From the review in Rolling Stone Magazine:
'Like a filmmaker using light, Daniel Lanois maneuvers sound to serve atmosphere; his songs are aural movies, etched with razor-sharp guitars, muted trumpets, church bells, cracking snares. Mood music of a rich, sad intensity, For the Beauty of Wynona follows his 1989 debut, Acadie, in establishing Lanois as a true auteur – even while he draws from a range of roots, he sounds like no one else.'
The Messenger
Daniel Lanois Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I read it when it came
It said that you were wounded,
You were bound and chained
You had loved and you were handled
You were poisoned, you were pained
Oh no, oh no
You could almost touch heaven
Right there in front of you
Liberty just slipped away on us
Now there's so much work to do
Oh the door that closes tightly
Is the door that can swing wide
Oh no, oh no
Not expecting to collide
For a minute I let my guard down
Not afraid to be found out
Completely forgotten
What our fears were all about
Oh no, oh no
There's no need to be without
There's a chance and I will take it
This desire I can't kill
Take my heart, please don't break it
I will crawl to your foothill
I'm frightened but I'm coming,
Please baby, please lay still
Oh no, oh no
Not coming for the kill
Oh no, oh no
Not coming for the kill
Oh no, oh no
Not coming for the kill
The Messenger by Daniel Lanois is a song that tells a story of an injured and chained loved one. The singer is opening a letter from a messenger that describes the condition of someone they care for. The person is in pain, poisoned, wounded and chained. This is clearly a concerning and saddening message for the singer. The next line is quite heartbreaking, as it reveals that the person was also naked and shamed, implying some kind of abuse has taken place. The singer describes how this person had almost touched heaven, but now liberty has slipped away, and there is much work to do. The door that once opened has now closed, and they weren't expecting to collide with this kind of news. The singer had let their guard down, forgotten their fears and become complacent.
However, there is still a chance to fix everything, and the singer is willing to take it, even if it means crawling to their loved one's foothill. They are coming, but not for the kill, they want to help and heal, to take the chance and not break the heart of the one they love. There is a feeling of hope, even though the situation is dire, and the singer desires to come to the rescue of the wounded one.
Overall, The Messenger tells a story of love, loss, and redemption. It is a profound and emotional song that leaves an impact on the listener. Its theme of hope amidst tragedy is what makes it stand out and resonate with those who have felt helpless in a similar situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Got a letter from a messenger
I received a message from someone who came to deliver it
I read it when it came
I read the message right after I received it
It said that you were wounded,
The message said that you had been injured
You were bound and chained
You were restrained and not free to move
You had loved and you were handled
You had experienced love, but also been mistreated
You were poisoned, you were pained
You were harmed and suffered greatly
Oh no, oh no
Expressing concern and worry
You were naked, you were shamed
You were exposed and humiliated
You could almost touch heaven
You had come close to experiencing something extraordinary
Right there in front of you
It was within your reach
Liberty just slipped away on us
Our freedom was lost, just out of our grasp
Now there's so much work to do
We have a lot of effort ahead of us to regain what was lost
Oh the door that closes tightly
The obstacle that appears unyielding
Is the door that can swing wide
Is the one that can be opened most widely with enough force
Not expecting to collide
Not anticipating a confrontation or difficulty
For a minute I let my guard down
I momentarily dropped my defenses
Not afraid to be found out
Not concerned about being discovered or exposed
Completely forgotten
Utterly disregarded
What our fears were all about
The reasons for our anxieties were overlooked
There's no need to be without
There's no reason to lack something important
There's a chance and I will take it
There is an opportunity and I will seize it
This desire I can't kill
I can't let go of this strong longing
Take my heart, please don't break it
I am offering my heart and hoping it won't be hurt
I will crawl to your foothill
I will do anything to be close to you
I'm frightened but I'm coming,
I am scared, but I am still approaching
Please baby, please lay still
I am pleading for stillness and calmness from the person I am approaching
Not coming for the kill
I am not coming to hurt or harm the person I am approaching
Not coming for the kill
I am not coming to hurt or harm the person I am approaching
Not coming for the kill
I am not coming to hurt or harm the person I am approaching
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: DANIEL ROLAND LANOIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Enol Ma
Got a letter from a messenger
I read it when it came
It said that you were wounded,
You were bound and chained
You had loved and you were handled
You were poisoned, you were pained
Oh no, oh no
You were naked, you were shamed
You could almost touch heaven
Right there in front of you
Liberty just slipped away on us
Now there's so much work to do
Oh the door that closes tightly
Is the door that can swing wide
Oh no, oh no
Not expecting to collide
For a minute I let my guard down
Not afraid to be found out
Completely forgotten
What our fears were all about
Oh no, oh no
There's no need to be without
There's a chance and I will take it
This desire I can't kill
Take my heart, please don't break it
I will crawl to your foothill
I'm frightened but I'm coming,
Please baby, please lay still
Oh no, oh no
Not coming for the kill
Oh no, oh no
Not coming for the kill
Oh no, oh no
Not coming for the kill
Noel Riddell
Gorgeous harmonies. Gorgeous guitar solo. Gorgeous P90 tone.
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also: the prechorus on this is as about as good as three part harmony gets. words can't even describe.
hfranke07
This tune should be played in schools and kindergardens every morning to let kids know what music is all about......... Wow. This is just a killer song in a great version.
hfranke07
Wow,-what a tune, what a band and what a performance.... this is just wunderfull to watch.....
BitHprod
Daniel Lanois is a friggin' genious. Respect!
hfranke07
I still keep coming here and listen to this wonderful version of this great tune. And it just keep on hitting me right between the eyes,- Daniel..... if you ever need a new band member, just call me.......
indana jones
Daniel Lanois is so cool !!!his music goes right to my soul !!
Simone Devlin
Cette chanson démontre une tendresse douce entre les amoureux. La façon Daniel joue de la guitare électrique est tellement originale.
AndrejaVinciana
absolutely love it.. what a harmony with voices
Fluffyfluffyhead
These guys are amazing live. I hope he plays with this lineup again soon. A MUST SEE