A self-taught musician, Macdonald began by playing her father's guitar after being inspired by Travis at the T in the Park Festival in 2000, where she heard Travis' song "Turn" and wanted to play it herself. She started performing in pubs and coffee houses around Glasgow at the age of 15. She signed a record deal with Vertigo, the same record label which hosts The Killers and Razorlight. Her first single, Poison Prince, was released on May 7, 2007. Her debut album, This Is the Life, was released on July 30, 2007. "Don't Tell Me That It's Over" was released in March 2010 as the lead single from her second studio album, A Curious Thing, which was released on 8 March 2010.
Macdonald's third album, Life in a Beautiful Light, was released on June 11, 2012. The lead single, Slow It Down, is about her being a petrol head.
Left That Body Long Ago
Amy Macdonald Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause my years they're getting older now.
And my eyes, they won't cry.
My tears have all run dry.
And my memory doesn't get me very far,
I can't remember my name or exactly who you are.
And I don't know why, no I don't know why.
I'm not the person you see,
I left that body long ago.
I left it way back there.
Will you please believe,
Given all that you see,
I left that body long ago
But somehow nobody knows.
So goodbye,
You were my world and my life.
And I don't know why
You've lost your mother, lost your wife.
But there's more,
Something more than meets the eye.
This is not the end,
This is only goodbye.
Will you please believe
I'm not the person you see,
I left that body long ago.
I left it way back there.
Now I'm free, I'm as happy as can be.
I just wanted you to know
That I left that body long ago.
So long ago.
The lyrics to Amy Macdonald's song Left That Body Long Ago reflect a sense of detachment from one's body and surroundings. The singer describes feeling disconnected from their physicality with lines like "my eyes, they won't cry. My tears have all run dry" and "I can't remember my name or exactly who you are." There is an overall sense of apathy and resignation, with the singer acknowledging that they are not the same person they once were and that they have "left that body long ago." Despite this sense of detachment, there is also a sense of comfort in the idea of freedom, with the singer stating "Now I'm free, I'm as happy as can be."
The song appears to be about the aftermath of death-- specifically, the singer has died but has not moved on to the afterlife. They are stuck in a kind of limbo, unable to connect with the world around them and yet unable to fully let go of the life they once had. There is a sense of sadness to the song-- the singer is bidding farewell to their former life and to the people who were a part of it-- but there is also a sense of peace in the final lines, when the singer declares that they are "free."
Overall, the lyrics to Left That Body Long Ago are a meditation on death, loss, and the idea of the soul or spirit existing beyond the physical body. It's a somber but ultimately hopeful song about the idea that even in death, there can be a sense of release and liberation.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh my dance is getting slower now,
My physical abilities are declining as I age.
'Cause my years they're getting older now.
My age is causing my body to slow down.
And my eyes, they won't cry.
I have exhausted my ability to cry.
My tears have all run dry.
I have no more emotions left to express through tears.
And my memory doesn't get me very far,
My memory isn't as capable as it used to be.
I can't remember my name or exactly who you are.
My memory loss is to the extent that I am unable to recognize my surroundings.
And I don't know why, no I don't know why.
I don't have insights into why I'm experiencing this and I'm left questioning everything that's happening.
Will you please believe
I'm not the person you see,
I am experiencing changes that are making me a completely different person.
I left that body long ago.
I left it way back there.
The person that you see in front of you is not the same person I was before.
Will you please believe,
Given all that you see,
Despite all the differences you see, please believe that it is still me inside of a different body.
But somehow nobody knows.
Although I am expressing and revealing all these changes, nobody is able to comprehend it.
So goodbye,
You were my world and my life.
I am bidding you farewell, someone who was a central part of my existence.
And I don't know why
You've lost your mother, lost your wife.
I am left perplexed as to why you had to suffer the loss of your mother and wife.
But there's more,
Something more than meets the eye.
This is not the end of the story and there is way more to it than what can be seen on the surface.
This is not the end,
This is only goodbye.
Although we are parting ways and saying goodbye, this experience does not mark the end of our story.
Now I'm free,
I'm as happy as can be.
Now that I have left my old self behind, I am experiencing a sense of liberation and contentment.
I just wanted you to know
That I left that body long ago.
I wanted to make sure that you knew that the person that you see in front of you now is completely different from the person I was before.
So long ago.
I left that body behind a long time ago, and it is important for me to convey that fact clearly to you.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: AMY ELIZABETH MACDONALD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind