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I sing myself to sleep A song from the darkest hour Secrets I can't keep In sight of the day Swing from high to deep Extremes of sweet and sour Hope that God exists I hope I pray |
This section talks to me of depression/mood swings - Extremes of sweet and sour. When you are depressed, in some ways going over sad events in your mind is strangely comforting - songs from the darkest hour - perhaps they are your excuse for being depressed so you feel justified. When the day comes (..can't keep in sight of the day) you can no longer show them - you hide the feeling from the outside world and only when you are on your own to you let them out - singing yourself to sleep |
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Drawn by the undertow My life is out of control I believe this wave will bear my weight So let it flow |
This type of feeling often overwhelms you - you feel you cannot fight it, but often you simply have to let it flow out of you - not suppress it but flow with it and you can recover. |
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Now I'm relieved to hear That you've been to some far off places It's hard to carry on When you feel all alone |
This is the start of the realisation (I'm relieved to hear) that the above feelings are in fact very common, especially when growing up - they are common teenage things, and each teenager feels like it is just them. The far off places may refer simply to states of mind. This knowledge is in itself useful to counteract the feelings - not being alone |
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Now I've swung back down again It's worse than it was before If I hadn't seen such riches I could live with being poor |
However, this knowledge is not always enough and it is fragile - when you have a relapse it often seems worse because despite the fact that you know others are feeling it you still feel alone. (If I hadn't seen such riches I could live with being poor) |
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Those who feel the breath of sadness Sit down next to me Those who find they're touched by madness Sit down next to me Those who find themselves ridiculous Sit down next to me |
This is the rallying call: Those who have felt this sadness (i.e. most of us) I am like you and you are like me. (sit down next to me). If you then wondered if it was only you (madness)1 , then I am like you, and as you realised that it was not just you, you realise how ridiculous1 it can seem in retrospect. Then I am like you. - Maturity is seeing this and not minding. |
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Oh sit down Oh sit down Oh sit down Sit down next to me Sit down, down, down, down, down In sympathy Love, in fear, in hate, in tears Love, in fear, in hate, in tears Love, in fear, in hate, in tears Love, in fear, in hate |
Once you realise this you feel sympathy with all who have felt it -or indeed are still feeling it. Hence the call to sit down next to me - in community and shared experience. And the fact that the action taken is to sit down rather than standing up and making a fuss, is perhaps another message - acceptance that this is how it is and you can laugh at it in comradeship
1Note: the alternative meaning is that madness/ridiculousness is just the realisation that you do not have to be serious the whole time - you can be silly and it is very liberating - maintaining an image is something many teenagers have and some do not grow out of. |