September 17, 2011

What is it about transcendence?

One of my favorites. David Gray singing "Shine". It rises up, this song does. Lyrics below, and damned if I know what he means by this "shining" thing. What do you think?



SHINE

I can see it in your eyes
What I know in my heart is true
That our love it has faded
Like the summer run through
So we'll walk down the shoreline
One last time together
Feel the wind blow our wanderin' hearts like a feather
But who knows what's waiting
In the wings of time
Dry your eyes
We gotta go where we can shine

Don't be hiding in sorrow
Or clinging to the past
With your beauty so precious
And the season so fast
No matter how cold the horizon appear
Or how far the first night
When I held you near
We're gonna rise from these ashes
Like a bird of flame
Take my hand,
we're gonna go where we can shine.

For all that we struggle
For all we pretend
You know, you know, you know
It don't come down to nothing
Except love in the end
And ours is a road
That is strewn with goodbyes
But as it unfolds
As it all unwinds
Remember your soul is the one thing
You can't compromise.

Step out of the shadow,
We're gonna go where we can shine
We're gonna go where we can shine
I said we're gonna go where we can shine

And lookin', lookin', lookin', lookin'
Through the windows of midnight
Moonfoam and silver.

5 comments:

Anna Guess Pick said...

I don't think "shine" is so mysterious; it's to get where the light is, to be someone, be noticed. Get to where it is good and away from the ashes and shadows, where their love can be.

He is a bit like Paolo Nutini

http://youtu.be/v1eEC4foVtI

writenow said...

I grok your words, Annie. But what I mean is that the lyrics of the song seem to tell us that this is not a happy relationship in any way. They don't love each other. I don't see how he jumps from that to shining. That's all I mean.

It's funny, I thought you'd think of Paolo Nutini when you heard it. Because after you introduced me to PN, he came to mind when I watched Shine, too.

Anna Guess Pick said...

Sure it is:

I can see it in your eyes
What I know in my heart is true
That our love it has faded
Like the summer run through

writenow said...

Let me put it another way. I could see a crazy guy singing this song before he meets up with his girlfriend, who wants to leave him. And he then kills her and himself. Thinks this is how they'll "shine". Just saying.

So we'll walk down the shoreline
One last time together
Feel the wind blow our wanderin' hearts like a feather
But who knows what's waiting
In the wings of time
Dry your eyes
We gotta go where we can shine

writenow said...

PS:
We're gonna rise from these ashes
Like a bird of flame
Take my hand,
we're gonna go where we can shine.