Tapestry
101 Strings Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An everlasting vision of the ever-changing view.
A wondrous woven magic in bits of blue and gold
A tapestry to feel and see, impossible to hold.
Once, amid the soft, silver sadness in the sky,
There came a man of fortune, a drifter passing by.
He wore a torn and tattered cloth around his leathered hide,
He moved with some uncertainty, as if he didn't know
Just what he was there for, or where he ought to go.
Once he reached for something golden, hanging from a tree,
And his hand came down empty.
Soon within my tapestry, along the rutted road,
He sat down on a river rock and turned into a toad.
It seemed that he had fallen into someone's wicked spell,
And I wept to see him suffer, though I didn't know him well.
As I watched in sorrow, there suddenly appeared
A figure, gray and ghostly, beneath a flowing beard.
In times of deepest darkness, I've seen him dressed in black.
Now my tapestry's unraveling; he's come to take me back.
He's come to take me back.
The song Tapestry by 101 Strings Orchestra is a beautiful portrayal of life as a tapestry that's woven with various hues of gold and blue, giving an ever-changing view. The lyrics are rich in imagery and suggest that life is a magical tapestry to feel and observe but not hold. The song talks about encounters that change the course of one's life, and these meetings happen unplanned. The singer encounters a man of fortune who wears a yellow and green coat of many colors. The man moves with uncertainty and doesn't know where he is going or what he is there for. He reaches for something golden hanging from a tree, but his hand comes down empty. Later, the man turns into a toad, and the singer weeps, even though she doesn't know the man well.
As the singer watches in sorrow, a ghostly figure appears from underneath a flowing beard, and it's a sign that her tapestry is unraveling, and the time has come for her to be taken back. The song suggests that life is a precious tapestry woven with various experiences, some of which may come when we least expect them. These experiences may be beautiful or sad, making our tapestries complete. And when it's time, we will be taken back, and our tapestries will unravel, showing how we lived and who we met along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
My life has been a tapestry of rich and royal hue,
My life has been a collection of diverse and royal experiences that cannot be replicated.
An everlasting vision of the ever-changing view.
My life has been an enduring vision of constantly changing circumstances and perspective.
A wondrous woven magic in bits of blue and gold
My life has been a fascinating, intricate tale woven of moments of sadness and happiness.
A tapestry to feel and see, impossible to hold.
My life has been an intricate web of experience that cannot be contained or grasped in totality.
Once, amid the soft, silver sadness in the sky,
Once, amidst a peaceful, somber sky,
There came a man of fortune, a drifter passing by.
There arrived a wealthy man who was merely passing through.
He wore a torn and tattered cloth around his leathered hide,
He was dressed in ragged clothes to cover his rough skin.
And a coat of many colors, yellow, green on either side.
He wore a multicolored coat with yellow and green hues on each side.
He moved with some uncertainty, as if he didn't know
He moved with indecisiveness or confusion, unsure of his purpose or destination.
Just what he was there for, or where he ought to go.
He was unclear on why he was present or what his destination should be.
Once he reached for something golden, hanging from a tree,
He attempted to grab something precious that was hanging from a tree.
And his hand came down empty.
He was unable to obtain the precious object and was left empty-handed.
Soon within my tapestry, along the rutted road,
Soon thereafter in my life's story, on a bumpy path,
He sat down on a river rock and turned into a toad.
He sat down on a rock by the river and transformed into a toad.
It seemed that he had fallen into someone's wicked spell,
It appeared as though he had been subject to a malevolent curse.
And I wept to see him suffer, though I didn't know him well.
I empathized with his suffering and cried for him, despite not knowing him intimately.
As I watched in sorrow, there suddenly appeared
As I observed with sadness, there suddenly materialized
A figure, gray and ghostly, beneath a flowing beard.
A figure with a long beard emerged, gray and ghostly in appearance.
In times of deepest darkness, I've seen him dressed in black.
In my darkest moments, I have seen him clothed in black attire.
Now my tapestry's unraveling; he's come to take me back.
Now my life's story is unwinding; he has appeared to take me away.
He's come to take me back.
He has arrived to escort me away.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Carole King
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind