Their lyrics dealt with Christian/Faith issues.
what it is
Duvall Lyrics
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All by yourself, in your '96 Ford Probe
With the broken rear defrost.
Then all at once from out of seemingly nowhere at all
There comes a strange yet poignant feeling of knowing
And you know it's something, but what it is.
Until one night just after turning out the light
You will lay your head down.
Then all at once from out of seemingly nowhere at all
There comes a strange yet poignant feeling of knowing
And you know it's something, but what it is.
Oh, you've got eternity in your heart
A hole the size of the universe inside
And it's tearing you apart.
Then all at once from out of seemingly nowhere at all
There comes a vauge yet poignant feeling of knowing
And you know it's something...
The lyrics of Duvall's song What It Is are complex and seem to speak to the human experience of existential questioning and feelings of incompleteness. The first paragraph describes a specific moment that the listener may experience, where they are alone in their car with a broken rear defrost. Suddenly, the listener experiences a strange and poignant feeling - one of knowing that something important is missing from their life. The second paragraph discusses the passing of time, and how this feeling of incompleteness continues to nag at the listener until, one night, they finally lay down to rest. Once again, the listener experiences that strange feeling that something is missing.
The final stanza seems to offer some insight into what this feeling might be - an "eternity in your heart" and a "hole the size of the universe inside," tearing the listener apart. Yet, even with this vague understanding of the source of their discomfort, the listener is still left questioning what it is that they are missing.
The song as a whole can be interpreted as a meditation on the human condition, focusing on the sense of emptiness that often plagues us as we journey through life. Despite the discomfort it causes, this feeling of incompleteness is an important part of being human - it drives us to seek out meaning and purpose, and to try to understand the world around us.
Line by Line Meaning
Some Sunday night you will be driving in your car
At some point in the future, on a Sunday night, you will be driving alone in your car.
All by yourself, in your '96 Ford Probe
You will be the only person in a 1996 Ford Probe.
With the broken rear defrost.
The rear defrost in your car is not functioning properly.
Then all at once from out of seemingly nowhere at all
Suddenly, without warning, a feeling arises.
There comes a strange yet poignant feeling of knowing
The feeling that comes is unusual but deeply felt, and it is connected with knowledge of some kind.
And you know it's something, but what it is.
You can sense that there is something significant happening, but you are not sure what it is.
Weeks wander by strolling through time as through the mall
Time passes by without any clear direction or purpose, as if aimlessly walking through a shopping mall.
Until one night just after turning out the light
One night, after turning off the lights before bed,
You will lay your head down.
You will go to sleep.
Oh, you've got eternity in your heart
You have a sense of infinite time or something beyond the physical world within you.
A hole the size of the universe inside
This feeling creates a void within you that is as vast as the universe itself.
And it's tearing you apart.
The feeling is causing you great emotional upheaval and suffering.
Then all at once from out of seemingly nowhere at all
Once again, the feeling emerges suddenly without warning.
There comes a vague yet poignant feeling of knowing
The feeling that arises is unclear but still deeply felt and connected with some form of knowledge.
And you know it's something...
You are certain that there is something of great significance happening within or around you.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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