You were a phonograph, I was a kid
I sat with an ear close, just listening
I was there when the rain tapped her way down you face
You were a miracle I was just holding your space

Well time has a way of throwing it all in your face
The past, she is haunted, the future is laced
Heartbreak, you know, drives a big black car
Swear I was in the back seat, just minding my own

And through the glass, the corn crows come like rain
They won't stay, they won't stay
For too long now

This could be all that we know
Of love and all

Well you were a dancer and I was a rag
The song in my head, well was all that I had
Hope was a letter I never could send
Well love was a country we couldn't defend

And through the carnival we watch them go round and round
All we knew of home was just a sunset and some clowns

Well you were a magazine, I was a plain jane
Just walking the sidewalks all covered in rain
Love to just get into some of your stories
Me and all of my plain jane glory
Just me and all of my plain jane glory

Overall Meaning

In Gregory Alan Isakov's song Big Black Car, the lyrics evoke feelings of nostalgia and longing for a time or person that has passed. The opening lines, "You were a phonograph, I was a kid, I sat with an ear close, just listening," create a powerful image of a young child listening intently to the music of a phonograph or perhaps an older person, who is being likened to a phonograph, telling stories of the past. The line "I was there when the rain tapped her way down your face" further adds to this sense of intimacy and connection, as it suggests that the singer was there to see and comfort the other person during a moment of vulnerability.

However, as the song progresses, there is a shift in tone. The lines "Heartbreak, you know, drives a big black car, swear I was in the back seat, just minding my own" suggest that the singer has moved on from their previous connection and is now observing the pain of someone else. The image of the "big black car" is used to show the force and weight of heartbreak, almost like a living thing that has the power to drive itself forward.

Lastly, the final verse of the song contrasts the two characters once again. The lines "Well you were a magazine, I was a plain jane, just walking the sidewalks all covered in rain" depict a glamorous, unattainable person with the singer's own ordinary, unremarkable self. Despite this, the singer still longs to be a part of this person's world and "just get into some of your stories".

Overall, the song captures the idea of love as something fleeting and temporary, something that can only be held onto for a brief moment before slipping away.

Line by Line Meaning

You were a phonograph, I was a kid
You were something old and beautiful, sturdy and reliable, and I was an innocent in awe of it, learning from every beat and sound that played.

I sat with an ear close, just listening
I was captivated by your sound, your voice, your stories, taking it all in and letting it fill me up.

I was there when the rain tapped her way down you face
I witnessed the tender moments when you were vulnerable, pensive, and emotional, and the raindrops seemed to understand and empathize with you.

You were a miracle I was just holding your space
You were a precious, rare find, a miracle that I was lucky enough to be near, just holding your space and savoring every moment with you.

Well time has a way of throwing it all in your face
Time has a cruel way of forcing you to confront the hard truths and harsh realities of life, stripping away any illusions or delusions you might have had.

The past, she is haunted, the future is laced
The past is full of ghosts and regrets that haunt us, while the future is uncertain and fraught with risks and dangers we cannot predict or control.

Heartbreak, you know, drives a big black car
Heartbreak is a dark, powerful force that can consume us and take us places we don't want to go, like a big black car that takes us down a road of sorrow and pain.

Swear I was in the back seat, just minding my own
I felt like a helpless passenger, in the back seat of my own life, watching heartbreak drive me to places I didn't want to go, unable to stop or steer the car.

And through the glass, the corn crows come like rain
Looking through a window, I see the corn crows, birds that look like black rain falling from the sky, fleeting and transient, here one moment and gone the next.

They won't stay, they won't stay
The corn crows, like many things in life, cannot be held or grasped, they come and go, leaving only a memory and a feeling behind.

For too long now
This has been going on for too long, this cycle of fleeting beauty and lasting sadness, of love and loss, of joy and pain.

This could be all that we know
This fleeting, bittersweet experience of love and loss, of beauty and pain, could be all that we really know, all that we can hold onto in a world that is constantly changing and shifting beneath our feet.

Of love and all
Love is the one constant in this world, the one thing that we can always cling to, even as everything else fades and disappears.

Well you were a dancer and I was a rag
You were light on your feet, graceful and elegant, while I was rough around the edges, frayed and tattered, but we still found a way to complement each other.

The song in my head, well was all that I had
The only thing I had to hold onto in my darkest moments was the memory of the song we shared, the rhythm and melody of love and joy that we created together.

Hope was a letter I never could send
I had hope, a longing for something better, but I could never quite express it in words or actions, I could never quite reach out and make it real.

Well love was a country we couldn't defend
Love was a fragile thing, a precious land that we could not protect or keep safe from the harsh realities of the world, no matter how hard we tried.

And through the carnival we watch them go round and round
In the midst of all the noise and chaos of life, we watched the colorful, dizzying spectacle of the carnival, with all its lights, sounds, and distractions.

All we knew of home was just a sunset and some clowns
In the midst of all that confusion and excitement, the only thing that felt like home was the simple beauty of a sunset, and the familiar, friendly faces of the clowns.

Well you were a magazine, I was a plain jane
You were polished and perfect, caught up in the glamor and glitz of the world, while I was plain and unadorned, content with the simple pleasures of life.

Just walking the sidewalks all covered in rain
Together, we walked the cold, wet streets, sharing stories and laughter, finding comfort in each other's company and the warmth of our hearts.

Love to just get into some of your stories
I loved to hear your stories, your adventures, your triumphs and struggles, your hopes and fears, your dreams and desires.

Me and all of my plain jane glory
I was content to be plain and unremarkable, but I still had my own kind of beauty and value, my own kind of glory, and I was proud of it.

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