But that is just my view
ciao
BronwynH
White Room
Eric Clapton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Black roof 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
Platform ticket, restless diesels, goodbye windows
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's song "White Room" describe a surreal, dreamlike setting where the singer is waiting for someone in a white room with black curtains near a train station. The imagery of the "black roof country" with "no gold pavements" and "tired starlings" creates a sense of desolation and decay. The silver horses running down moonbeams in the person's dark eyes suggests a magical quality to this encounter.
The singer mentions waiting in this sunless place where the shadows run from themselves, suggesting a state of melancholy and isolation. They describe an encounter with someone who cannot be tied down, who is leaving on a train, and who they very much want to be with. The tigers crouching in the jungle in her dark eyes suggest danger and wildness, but also a sense of exoticism and adventure.
The final verse finds the singer alone in the dark with the lonely crowd, still waiting and longing for the person they love. The lyrics create a sense of ambiguity and uncertainty, suggesting that the singer's quest for connection may be doomed to failure or that their idealized vision of the other person may not match reality.
Line by Line Meaning
In the white room with black curtains near the station
In a room with white walls and black curtains that is located near a train station
Black roof country, no gold pavements, tired starlings
The surrounding area has dark roofs, no fancy streets, and birds that look exhausted
Silver horses ran down moonbeams in your dark eyes
A poetic way of describing the beauty and mystery in the person's eyes
Dawnlight smiles on you leaving, my contentment
The artist is happy and content seeing the person leave in the morning light
I'll wait in this place where the sun never shines
The artist plans on waiting somewhere dark and gloomy where the sun doesn't shine
Wait in this place where the shadows run from themselves
The place is so bleak that even the shadows try to get away from it
You said no strings could secure you at the station
The person didn't want to be tied down or held back at the station
Platform ticket, restless diesels, goodbye windows
The imagery of a train station with people coming and going, the sound of engines, and train windows closing as it departs
I walked into such a sad time at the station
The artist walked into a time of sadness at the station
As I walked out, felt my own need just beginning
The artist left feeling empty and with a newfound sense of longing
I'll wait in the queue when the trains come back
The singer plans to wait in line for another train
Lie with you where the shadows run from themselves
The artist wants to be with the person in a place where even the shadows can't stand to be
At the party she was kindness in the hard crowd
The person was a shining light of kindness at a difficult gathering
Consolation for the old wound now forgotten
The person offered comfort for a past hurt that has been left behind
Yellow tigers crouched in jungles in her dark eyes
More poetic imagery describing the beauty and mystery in the person's eyes
She's just dressing, goodbye windows, tired starlings
The person is getting ready to leave, similar to the train windows closing, and the birds look even more tired now
I'll sleep in this place with the lonely crowd
The artist will stay in a lonely place with other lonely people
Lie in the dark where the shadows run from themselves
The singer wants to be in a dark place that even the shadows try to escape
Lyrics Β© Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jack Bruce, Pete Brown
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Robert Fallon
The backup singers are killing it! π
gigi shapiro
who are the backup singers?
Elizabeth Shingola
Eric has the best girls
Robert Fallon
@gigi shapiro no clue
Adam Horn
Shaun Murphy and Marcy Levy
MrBear895
@Elizabeth Shingola true
peanutserver
If only Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker were with him for this performance! Imagine if Cream had reunited at Live Aid!
Reine H
That would have been great.
Rico Sat
the holy trinity of the 60's would be backk
EyeShotFirst
Yeah, it sounds like half the song is missing without them. Plus this was when Clapton was going really mellow with his tone. It just lacks the punch his work with Cream and his 70s work had.