THE BROTHER
FORD Robben Lyrics

Hey, brother
Addressing the person with whom he had a falling out

It's been too long
It has been a long time since they have talked

So I put out my hand
Extending the hand of friendship to patch up things

I was wrong
Admitting that he was the one who made a mistake

But tell me
Asking for guidance and advice from his friend

Where to from here
Wanting to know how to proceed from this point

You won't say a word
The other person is not willing to speak

And you won't come near
The other person is keeping his distance

We've got history
Acknowledging their past together

You deny it
The other person is denying their history

And this silence that you keep
The other person's silence speaks volumes

Speaks loud and clear
The other person's silence is deafening

So we've found someone to blame
They are both trying to place the blame on someone else

And nothing is going to change
Things will not change if they continue in this manner

Hey, friend
Addressing his friend once again

Don't turn your back
Asking his friend not to walk away

Hey, brother
Using the term brother again to show their bond

We're wasting time
They are losing valuable time that they could be spending together

I hurt you, now you hurt me
They are both hurting each other with their actions

It's a life of crime
Their behavior towards each other is not healthy

The problem I think is pride
Their pride is getting in the way of their reconciliation

No one's willing to lose, we defend
Neither of them is willing to lose the argument and so they keep defending themselves

Or run and hide
They might choose to avoid each other instead of facing the situation

It's our destiny
It is their fate or inevitable outcome

To take the open road
They need to move on and start anew

We don't have to walk
They don't have to face the future alone

That road alone
They can support each other along the way

It's the things we have at stake
There are things worth fighting for between them

Here behind the noise we make
Despite their arguments, there is still something important between them

Oh, friend
Addressing his friend once again, emphasizing their relationship

Don't turn your back
Asking his friend not to walk away once again

While I watched you slip away
Remembering how he missed his friend when he drifted apart

I know love lies sleeping
Their friendship and love for each other still exists, but it is inactive

My friend
Calling his friend 'my friend' again as a gesture of friendship

Forgive the past
Asking for forgiveness for the things that happened in the past

Let the good things last
Letting positive memories override the negative ones

And brother together we can move on
They can move forward together and not let their arguments affect them anymore

Hey, brother
Using the term brother once again to show they are family

So far away
They are distant from each other, but their bond remains

If our paths should cross
If they meet again after being distant for some time

What would you say
What would the other person say if they met again

I tell you
The singer urges the other person to reveal their true feelings

Say it now
Speak up now before it's too late

Or we'll lose the grace
If they don't speak soon, they may lose the opportunity to patch things up

That time has allowed
If they don't act now, they may miss their chance forever