This song is deeply moving to me and there is a lot of sadly beautiful imagery in this song. This is what it means to me:
The wishbone means that the girl is faced with a choice, between the protagonist and another person. The protagonist fears that if she chooses the other person “if this little finger (his own) doesn’t have the strength,” the protagonist will be destroyed (his back bone breaks). He wants to marry the girl, a ring on the fourth digit that "will do until we are betrothed." Something happens, she chooses the other, and his heart is broken. He is with her another time, but this time he is upset with her for choosing the other and “now these hang nails they just slice.” Yet, he is eternally optimistic. If he was a pessimist, his heart would be stone. But he is an optimist, so his broken heart keeps dripping and is never running dry. He is holding out hope that she will return to him. Of course he knows deep down she will let him down. Hello sadness. This song might be referring to the same person and situation as "By Your Hand." In my view it matches up very nicely.
This song is deeply moving to me and there is a lot of sadly beautiful imagery in this song. This is what it means to me:
The wishbone means that the girl is faced with a choice, between the protagonist and another person. The protagonist fears that if she chooses the other person “if this little finger (his own) doesn’t have the strength,” the protagonist will be destroyed (his back bone breaks). He wants to marry the girl, a ring on the fourth digit that "will do until we are betrothed." Something happens, she chooses the other, and his heart is broken. He is with her another time, but this time he is upset with her for choosing the other and “now these hang nails they just slice.” Yet, he is eternally optimistic. If he was a pessimist, his heart would be stone. But he is an optimist, so his broken heart keeps dripping and is never running dry. He is holding out hope that she will return to him. Of course he knows deep down she will let him down. Hello sadness. This song might be referring to the same person and situation as "By Your Hand." In my view it matches up very nicely.