Goodnight Irene
Brian Fallon Lyrics
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Except for this light, my slow candle burning.
I know you're somewhere,
I always did feel it.
I got a new song
You might never hear.
Goodnight Irene,
I read your letters,
You sent like a bomb.
And when you're gone,
We're all gonna miss you,
you're perfume like cigarettes and the sea.
My name that you always wore like grief.
Goodnight Irene.
I grew up kind of lonesome, the saint of the sinners
The voice of the dogs, you find in the rain
So I just keep working, I'll just keep driving
Nobody writes the blues anymore
Goodnight Irene,
I got your trouble and I read your letters
You sent like a bomb.
And when you're gone
We're all gonna miss you,
you're perfume like cigarettes and the sea.
My name that you always wore like grief.
And in my mind there is a dream where the telephone rang
Just before the ring took a vow and bend in her hand
In her closet where white dresses hang
Where eyes declaring war, Goodnight Irene.
The lyrics to Brian Fallon's song Goodnight Irene are heavily layered with emotions and introspection. The opening lines set the tone for the rest of the song where Fallon describes being in a dark house with only a slow burning candle for light, and feeling the presence of someone else in the house. He then goes on to talk about how he has written a new song, one that the person in the house he's addressing may never get the chance to hear.
Fallon then delivers the poignant line, "my name that you always wore like grief," implying that this person he's addressing has been carrying some kind of emotional burden that has been tied to him in some way. Throughout the song, Fallon oscillates between portraying himself as someone who has grown up feeling isolated and almost invisible to the world around him, to a person who is capable of reading and absorbing the pain and struggles of the people he's addressing in this song.
In the chorus, Fallon bids "Goodnight Irene" to someone who has sent him letters "like a bomb." Her scent is described as being like "cigarettes and the sea," which is both specific and evocative. These lines give the song's narrative a sense of closure and finality, with Fallon telling Irene that when she's gone, "we're all gonna miss you." The final lines of the song describe a dream Fallon has, where he's waiting for a call that never comes, and Irene declares war with her eyes. These lines leave the listener with an ominous sense of unresolved tension, which suggests that the story of Goodnight Irene may not be over just yet.
Line by Line Meaning
Darling it's so dark in this house
The singer is in a really dark and gloomy place.
Except for this light, my slow candle burning.
Nevertheless, he still has some hope.
I know you're somewhere,
He senses that someone is nearby.
I always did feel it.
He has always felt their presence.
I got a new song
The artist has composed a new piece of music.
You might never hear.
This person he is addressing may never get to listen to it.
Goodnight Irene,
The singer bid goodbye to Irene.
I got your trouble,
He has encountered troubles similar to Irene's.
I read your letters,
He is aware of what's going on with Irene.
You sent like a bomb.
Irene's letters have a considerable impact.
And when you're gone,
When Irene is gone...
We're all gonna miss you,
Everyone would miss her dearly.
you're perfume like cigarettes and the sea.
She would leave behind her scent, which is like a mix of cigarette and sea.
My name that you always wore like grief.
Irene used to wear his name like sadness or grief.
I grew up kind of lonesome, the saint of the sinners
The singer grew up feeling lonely.
The voice of the dogs, you find in the rain
His voice is soft and emotional, like a dog crying in the rain.
So I just keep working, I'll just keep driving
He would keep on doing what he knows best.
Nobody writes the blues anymore
He feels like no one is able to express themselves through music.
And in my mind there is a dream where the telephone rang
He longs for something or someone that is unreachable.
Just before the ring took a vow and bend in her hand
He imagines the phone reaching out to someone, but the person doesn't answer.
In her closet where white dresses hang
The person he is imagining might have hung white dresses in her closet.
Where eyes declaring war, Goodnight Irene.
Everything that has been built up in his head ends up with him saying, 'Goodnight Irene.'
Contributed by Jayce E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.