The Park
Feist (Musikdesire.blogspot.com) Lyrics
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You thought that you saw him, but no you did not
It's not him coming across the sea to surprise you
Not him who would know where in London to find you
Sadness so real that it populates
The city and leaves you homeless again
Steam from a cup and snow on the path
The past
There's hope to have
In the past
Why would he come back through the park
You thought that you saw him, but no you did not
Who can be sure of anything through
The distance that keeps you from knowing truth
Why would he think, the boy could become
The man who could make you sure he was the one
The one
My one
My one
Feist's song, The Park, is a melancholic reflection on the pain of nostalgia and unresolved romantic desire. The singer of the song is caught in the emotional trap of constantly looking back to a past love, hoping that they will return, while acknowledging that they are most likely gone for good. The refrain "Why would he come back through the park" speaks to this sense of longing and resignation. The park itself serves as a metaphor for the liminal space between what was and what could be, where memories and dreams collide.
One of the key themes of the lyrics is the way that sadness and loss can alter our perception of reality. The singer sees glimpses of their lost love everywhere - "you thought that you saw him, but no you did not" - and the weight of their absence makes them feel "homeless again." In this way, the song taps into the universal experience of heartbreak and the way that it can color our experience of the world.
Overall, The Park is a haunting and evocative song about the pain of losing someone we love, and the lingering hope that they might one day return. Feist's plaintive vocals and sparse, delicate instrumentation perfectly capture the mood of wistful sadness that the lyrics evoke.
Line by Line Meaning
Why would he come back through the park
Why would the person she is thinking about come back to the place where they used to spend time together?
You thought that you saw him, but no you did not
She thinks she saw him but realized it was someone else or just her imagination.
It's not him coming across the sea to surprise you
She is longing for him but knows that he won't come to surprise her.
Not him who would know where in London to find you
She believes he doesn't know where she is in London, so he won't come looking for her.
Sadness so real that it populates
She is overwhelmed with sadness, which seems to be everywhere, as if it has taken over the whole city.
The city and leaves you homeless again
Her sadness has caused her to feel like she has no home in the city anymore.
Steam from a cup and snow on the path
She describes the surroundings in the park, where she sees steam rising from a cup and snow covering the path.
The seasons have changed from the present to past
She realizes that time has passed, and the seasons have changed from when they used to spend time together in the park.
There's hope to have
Even though she is sad, she still has hope for the future.
In the past
She thinks about the past and wishes things could be the way they used to be.
Who can be sure of anything through
She questions how anyone can be certain of anything when distance keeps them apart.
The distance that keeps you from knowing truth
The distance between them is preventing her from knowing the truth about his feelings for her.
Why would he think, the boy could become
She wonders why he ever believed that the boy she used to be could become the woman he wants her to be.
The man who could make you sure he was the one
She wishes that he could make her certain that he is the one for her.
My one
She is referring to him as the one she loves.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LESLIE FEIST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rika4010
Why would he come back through the park
You thought that you saw him, but no you did not
It's not him coming across the sea to surprise you
Not him who would know where in London to find you
Sadness so real that it populates
The city and leaves you homeless again
Steam from a cup and snow on the path
The seasons have changed from the present to past
The past
There's hope to have
In the past
Why would he come back through the park
You thought that you saw him, but no you did not
Who can be sure of anything through
The distance that keeps you from knowing truth
Why would he think, the boy could become
The man who could make you sure he was the one
The one
My one
My one
@shannonguthrie5375
Picture this....your only love is gone...and you are walking to try and see that life is still worth living without him...and then you see him!!! He is coming towards you through the park!! Such joy fills your heart! But ....it was SO not him. Not him at all. Devastation and sadness overwhelm you. Still...memories of a time when he would come to find you. And all the sudden ..life is about missing him and hoping next time it will be him. PUNCH ME IN THE STOMACH PAIN. FEIST BRILLIANT.
@a.m.c.7667
Anybody here after seeing Dermot post a cover of this on IG today? 🙋🏼♀️ Then, of course, I notice Justin Vernon has also covered this, albeit 11 yrs ago, as well; wonder if that's how DERMOT 1st heard it. Dermot Kennedy: the artist who gives the world the most beautiful art whilst consistentently exposing us to other artists' beautiful work; forever grateful for the bliss this brings me! 🥰🎶🤟
@misemags
I saw that too and really liked his take on it.
@adamdavid3938
This could be the saddest, loneliest thing I've ever heard.
@mannyftw
+Adam David Check out Portishead - Roads
@JustinHaynes123
Adam David you haven’t heard Justin Vernon’s cover of it
@FishBoneYard
And the most beautiful...
@lawrenceleong8747
Good Lord Leslie. What a song. Still so heart wrenching after all these years.
@chrismm25
The onnnnnnnne. OH MY GOD! The way she holds that note resurfaces in my mind every few years.
@neurodivergent_lux
I think I heaqrd her the first time five or six years ago.. and I still know all the lyrics. I´m so happy that I found her again, she´s got such a powerful and beautiful voice. It sounds exactly the way I feel about the world <3