Words
In the original sketch for this song I put down a vocal track of nonsense lyrics (which is pretty typical when working out melodies). When I listened back there was a line that went something like ‘my words, my words don’t fail me now’, so I went with it. I also seem to be working through some serious preoccupations with language, voice and storms (see ‘Leaves’ and ‘Gold’, or pretty much the whole album) and this one fits right in there. It’s kind of about the failure of speech in the presence of things that are much more powerful than it - like love for instance. As Flaubert says, “Language is a cracked kettle on which we beat out tunes for bears to dance to, while all the time we long to move the stars to pity.” -J
Speak to me in fragments of a dead language
Until our tacit tongues burst into a silent storm.
It’s a long way back and this is all we have.
Save your words, let your eyes do all the talking love.
Let’s be scavengers of meaning in the meaningless.
It’s a long way back and this is all we have.
So we talked - talked like amnesiacs
With a chest full of memories
and no ink left in the archives.
And you turned - turned like the weathervane
and drifted away on a cloud of maybes.
My words, my words
don’t fail me now.
I need this communication.
My words, my words
come through me now.
I’m channeling this thing somehow.