Carry On
David Crosby/Stephen Stills/Graham Nash/Neil Young Lyrics
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Was as battered and worn a one as you have ever seen
But I made it some new wings and I painted a nose
And I wished so hard up in the air I rose, singing
Carry me, carry me, carry me above the world
Carry me, carry me, carry me
She was younger than me
Her parents kept her locked up in their life
And she was crying at night
She was wishing she could be free
Course mostly I remember her laughing
Standing there watching us play
For a while there, the music would take her away
And she'd be singing
Carry me, carry me, carry me above the world
Carry me, carry me, carry me above the world
And then there was my mother
She was lying in white sheets there and she was waiting to die
She said if you'd just reach underneath this bed
And untie these weights
I could surely fly
She's still smiling but she's tired
She'd like to hear that last bell ring
You know if she still could she would
Stand up, and she could sing, singing
Carry me, carry me, carry me above the world
Carry me, carry me, carry me
The lyrics to "Carry Me" speak to the universal desire to rise above our circumstances and be carried away to a better place. The song's opening lines tell of a young man who has found an old dream which he has revitalized by giving it new wings and painting its nose. Through his wishful thinking and soaring imagination, he has taken this battered dream and lifted it up into the air, singing "Carry me, carry me, carry me above the world." It is a powerful image of transcendence that captures the essence of hope and the human spirit's yearning for something beyond our current reality.
The song goes on to tell of other people in the singer's life who have also longed to be carried away. The girl he once loved was locked up by her parents and cried at night, dreaming of freedom. But in those moments when the music played, she was lifted out of her despair and into a world of joy and possibility, singing "Carry me, carry me, carry me above the world." The singer's mother, lying in a deathbed, also longs to be carried away from her suffering, imagining that if she could only untie the weights beneath her bed, she could fly. Though she is tired and weak, she remains hopeful and smiling, waiting for the final bell to ring so that she can be carried away, singing "Carry me, carry me, carry me above the world."
"Carry Me" is a beautiful ode to the power of the human imagination and its ability to lift us up above the challenges and limitations of our lives. It speaks to our longing for something beyond ourselves and our ability to dream of a better future. Through its poignant lyrics and soaring melodies, the song invites us to join in the chorus and lift our voices in the hope of being carried away to a better place.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was a young man I found an old dream
As a young man, I stumbled upon a long-lost aspiration
Was as battered and worn a one as you have ever seen
The dream was tattered and beaten beyond recognition
But I made it some new wings and I painted a nose
I revitalized the dream with new life and a fresh look
And I wished so hard up in the air I rose, singing
My immense desire allowed me to soar high up in the sky while singing joyously
Carry me, carry me, carry me above the world
Please take me away from this mundane world and elevate me to a higher level
And I once loved a girl
There was a girl whom I also shared love for
She was younger than me
However, she was younger than I was
Her parents kept her locked up in their life
Her parents restricted her freedom and kept her away from my world
And she was crying at night
She would cry at night due to her unfulfilled desires
She was wishing she could be free
She yearned to break free from her confined life
Course mostly I remember her laughing
The most vivid memory I have of her is when she laughed
Standing there watching us play
She would stand there and watch us play music
For a while there, the music would take her away
The music would lift her spirits and transport her to another world for a brief moment
And she'd be singing
She'd start singing joyfully
And then there was my mother
My mother was also a significant figure in my life
She was lying in white sheets there and she was waiting to die
She was on her deathbed, covered in white sheets, waiting for the end to come
She said if you'd just reach underneath this bed
She said that if I were to reach under her bed
And untie these weights
I would find some weights tied to her bed
I could surely fly
By removing them, she could metaphorically fly away
She's still smiling but she's tired
Even though she's tired, she still manages to keep her spirits high and smile
She'd like to hear that last bell ring
She's eager for her final moments to arrive and is waiting for the bell to toll
You know if she still could she would
If she could have done it herself, she would have removed the weights and flown away
Stand up, and she could sing, singing
She wishes she could stand up and sing joyfully one last time before departing
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: JOHN MELVILLE LEE ARCHER, GEOFFREY FRANKLIN CROSBY, DOUGLAS JAMES FALCONER, JOHN ALBERT HOWARD, ROBERT DAVID MILES, MARK JEREMY SEYMOUR, MICHAEL BERNARD WATERS
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