The lesson in resiliency has paid off, with the grounded Morris pivoting from Mobile, to Auburn University (where he graduated with a degree in Finance) to Nashville and eventually, to Birmingham, Alabama. He diligently honed his songwriting along the way, but also experienced the typical drizzle of record company-stutter steps (one self-titled under-the-radar release), and other unpredictable delays (he was originally signed to a subsidiary of Universal that folded before they released his album), that fortunately, never seemed to dampen the buzz about the singer/songwriters immense talent, or his unique perspective about arriving at his appointed destination.
After moving from Nashville to Birmingham, Morris got to work, exploring the local musical terrain with a renewed gusto, and writing and performing with renewed inspiration. Before long he scored a development deal with Universals, now defunct, Strummers Records. And after trying, unsuccessfully, to put a band (Parkers Back) around his existing songs, Eliot would make permanent his solo status building on the southern mystique, and creating a slow-burning buzz through CD sharing and a constant blur of touring (both local haunts and coveted opening slots and side stages for John Mayer, Counting Crows and James Taylor among others). Strummer would eventually die an unfortunate death but Universal saw something special and decided that Eliot was an artist that needed to be heard.
Awake
Eliot Morris Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the winter months that follow,
There was left my soul and spirit,
In the waters of my sorrow,
Then I painted perfect pictures,
And a smile that no one questioned,
But inside we both were breaking
From the weight of our transgressions, of love
And then we lay awake at night,
And we're staring at the ceiling,
And the violence of this fight,
Is the silence that we keep when we're awake, awake
In my mind I found this window,
With the curtains gently flowing,
To the music of the angels and the summer breezes blowing,
There I waited on your whisper,
And your reachin hands to find me
And the doorstep of the morning,
I awoke with arms still empty, oh no,
And then we lie awake at night,
And we're staring at the ceiling,
And the violence of this fight,
Is the silence that we keep when we're awake, awake
When we're awake, awake
And then we lie awake at night,
And then we're staring at the ceiling,
And the violence of this fight,
Is the silence that we keep when we're awake, awake
When we're awake, oh oh
The lyrics to Eliot Morris's song Awake paint a picture of a broken relationship and the pain that comes with it. The first verse sets the tone for the rest of the song, with the singer describing the aftermath of the relationship ending. They describe feeling empty and broken inside, but hiding it behind a smile that nobody questions. It's clear that both parties are struggling with the weight of their "transgressions" of love.
The second verse takes a more spiritual turn as the singer describes finding solace in their mind, picturing a window with curtains gently flowing to the music of angels and summer breezes blowing. They wait for their ex-lover's whisper and reaching hands to find them, but the morning comes and they are still alone with empty arms. The chorus repeats the image of lying awake at night, staring at the ceiling, and keeping a violent silence.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of despair and heartbreak in the aftermath of a failed relationship. The pain is palpable and the image of lying awake at night, unable to escape the silence and the memories, is a powerful one.
Line by Line Meaning
In the gray of last November,
During a bleak period of time, possibly referring to a past November.
In the winter months that follow,
In the months after the aforementioned November, likely still in the winter season.
There was left my soul and spirit,
The singer's soul and spirit were negatively affected in some way during this time period.
In the waters of my sorrow,
The artist's emotional pain was profound, possibly likening it to drowning.
Then I painted perfect pictures,
The artist put on a façade of happiness or contentment.
And a smile that no one questioned,
Others didn't see through the singer's faux happiness.
But inside we both were breaking
Despite the outward appearance, the singer and one other person were struggling and falling apart emotionally.
From the weight of our transgressions, of love
Their love was causing some sort of guilt or negative emotion, leading to their personal struggles.
And then we lay awake at night,
The artist and the aforementioned person couldn't sleep.
And we're staring at the ceiling,
During those sleepless nights, they were likely feeling restless and unable to relax.
And the violence of this fight,
Their struggle was real and possibly hostile, albeit not physically violent.
Is the silence that we keep when we're awake, awake
The silence between them during these difficult times was deafening and palpable, causing further emotional strife.
In my mind I found this window,
The singer found inner peace or comfort in their thoughts.
With the curtains gently flowing,
The singer's visualization of this imagined window is serene and peaceful.
To the music of the angels and the summer breezes blowing,
The singer is envisioning idyllic sounds and sensations to make this inner world even more pleasant.
There I waited on your whisper,
The artist longs for the affections of the aforementioned person and waits for a sign of their love.
And your reachin hands to find me
The artist wants the other person to show affection or make an effort to reconcile.
And the doorstep of the morning,
A new day has arrived and the singer wakes up from their dreams, leaving the inner world behind.
I awoke with arms still empty, oh no,
The singer is disappointed when they realize nothing from their inner world has changed their current reality.
And then we lie awake at night,
The artist and the other person still cannot sleep.
And we're staring at the ceiling,
They're still restless and struggling emotionally.
And the violence of this fight,
Their emotions and struggle are still there, unchanging from before.
Is the silence that we keep when we're awake, awake
Again, the silence between them is palpable and deafening causing further emotional strife.
When we're awake, oh oh
The struggle and continual emotional strife is present in their waking hours too, not just at night.
Contributed by Amelia G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tony D
Beautiful, Elliott... Great sound.
Jodi Lynn Baughman
Nice. Thank you.