Her Song

Latin Quarter - The Imagination of Thieves

Lyrics

She loves him because
He’s always there, he’s always around
Pulling her up
There’s better days been
And there’s better to come
It’s not only now
If she can’t take the world on
There’s always those arms.
But those arms in the night
So lifeless by his side
He never enters her dreams
This weariness their love inspires

So when they sing
When Fairport sing
‘Who knows where the time goes?’
She says that’s her song
So when they sing
When Fairport sing
‘Who knows where the time goes?’
She says that’s her song.

A life of quiet despair
She’s read all about that but that can’t be her
Her life is good
So much they have and so much they share
Their love is a rock
A rock that that is there so firm on the ground
But so firm on the ground
Never sees the sky
So firm on the ground
Never gets the chance to fly.

Song Description

I have always been drawn to songs that talk about love and relationships in a slightly different way. That avoid the certainties of either ‘I’ll love you forever’ or ‘It’s over and I’m heartbroken’. Relationships are always much more complicated and though that is not easy to get into songs, I love it when someone tries (for example Michael MacNeill’s ‘You and Me’ on this very album.)

Probably the most stunning love song I have ever heard is ‘Para Vivir’ by the Cuban singer-songwriter, Pablo Milanes. It describes a relationship of trust, love, respect, solidarity but one partner deciding that despite all of that there is no spark, no life anymore, and seems to invite or expect their partner to leave. It paints an incredibly moving picture of a particular relationship.

With “Her Song’ I tried to write a similar story. About someone locked into a relationship that gives so much but at the same time leaves a woman feeling that life has somehow got lost. The line ‘This weariness their love inspires’ is more or less a translation of a line from the Pablo Milanes song.

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