Helpless
Cowboy Junkies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With dream comfort memory to spare,
And in my mind I still need a place to go,
All my changes were there.
Blue, blue windows behind the stars,
Yellow Moon on the rise,
Big birds flying across the sky,
Leave us helpless, helpless, helpless.
Helpless, helpless, helpless.
Helpless, helpless, helpless.
Blue, blue windows behind the stars,
Yellow Moon on the rise,
Big birds flying across the sky,
Throwing shadows on our eyes.
Leave us helpless, helpless, helpless.
Helpless, helpless, helpless.
Helpless, helpless, helpless.
Baby can you hear me know?
The chains are locked and locked
and tied across the door.
Baby sing with me somehow.
Helpless, helpless, helpless.
Helpless, helpless, helpless.
Helpless, helpless, helpless.
The opening lines of Cowboy Junkies' song "Helpless" paint an evocative picture of a small town in northern Ontario that is full of memories and comfort. The singer of the song is clearly nostalgic for this place and yearns to return to it, as all their changes happened there. The imagery conjured up by the lines about the blue windows, yellow moon, and big birds flying overhead creates a sense of both awe and helplessness, as if the singer is overwhelmed by the beauty of the place but also feels trapped by it.
As the song progresses, the repetition of the word "helpless" takes on a deeper meaning. It becomes clear that the singer is not just nostalgic for this town, but is also struggling with feelings of powerlessness and despair. The lines "The chains are locked and locked and tied across the door / Baby sing with me somehow" are particularly poignant, as they suggest that the singer is trapped or imprisoned in some way and is reaching out for help.
Overall, "Helpless" is a powerful and evocative song that captures both the beauty and the pain of nostalgia, and explores the complex emotions that can underlie feelings of powerlessness and helplessness.
Line by Line Meaning
There is a town in north Ontario
There's a small town situated in the northern part of Ontario.
With dream comfort memory to spare,
It is a place where one can find plenty of dreams, memories and comfort.
And in my mind I still need a place to go,
The singer deep within still requires a place like that to belong.
All my changes were there.
All the changes and growth experienced by the singer happened in that town.
Blue, blue windows behind the stars,
The windows present behind the stars possess a deep blue hue.
Yellow Moon on the rise,
The large, bright yellow moon has started its ascent.
Big birds flying across the sky,
Massive birds soaring across the sky.
Throwing shadows on our eyes.
The birds' flight is obstructing our sight by casting shadows over our eyes.
Leave us helpless, helpless, helpless.
The situation has left us completely helpless and in distress.
Baby can you hear me now?
Is it possible for you to listen to me at the moment?
The chains are locked and locked and tied across the door.
The singer is trapped behind closed doors, bound by chains that are double-locked.
Baby sing with me somehow.
In some way, can you join me and sing?
Helpless, helpless, helpless.
The same feeling of being completely helpless is emphasized again.
Helpless, helpless, helpless.
The singer reiterates that they are hopeless and unable to do anything.
Helpless, helpless, helpless.
Again emphasizing how helpless they are.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@brettfielding207
just beautiful... her voice is magic, and the band is hauntingly good....
@fionamckinnon1167
I’m not from Canada I simply love this song because my best girlfriend loved it and she passed very young and I still miss her many years later that’s all ❤
@stephenlewin1226
Sorry for your loss. Remember her through this song
@fionamckinnon1167
@@stephenlewin1226 I do and Thankyou hope you had a lovely Christmas and wising you all good things in 2023
@fionamckinnon1167
@@stephenlewin1226 Hey
@tomdorsey5965
She is still with you and will never leave your heart and mind.
@mattmcquinn4992
Carry on
@asphotographics
I drove from Calgary, Alberta, to Sault-St-Marie, Ontario last summer with my family. We weren’t in a hurry and only listened to Canadian legends: lots of Neil Young and Cowboy Junkies. Great country. Great music. Margo has always been my favourite female vocalist. Cowboy Junkies may not be as well known today, but their recent work is at least as good as their classic albums from the late 80s and early 90s.
The things that always strikes me about the Cowboy Junkies is that they aren’t stars. They aren’t prima donnas. They are just regular people, like you and me, who happen to be passionate about making the kind of music they want to make. Not much authenticity left these days, but Cowboy Junkies have it in spades.
@blythespirit4077
@asphotographics - So true. Beautifully stated!💕
@matthewkiss4089
I agree......... and I couldn't have said it better. Just a Great band and Great people.....