Its a song about love sticking by your side in the face of long, debilitating death.
"The coldest winter in almost 14 years" is the toughest test of their marriage, fourteen years long.
"When the rain came I thought you'd leave
'cause I knew how much you loved the sun"
When things got tough with the cancer, he thought she'd leave because she couldn't stand to watch, she's a happy person, not one to tolerate decline.
"But you chose to stay, stay and keep me warm
through the darkest nights I've ever known"
But, she chose to stay, and he's singing his gratitude for her steadfast companionship
"If the mandolin wind couldn't change a thing
then I know I love ya"
If the sad, cold truth didn't dissuade her, then he's sure he loves her for it.
"Oh the snow fell without a break
Buffalo died in the frozen fields you know
Through the coldest winter in almost fourteen years
I couldn't believe you kept a smile
Now I can rest assured knowing that we've seen the worst
And I know I love ya"
Hyperbole on how cold, how severe his condition is. It may actually be winter outside his deathbed... but the rest is self-explanatory here - she kept up a smiling face, terminal disease is the worst possible end to a marriage, so if she sticks through it, nothing could ever be worse.
"Oh I never was good with romantic words
so the next few lines come really hard
Don't have much but what I've got is yours
except of course my steel guitar
Ha, 'cause I know you don't play
but I'll teach you one day
because I love ya"
Sure, he'll teach her, someday.
"I recall the night we knelt and prayed
Noticing your face was thin and pale
I found it hard to hide my tears
I felt ashamed I felt I'd let you down
No mandolin wind couldn't change a thing
Couldn't change a thing no, no"
Remembering the night of the diagnosis, how shocked and dismayed she was. He felt he let her down by having a terminal disease - which is somewhat common of a cancer patient, though he tried to mask his emotions for her sake - also very common of a terminal patient. And, it's terminal - nothing could change a thing.
It's a sad song, and not all that metaphorical, either. Maggie May gets all the attention, but I really like this one - in little, tiny doses, to remind me I survived cancer.
Its a song about love sticking by your side in the face of long, debilitating death.
"The coldest winter in almost 14 years" is the toughest test of their marriage, fourteen years long.
"When the rain came I thought you'd leave 'cause I knew how much you loved the sun"
When things got tough with the cancer, he thought she'd leave because she couldn't stand to watch, she's a happy person, not one to tolerate decline.
"But you chose to stay, stay and keep me warm through the darkest nights I've ever known"
But, she chose to stay, and he's singing his gratitude for her steadfast companionship
"If the mandolin wind couldn't change a thing then I know I love ya"
If the sad, cold truth didn't dissuade her, then he's sure he loves her for it.
"Oh the snow fell without a break Buffalo died in the frozen fields you know Through the coldest winter in almost fourteen years I couldn't believe you kept a smile Now I can rest assured knowing that we've seen the worst And I know I love ya"
Hyperbole on how cold, how severe his condition is. It may actually be winter outside his deathbed... but the rest is self-explanatory here - she kept up a smiling face, terminal disease is the worst possible end to a marriage, so if she sticks through it, nothing could ever be worse.
"Oh I never was good with romantic words so the next few lines come really hard Don't have much but what I've got is yours except of course my steel guitar Ha, 'cause I know you don't play but I'll teach you one day because I love ya"
Sure, he'll teach her, someday.
"I recall the night we knelt and prayed Noticing your face was thin and pale I found it hard to hide my tears I felt ashamed I felt I'd let you down No mandolin wind couldn't change a thing Couldn't change a thing no, no"
Remembering the night of the diagnosis, how shocked and dismayed she was. He felt he let her down by having a terminal disease - which is somewhat common of a cancer patient, though he tried to mask his emotions for her sake - also very common of a terminal patient. And, it's terminal - nothing could change a thing.
It's a sad song, and not all that metaphorical, either. Maggie May gets all the attention, but I really like this one - in little, tiny doses, to remind me I survived cancer.