How the Hours...
Birch Book Lyrics
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How the clouds are moving slow
Watching their broken fragments
As the tea is on the stove
Floor is scattered paper
And the dishes all undone
Before I get my life in line
How the hours sing along
Their solemn requiem
Open sky before me
Behold me now just as I am
Listen here you old big world
Beyond my own mind's door
If you come a-knocking
Mind you ain't no bore
'Cause if you's gonna clamor
Awake my weary dream
You ought at least to offer
For my tea some cream
How the hours sing aloud
Their solemn requiem
Open sky before me
Behold me now just as I am
I have some time for thinking
When nothing else is mine
When I got the world to please
I cannot find the rhyme
Yeah, when I lose my rhythm
Where that I can float
Seems without a river
Ain't much use a boat
How the hours sing along
Their solemn requiem
Open sky before me
Behold me now just as I am
The trees just keep on growing
And the sky still making rain
When I wake I know that
For me it is the same
Ask me why I'm living
I'll say it always was
Ask why the sun is giving
And you see it don't need a cause
How the hours sing along
Their solemn requiem
Open sky before me
Behold me now just as I am
The song How the Hours by Birch Book is a reflective piece that talks about the passing of time and the singer's struggles in finding their place in the world. The beginning of the song paints a picture of the singer looking out of the window, watching the clouds slowly move by and taking in the fragments of life around them. The scattered paper on the floor and the undone dishes suggest that the singer is in the midst of chaos and is struggling to find direction in life. However, writing one more song seems to be the only way to get their life in line.
As the song progresses, the singer begs the world to not be boring if it comes knocking on their door. The world is a source of inspiration, but it can also be overwhelming and tiring. The singer wants something in return for the energy spent on confronting the world - a little bit of cream in their tea.
The latter half of the song continues to ponder the purpose of life and the futility of finding a rhyme or rhythm in everything. The passing of time is inevitable, and the trees keep growing, and the sky still makes rain - everything just continues as it always has. In the end, the singer concludes that living is enough of a reason to exist, just as the sun gives without needing a cause.
Overall, How the Hours is a deeply introspective song about finding direction in life and the passing of time. The world is both a source of inspiration and a challenge to confront, and the singer seeks solace in writing songs as a way to find their rhythm in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Staring out of the window
I'm looking outside aimlessly
How the clouds are moving slow
Observing the speed of clouds passing by
Watching their broken fragments
Noticing the parts where clouds break apart
As the tea is on the stove
Making tea in the kitchen
Floor is scattered paper
The floor is messy with scattered papers
And the dishes all undone
The dishes are not washed yet
Before I get my life in line
Before getting my life together
I'll write me one more song
I'll write another song
How the hours sing along
Noticing the passage of time
Their solemn requiem
A serious funeral hymn of time
Open sky before me
The sky is visible before me
Behold me now just as I am
Accept me as I am
Listen here you old big world
Talking to the universe
Beyond my own mind's door
Beyond my own imagination
If you come a-knocking
If you come to me
Mind you ain't no bore
Make sure you're not boring
Awake my weary dream
Revive my tired dream
You ought at least to offer
You should offer
For my tea some cream
Some cream for my tea
I have some time for thinking
I have some free time to think
When nothing else is mine
When I don't have anything else to do
When I got the world to please
When I have to please the world
I cannot find the rhyme
I cannot find the right words
Yeah, when I lose my rhythm
When I lose my beat
Where that I can float
Where I can freely drift
Seems without a river
I feel like I'm lost
Ain't much use a boat
A boat won't be of much help then
The trees just keep on growing
The trees keep growing continuously
And the sky still making rain
The sky is still making it rain
When I wake I know that
In the morning, I realize
For me it is the same
Everything is still the same
Ask me why I'm living
Asking me about the purpose of my existence
I'll say it always was
I'll say that it always has been
Ask why the sun is giving
Asking about the reason for the sun shining
And you see it don't need a cause
The sun doesn't need a reason to shine
Contributed by Natalie K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.