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Spirit
Dead Can Dance Lyrics


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I thought I'd found a reason to live
Just like before when I was a child
Only to find dreams made of sand
Would just fall apart and slip through my hands

But the spirit of life keeps us strong
And the spirit of life is the will to carry on

Adversity what have I done to you
To cause this reclusive silence
That has come between me and you?

And the spirit of life remains in light
And the spirit of life remains inside

I never thought it would be quite like this
Living outside of mutual bliss
But as long as the veins in our arm still stand up
The spirit of life keeps living on

Overall Meaning

The song "Spirit" by Dead Can Dance expresses a poignant message about the resilience of the human spirit. The artist reflects on their own experiences of disillusionment and adversity, and their struggles to maintain hope in the face of disappointment. They compare their life to a dream made of sand that slips through their fingers, and express their confusion at the reclusive silence that has come between them and the adversity they face.


Despite these challenges, however, the artist believes that the spirit of life remains within them, and that this spirit is what drives them to continue on. They assert that as long as the veins in their arm still stand up, the spirit of life will keep living on. The message of the song is one of hope and resilience, encouraging listeners to tap into their own inner strength in order to persevere through difficult times.


Overall, "Spirit" is a deeply introspective and emotional song that speaks to the universal struggle of the human experience. Through its haunting melody and powerful lyrics, it reminds us that even in the darkest of times, the human spirit is capable of incredible resilience and tenacity.


Line by Line Meaning

I thought I'd found a reason to live
At one point in life, I believed I had a purpose to exist and was filled with hope and joy.


Just like before when I was a child
Similar to when I was an innocent child, I felt excited about my future.


Only to find dreams made of sand
Sadly, my aspirations shattered like sandcastles that the ocean washes away.


Would just fall apart and slip through my hands
My ambitions crumbled and slipped from my grasp, leaving me feeling hopeless and lost.


But the spirit of life keeps us strong
Even when we face adversity and feel weak, the will to live, thrive, and persevere gives us strength.


And the spirit of life is the will to carry on
Endowed with the power of life, our determination to push through challenges motivates us to move onward and upward.


Adversity what have I done to you
I am unsure of why you, adversity, have come into my life, and what caused your presence.


To cause this reclusive silence
Your presence has caused me to become quiet, withdrawn, and isolated from others and myself.


That has come between me and you?
Your being has created a barrier between us and prevented us from having a peaceful relationship.


And the spirit of life remains in light
The spark of vitality exists in joy, love, and positive energy that radiate around us.


And the spirit of life remains inside
Our internal strength, resilience, and desire to thrive are always present within us.


I never thought it would be quite like this
I did not anticipate that the reality of life would differ so greatly from my expectations and dreams.


Living outside of mutual bliss
I am existing without the shared ecstasy and harmony that once existed in my life.


But as long as the veins in our arm still stand up
As long as we have the will to live and fight, the strength to persevere will remain within us.


The spirit of life keeps living on
The determination to keep living, thriving, and pushing through obstacles will always exist as long as there is life.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRENDAN MICHAEL PERRY, LISA GERMAINE GERRARD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

Hamza Chao

THE LYRICS
I thought I'd found a reason to live
Just like before when I was a child
Only to find dreams made of sand
Would just fall apart and slip through my hands

But the spirit of life keeps us strong
And the spirit of life is the will to carry on

Adversity what have I done to you
To cause this reclusive silence
That has come between me and you?

And the spirit of life remains in light
And the spirit of life remains inside

I never thought it would be quite like this
Living outside of mutual bliss
But as long as the veins in our arm still stand up
The spirit of life keeps living on



Maja Euthymia

Sì! Questa fede tutto mi riempie.
Dell’umana saggezza, ecco l’estremo senso:
Merita libertà, merita vita,
Solamente colui che, in ogni giorno
Con aspra lotta,
Conquistar le deve.

(Yup! This faith fills me everything.
Human wisdom, here is the extreme sense:
He deserves freedom, deserves life,
Only one who, in every day
With bitter struggle,
Conquer the must)



All comments from YouTube:

Hamza Chao

THE LYRICS
I thought I'd found a reason to live
Just like before when I was a child
Only to find dreams made of sand
Would just fall apart and slip through my hands

But the spirit of life keeps us strong
And the spirit of life is the will to carry on

Adversity what have I done to you
To cause this reclusive silence
That has come between me and you?

And the spirit of life remains in light
And the spirit of life remains inside

I never thought it would be quite like this
Living outside of mutual bliss
But as long as the veins in our arm still stand up
The spirit of life keeps living on

AuberJean 68

Lil Nugget , Thank you for posting these lyrics. Be well!

anita s

beautiful voice and wonderful music..

John Mejía

Me fascina está canción. El sonido de la guitarra es mágico y la voz de Brendan Perry es maravillosa.

JamesVibe

I recently almost died, and now I'm on the mend. I keep hearing the lyrics of this song " the spirit of life, keeps us strong, and the spirit of life is the will to carry on!" We must push through adversity! I wish peace to everyone.

AuberJean 68

@JamesVibe , you're so welcome! Sometimes I feel like saying the same thing you did. Haven't found my purpose yet, unless it was to help my mom care for my dad for 3 years, and then care for her, or rather her demented self, for 10. I feel there is more to do, for me and you, especially a lot of pleasure to catch up on. "Hope you find it", a lyric from a Howard Jones song.
Thanks for responding! Be 😊!

JamesVibe

@AuberJean 68 i am doing well! Still here, happy, and carrying on. Thank you for your positively and spirit

AuberJean 68

JamesVibe, hope this finds you doing well. There's a reason you're still here. May you find it and stay well and happy.

Jane Worrall

Stephen Faherty
Thanks!

Trefor Treforgan

Jane Worrall well, there at Grand Rex in Paris on the 10th and 11th. So all’s not lost:)

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