I agree with most of your interpretation. I don't think the "some are ripe and some are rotten" is referring to the child being rotten. I think he means some of the memories of the event. He knows why the abortion was done and I have a feeling that he agreed to it. Although the "sleeping next to a stranger" part would indicate otherwise. However, if we go along with the idea that he did agree to the woman getting an abortion, then I think he is saying that he understands that it needed to be done and that it was the best decision, however, he is clearly mourning. I also think the part where he is "lost and found with every step he takes" is sort of the same thing. In all of his thinking, he at times feels at peace with the situation (or forces himself to believe he is at peace) and at times, the grieving comes back to him.
I understood the last part after recently braking up with my boyfriend. At times I convinced myself that it was the right thing to do, and then later I'd convince myself to call him and try to make up. And it just goes back and forth that way. Lost and found with each step. It makes so much sense once you've been there.
This song is certainly about abortion. Here's how I choose to dissect it. The opening verse - "Since the operation I heard you're breathing just for one" - this clearly indicates the subject matter. As does "You left another message, said it's done". The first of several references to the child as an insubstantiated, imaginary, or not yet a whole being is "Now everything is imaginary, especially what you love". This both describes the child and the state of mind that the mother enters after the abortion. Its a horrific feeling of grieving for something that isn't there, and in a sense never was. Grieving for someone you've never met yet you're inexplicably in love with.
Next verse: "Standing on a doorstep full of nervous butterflies Waiting to be asked to come inside" I believe this refers to waiting outside the hospital or home of the mother after the operation. Undoubtedly this is going to be a horrible feeling of uncertainty, guilt, and fear.
Next verse: "But I keep going out I can't sleep next to a stranger when I'm coming down It's 8 a.m., my heart is beating too loud" This suggests that he turns to drugs to distract him from the grief he feels as a result of losing a child. Which drug? I don't know, and I don't think it is of particular importance here. What is important is why he has turned to drugs. Most interestingly does this particular personal pain suggest that this could have been Conor's child; or is he merely placing himself in the shoes of the father?
"Don't be so amazing or I'll miss you too much I felt something that I had never touched" I believe this again refers to the lost child.
"You can move mountains with your misery if you don't" This is a beautifully lyrical line depicting the extent of the grief if it is confronted head on, unsupported. The grief must be either masked by drugs, by company, or by simply getting in touch with nature. Going for a walk (as he seems to do in the final verse) still seems to be the best way of clearing your head.
"It comes to me in fragments, even those still split in two Under the leaves of that old lime tree I stood examining the fruit Some were ripe and some were rotten, I felt naseous with the truth" This refers to the painful memory of the abortion coming back to him sporadically - "in fragments" - throughout his mourning. The use of the lime tree is intriguing. I believe he has attempted to find comfort in nature as Coleridge does, hence the reference in the title. Unfortunately he sees a different metaphor in the lime's fruit. The "ripe" and "rotten" refering back to the child as being "rotten"; never fully reaching its potential , becoming tainted and then lost. As he notices this he feels "naseous" with pangs of realisation and is forced to take this moment to confront his grief head on. "There will never be a time more opportune So I just won't be late The window closes, shocks roll over in a tidal wave And all the color drains out of the frame" This is when the grief hits and overwhelms him.
"So pleased with a daydream that now living is no good" This is a truly fantastic lyric which depicts how he had become so attached to his imagined child, that now it is gone, living in reality is rendered pointless.
"I took off my shoes and walked into the woods I felt lost and found with every step I took" He walks again to find comfort for this event but this lyric has a more important meaning in the context of the album. He has spent the entire album searching for emotional and spiritual contentment. The whole album is about going from place to place looking for somewhere where he can be at peace. Then once he has finally found somewhere in the penultimate song "I must belong somewhere, I know that know thay's why I'm staying here." his contentment is smashed by a tragic personal event. This child's death has displaced him once again. He now must begin his search all over again. This is an exceptionally painful realisation.
Opinions?
Whatever you think this is a truly magnificent end to a very fine album.
I agree with most of your interpretation. I don't think the "some are ripe and some are rotten" is referring to the child being rotten. I think he means some of the memories of the event. He knows why the abortion was done and I have a feeling that he agreed to it. Although the "sleeping next to a stranger" part would indicate otherwise. However, if we go along with the idea that he did agree to the woman getting an abortion, then I think he is saying that he understands that it needed to be done and that it...
I agree with most of your interpretation. I don't think the "some are ripe and some are rotten" is referring to the child being rotten. I think he means some of the memories of the event. He knows why the abortion was done and I have a feeling that he agreed to it. Although the "sleeping next to a stranger" part would indicate otherwise. However, if we go along with the idea that he did agree to the woman getting an abortion, then I think he is saying that he understands that it needed to be done and that it was the best decision, however, he is clearly mourning. I also think the part where he is "lost and found with every step he takes" is sort of the same thing. In all of his thinking, he at times feels at peace with the situation (or forces himself to believe he is at peace) and at times, the grieving comes back to him.
I understood the last part after recently braking up with my boyfriend. At times I convinced myself that it was the right thing to do, and then later I'd convince myself to call him and try to make up. And it just goes back and forth that way. Lost and found with each step. It makes so much sense once you've been there.
I agree with most of your interpretation. I don't think the "some are ripe and some are rotten" is referring to the child being rotten. I think he means some of the memories of the event. He knows why the abortion was done and I have a feeling that he agreed to it. Although the "sleeping next to a stranger" part would indicate otherwise. However, if we go along with the idea that he did agree to the woman getting an abortion, then I think he is saying that he understands that it needed to be done and that it...
I agree with most of your interpretation. I don't think the "some are ripe and some are rotten" is referring to the child being rotten. I think he means some of the memories of the event. He knows why the abortion was done and I have a feeling that he agreed to it. Although the "sleeping next to a stranger" part would indicate otherwise. However, if we go along with the idea that he did agree to the woman getting an abortion, then I think he is saying that he understands that it needed to be done and that it was the best decision, however, he is clearly mourning. I also think the part where he is "lost and found with every step he takes" is sort of the same thing. In all of his thinking, he at times feels at peace with the situation (or forces himself to believe he is at peace) and at times, the grieving comes back to him.
I understood the last part after recently braking up with my boyfriend. At times I convinced myself that it was the right thing to do, and then later I'd convince myself to call him and try to make up. And it just goes back and forth that way. Lost and found with each step. It makes so much sense once you've been there.