The Messenger
Daniel Lanois & Emmylou Harris Lyrics
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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 song "The Messenger" by Daniel Lanois and Emmylou Harris is a ballad that narrates the story of a messenger who brings a letter to the singer. The letter contains bad news about someone the singer loves who has been wounded, poisoned, pained, and shamed. The singer is devastated by the news and feels an urgency to act, to repair what has been broken. The messenger becomes a metaphor for the hardships of life that we must encounter and overcome to keep going forward.
The chorus is one of hope and promise, that although the door may close tightly, it can unexpectedly swing wide open, and that there is no need to be without love. The singer is willing to take a chance and fight for the love they have for the wounded one. They are scared but determined to make things right and will come to the injured's aid. This is not about vengeance or harming anyone else; rather, it is about healing and nurturing the broken.
Line by Line Meaning
Got a letter from a messenger
I received a message from someone else
I read it when it came
I read the message as soon as I got it
It said that you were wounded, you were bound and chained
The message stated that you were physically and emotionally hurting
You had loved and you were handled
You had experienced love but it had been controlled and manipulated
You were poisoned, you were pained
You were hurt and affected by something toxic
oh no, oh no -
Expressing distress and worry
you were naked, you were shamed
You were vulnerable and humiliated
You could almost touch heaven
It seemed like you were close to achieving something great
right there in front of you
It was within reach
liberty just slipped away on us
Our freedom was suddenly taken away from us
now there's so much work to do
We have a lot of tasks to accomplish after the loss
Oh the door that closes tightly
A metaphor for a missed opportunity
is the door that can swing wide
It can also be an opportunity to open new doors
Not expecting to collide
Not anticipating any negative consequences
For a minute I let my guard down
I briefly became vulnerable
not afraid to be found out
Not scared of being exposed or caught
Completely forgotten
Completely disregarded and neglected
what our fears were all about
The reasons that caused our fears are no longer relevant
There's no need to be without
We don't have to go without something important
There's a chance and I will take it
There's an opportunity and I will seize it
this desire I can't kill
I can't suppress this strong feeling I have
Take my heart, please don't break it
I am entrusting you with my heart, please don't hurt it
I will crawl to your foothill
I will do anything to get closer to you
I'm frightened but I'm coming,
I'm scared but I'm still moving forward
please baby, please lay still
I'm asking you to stay calm and not resist
Not coming for the kill
I am not trying to harm you in any way
Not coming for the kill
I am not trying to harm you in any way
Not coming for the kill
I am not trying to harm you in any way
Contributed by Alexis H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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