White room
ERIC CLAPTON &/THE CREAM Lyrics
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Blackroof country, no gold pavements, tired starlings
Silver horses ran down moonbeams in your dark eyes
Dawnlight smiles on you leaving, my contentment
I'll wait in this place where the sun never shines
Wait in this place where the shadows run from themselves
You said no strings could secure you at the station
I walked into such a sad time at the station
As I walked out, felt my own need just beginning
I'll wait in the queue when the trains come back
Lie with you where the shadows run from themselves
At the party she was kindness in the hard crowd
Consolation for the old wound now forgotten
Yellow tigers crouched in jungles in her dark eyes
She's just dressing, goodbye windows, tired starlings
I'll sleep in this place with the lonely crowd;
Lie in the dark where the shadows run from themselves
The lyrics to Eric Clapton and The Cream's song “White Room” are shrouded in mystery and open to interpretation. It appears to present different storylines, as if several stories merge into one. The first verse tells of a room with black curtains, situated near the station in a countryside where there are no gold pavements. This suggests a place far away and isolated from material wealth and modernity. In this isolated place, the singer or narrator encounters a woman with dark eyes, and he watches her leaving in morning light as he waits in a place where the sun never shines. There is a sense of waiting, and the shadow of sadness seems to be around the corner.
The second verse introduces the concept of the shadow. The singer or narrator offers to wait in this same place, where the shadows run from themselves. It is a place that is opposite to the light, and where secrets are kept. The woman tells the singer that no strings could secure her at the station, and that she is leaving, creating a feeling of restlessness and constant movement. She leaves with the last train, and the singer walks into a sad time at the station, as he watches the train leave.
The final verse gives the feeling of the passage of time. The singer encounters a woman who is kind in the hard crowd of a party. She provides consolation for the old wound that has now been forgotten. The woman is depicted as a powerful force, with yellow tigers crouching in the jungles of her dark eyes. As she leaves, the curtains are drawn closed, creating a feeling of finality. The singer finds himself surrounded by a lonely crowd in the dark, where the shadows run from themselves. Overall, the song “White Room” is a portrait of sadness, waiting, and longing in a world that is characterized by isolation, darkness, and transience.
Line by Line Meaning
In the white room with black curtains near the station
The singer is in a white room with black curtains, located near a train station.
Blackroof country, no gold pavements, tired starlings
The surroundings outside the white room are dark and dreary with no luxury or wealth, and birds are exhausted.
Silver horses ran down moonbeams in your dark eyes
The person the singer is with has bright, dazzling eyes, and their reflection makes it seem as if silver horses are running in them.
Dawnlight smiles on you leaving, my contentment
The singer is content watching the person he's with leave in the morning light.
I'll wait in this place where the sun never shines
The singer plans to wait in the white room where the sun never shines.
Wait in this place where the shadows run from themselves
The white room is a place where shadows move on their own, as if trying to escape.
You said no strings could secure you at the station
The person the singer is with is not interested in committing to anything serious at the train station.
Platform ticket, restless diesels, goodbye windows
As the singer is leaving the train station, he sees the platform ticket, hears the sound of restless diesel engines, and says goodbye to the windows there.
I walked into such a sad time at the station
The singer entered a depressing time at the train station.
As I walked out, felt my own need just beginning
As the singer left the train station, he became more aware of his own needs.
I'll wait in the queue when the trains come back
The singer plans to wait in line when the trains come back.
Lie with you where the shadows run from themselves
The singer wants to lie down with the person he's with in the white room, where shadows seem to have a life of their own.
At the party she was kindness in the hard crowd
The person the singer meets at a party was kind in the midst of a difficult crowd.
Consolation for the old wound now forgotten
The person the singer meets helps him forget an old wound, providing comfort and healing.
Yellow tigers crouched in jungles in her dark eyes
The person the singer meets has sharp, intense eyes that hint at wildness and unpredictability, like tigers lurking in the jungle.
She's just dressing, goodbye windows, tired starlings
The person the singer is with is getting ready to leave, saying goodbye to the windows and the tired birds outside.
I'll sleep in this place with the lonely crowd;
The singer will sleep in the white room, even if he's surrounded by a lonely crowd.
Lie in the dark where the shadows run from themselves
The singer plans to lie down in the darkness of the white room, where the shadows continue to move on their own as if running away.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JACK BRUCE, PETE BROWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Elisabeth J.V. Beardsell
This tune is equally as good as “Bad Love” sung by Eric Clapton wonderful!!
S G
To me the finest, lead player of that era. So clean and articulate in his phrasing.
Tineke van netten
wat is hierop je antwoord ?
tien vannetten
thans 🧘♂️ ik ben er stil van
tien vannetten
Thomass M ik ben er ook nog even bibberend van, maar dat gaat wel over
Marina Revhult
So good😄👍
Gary Klafta
SO CLASSIC - ONE OF THE BEST 60'S SONGS .
tien vannetten
ThomassM I lpve you
tien vannetten
Scorpions
Pablo GUEVARA
RIP Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. Long and Groovy Life Mister Eric Clapton ! Master of Wah Wah !