If You Were Coming In The Fall
Carla Bruni Lyrics
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I'd brush the summer by
With half a smile and half a spurn
As housewives do a fly
If I could see you in a year
I'd wind the months in balls
And put them each in separate drawers
Until their time befalls
If only centuries delayed
I'd count them on my hand
Subtracting till my fingers dropped
Into Van Dieman's land
If certain, when this life was out
That yours and mine should be
I'd toss it yonder like a rind
And taste eternity
But now, all ignorant of the lengths of time
Uncertain wing, it goads me like
The goblin bee
That will not state its sting
If only centuries delayed
I'd count them on my hand
Subtracting till my fingers dropped
Into Van Diemen's land
If certain, when this life was out
That yours and mine should be
I'd toss it yonder like a rind
And taste eternity
If you were coming in the fall
I'd brush the summer by
With half a smile and half a spurn
As housewives do a fly
If only centuries delayed
I'd count them on my hand
Subtracting till my fingers dropped
Into Van Diemen's land
If certain, when this life was out
That yours and mine should be
I'd toss it yonder like a rind
And taste eternity
If you were coming in the fall
I'd brush the summer by
With half a smile and half a spurn
As housewives do a fly
Carla Bruni's song "If You Were Coming in the Fall" is a bittersweet reflection on the passage of time and the longing for love. The lyrics center on the idea of waiting for a loved one who may or may not return. The first stanza employs housewife imagery, suggesting that the singer would brush away the summer with a resigned air, as if swatting a fly. The second stanza takes a more wistful turn, imagining putting the passing months away in separate drawers until the anticipated date arrives. The third stanza is the most fantastical, positing that even if centuries had to pass before the loved one's return, the singer would wait, counting them down on fingers that eventually drop into Van Dieman's land. The fourth and final stanza is the most passionate, with the singer declaring that she would cast aside this mortal life in order to be with her beloved for all eternity.
Overall, the song speaks to the human condition of waiting and longing for something or someone that may never come. The references to the passing of time underscore the fleeting nature of life and love, while the passionate declaration at the end suggests that some things are worth waiting for no matter what.
Line by Line Meaning
If you were coming in the fall
The singer anticipates the arrival of the person they long for.
I'd brush the summer by
The singer would forget about the summer, in anticipation of the arrival of their loved one.
With half a smile and half a spurn
The singer would react to the arrival of their loved one with a mix of happiness and indifference.
As housewives do a fly
The artist would have a nonchalant attitude towards the arrival of their loved one, like housewives towards an annoying fly.
If I could see you in a year
The artist longs to see their loved one again, even if it takes a long time.
I'd wind the months in balls
The singer imagines putting away the months until their loved one returns.
And put them each in separate drawers
The singer wants to keep each month separate and distinct, to mark the passage of time until their loved one comes back.
Until their time befalls
The artist is waiting for a specific time, when their loved one will come back.
If only centuries delayed
The artist would wait for centuries if necessary to see their loved one again.
I'd count them on my hand
The artist would keep track of the centuries, one by one, as they waited for their loved one.
Subtracting till my fingers dropped
The singer would keep subtracting centuries until their fingers became tired from the counting.
Into Van Dieman's land
The artist would keep counting the centuries, even if it led them to a faraway and unknown place like Van Dieman's Land.
If certain, when this life was out
The singer is so in love that they imagine a future beyond this life, where they will still be together with their loved one.
That yours and mine should be
The singer longs for a future where they and their loved one are inseparable.
I'd toss it yonder like a rind
The singer would throw their life away like a fruit rind, if it meant being able to spend eternity with their loved one.
And taste eternity
The artist wants to experience an eternal love that transcends time and death.
But now, all ignorant of the lengths of time
The artist is frustrated by their uncertainty about when their loved one will return.
Uncertain wing, it goads me like
The uncertainty of their loved one's return bothers the singer, like an insect sting that won't go away.
The goblin bee
The uncertainty of their loved one's return is like a pesky insect, always buzzing around and causing discomfort.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: CARLA BRUNI, EMILY + 1886 DICKINSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind