No, I would not give you false hope
On this strange and mournful day
But the mother and child reunion
Is only a motion away

Oh, little darling of mine
I can't for the life of me
Remember a sadder day
I know they say let it be
But it just don't work out that way
And the course of a lifetime runs
Over and over again

No, I would not give you false hope (no)
On this strange and mournful day
But the mother and child reunion
Is only a motion away

Oh, little darling of mine
I just can't believe it's so
Though it seems strange to say
I never been laid so low
In such a mysterious way
And the course of a lifetime runs
Over and over again

But I would not give you false hope (no)
On this strange and mournful day
When the mother and child reunion
Is only a motion away

Oh, oh, the mother and child reunion
Is only a motion away
Oh, the mother and child reunion
Is only a moment away (oh oh)

Oh, the mother and child reunion
Is only a motion away
Oh (oh), the mother and child reunion
Is only a moment away

Oh, oh, the mother and child reunion
Oh, is only a motion away
Oh, the mother and child reunion
Is only a moment away (way, way, way)

Overall Meaning

The song "Mother and Child Reunion" by Paul Simon is a deeply emotional track sung from the perspective of a grieving parent. The lyrics describe how the singer is struggling to come to terms with the loss of a loved one, specifically, a child. The parent is struggling to find any comfort in their loss and is dealing with a sense of overwhelming sadness that seems to consume them. The song argues that the healing process is neither quick nor easy, but that even in the darkest times, hope is not entirely lost. The reunion between mother and child is only a motion away.

The song's title comes from a menu item at a Chinese restaurant that Simon frequented called "Mother and Child Reunion," which was a dish made up of chicken and eggs. Many people were surprised to learn that the song was written about the menu item, but Simon has said that he was struck by the phrase and that it reminded him of his time spent in Jamaica, where the phrase often referred to the reunion of the spirits of the dead with their living relatives.

Line by Line Meaning

No, I would not give you false hope
I won't deceive you

On this strange and mournful day
On this day filled with confusion and sadness

But the mother and child reunion
The reunion of a mother and child

Is only a motion away
Is only a step forward

Oh, little darling of mine
Oh, my beloved child

I can't for the life of me
I cannot, no matter how hard I try

Remember a sadder day
Recall a day more sorrowful than this one

I know they say let it be
I understand the common advice is to let it go or leave it alone

But it just don't work out that way
However, things don't work out that easily

And the course of a lifetime runs
The path of life continues

Over and over again
Repeatedly