Windmills Of Your Mind
Alison Moyet Lyrics
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Never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel
Like a snowball down a mountain, or a carnival balloon
Like a carousel that's turning running rings around the moon
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping past the minutes of its face
And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space
Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind!
Like a tunnel that you follow to a tunnel of its own
Down a hollow to a cavern where the sun has never shone
Like a door that keeps revolving in a half forgotten dream
Or the ripples from a pebble someone tosses in a stream
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping past the minutes of its face
And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space
Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind!
Keys that jingle in your pocket, words that jangle in your head
Why did summer go so quickly, was it something that you said?
Lovers walking along a shore and leave their footprints in the sand
Is the sound of distant drumming just the fingers of your hand?
Pictures hanging in a hallway and the fragment of a song
Half remembered names and faces, but to whom do they belong?
When you knew that it was over you were suddenly aware
That the autumn leaves were turning to the color of her hair!
Like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel
Never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel
As the images unwind, like the circles that you find
In the windmills of your mind!
The lyrics to Alison Moyet’s song “Windmills of Your Mind” describe the circular, never-ending nature of life and the mind’s tendency to get caught up in patterns of thoughts and memories that constantly replay. Moyet compares this experience to various circular and spinning images, like a snowball rolling down a mountain or a carousel revolving around the moon. The lyrics also suggest a sense of disorientation and confusion, with images of tunnels leading to other tunnels, doors that keep revolving, and ripples in a stream. The chorus repeats the metaphor of circles found in the windmills of one’s mind, reinforcing the theme of cyclical, never-ending patterns.
The final verse adds a layer of emotional depth to the lyrics, describing the bittersweet experience of looking back on the end of a relationship. Moyet references the passage of time and the transience of life, with keys jingling in pockets and summer slipping away too quickly. The imagery of lovers leaving footprints in the sand and the sound of distant drumming evoke a sense of longing and nostalgia. The final line, “That the autumn leaves were turning to the color of her hair,” brings the song full circle, returning to the motif of circular patterns and emphasizing the cyclical nature of love and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Round like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel
Life moves in mysterious, seemingly cyclical patterns
Never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel
Life is a continuous process that never stops, even though things may appear to end or start
Like a snowball down a mountain, or a carnival balloon
Life can feel like a wild ride, sometimes out of control
Like a carousel that's turning running rings around the moon
Life can feel like a never-ending cycle, always going around and around
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping past the minutes of its face
Time feels like it's constantly moving forward, never stopping or slowing down
And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space
The world can feel like a small, insignificant place in the vastness of the universe
Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind!
All of these ideas and experiences are like the circles that are found in the windmills of one's mind
Like a tunnel that you follow to a tunnel of its own
Life can feel like a journey that leads to another journey, always going deeper and deeper
Down a hollow to a cavern where the sun has never shone
Sometimes, we come across dark, unchartered territory that feels unknown and unexplored
Like a door that keeps revolving in a half forgotten dream
Memories can be elusive and fleeting, like doors that never stay open for long
Or the ripples from a pebble someone tosses in a stream
Small actions can have big consequences, causing ripples that can impact the course of one's life
Keys that jingle in your pocket, words that jangle in your head
The things we carry with us, both physically and mentally, can weigh us down and influence our thoughts
Why did summer go so quickly, was it something that you said?
Time seems to fly by, and we might wonder what we could have done to make it feel like it lasted longer
Lovers walking along a shore and leave their footprints in the sand
Love can leave a lasting impact, even long after the moment has passed
Is the sound of distant drumming just the fingers of your hand?
Sometimes, we aren't sure what's real and what's imagined
Pictures hanging in a hallway and the fragment of a song
Memories can be triggered by simple things, like a picture or a song
Half remembered names and faces, but to whom do they belong?
We might forget people and moments from our past, but they still feel important and significant
When you knew that it was over you were suddenly aware
Sometimes, endings can come suddenly and swiftly, making us realize that something has changed
That the autumn leaves were turning to the color of her hair!
Even nature can remind us of the people and things we've lost in life
As the images unwind, like the circles that you find
As these memories and experiences play out, it feels like we're going around in circles, coming back to the same ideas and feelings over and over again
In the windmills of your mind!
All of these concepts are connected in our minds, like the workings of a windmill
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Marilyn Bergman, Michel Legrand, Alan Bergman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@stephiepahlavizan1
Round
Like a circle in a spiral
Like a wheel within a wheel
Never ending or beginning
On an ever spinning reel
Like a snowball down a mountain
Or a carnival balloon
Like a carousel that's turning
Running rings around the moon
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping
Past the minutes of it's face
And the world is like an apple
Whirling silently in space
Like the circles that you find
In the windmills of your mind !
Like a tunnel that you follow
To a tunnel of it's own
Down a hollow to a cavern
Where the sun has never shone,
Like a door that keeps revolving
In a half forgotten dream,
Or the ripples from a pebble
Someone tosses in a stream
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping ....
Keys that jingle in your pocket
Words that jangle in your head
Why did summer go so quickly ?
Was it something that you said ?
Lovers walk along a shore
And leave their footprints in the sand
Is the sound of distant drumming
Just the fingers of your hand ?
Pictures hanging in a hallway
And the fragment of this song
Half remembered names and faces
But to whom do they belong ?
He: when you knew
That it was over
You were suddenly aware
That the autumn leaves were turning
To the color
Of her hair !
She: when you knew
That it was over
In the autumn of goodbyes
For a moment
You could not recall the color
Of his eyes !
Like a circle in a spiral
Like a wheel within a wheel
Never ending or beginning
On an ever spinning reel
As the images unwind
Like the circles
That you find
In the windmills of your mind !
@ambc8970
I will always remember the eyes of my first love.❤❤❤I still love him. Even if he is dead for 33 years now.
@ayodeler39
When your happy you enjoy the music. When your sad you understand the lyrics.
@heymul25
Well said.
@tmhwriter
Really nicely stated.
@Tez0678
True That! Blessed
@exrodriguez6074
So True, so true.
@messaoudoggad1879
Yes ! It is . But don' t worry , be happy.
@markburrows8500
Such a beautiful version... the clarity in her voice is sublime!
@TheMuzikall
No Doubt✅
One of the Best variations🙏
@msix1836
The original ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’ , when Faye Dunaway was stunningly beautiful and Steve McQueen (RIP) was so handsome !! Classic remains classy even after decades.