The Great Unravelling
Fish Lyrics


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He met her, she had me, spiraling ribbons, cut the cord away
The twists of life the knots of dreams, this was before the great unraveling.
In time no strings attached so wild and free,
No ties to bind, a world before us
We threaded hopes within the tapestries we wove
So far away, the great unraveling
The great unraveling- she tied my laces, sewed the buttons, spun the rhymes
The great unraveling - he taught the ropes, he spared the rod, drew the lines
The great unraveling - she slowed the blood, my beating heart the streaming tears
The great unraveling.
The strands of time, the rules and chains that bind us,
That holds us down till we forget just how to fly,
Bound by fears, of change from old traditions
Began to sense the great unraveling
The lives that we played before,
Stretch into our past define us,
Instinctively hearts entwine
Love brings us closer to carry us forward
The seeds that we sow today
The loose ends we tie and nurture
The threads that we spin and weave
To uncertain futures we usher them into the light.
Into the light, into the light, into the light, into the light.
Imprint the knowledge, pass the message on
I know I have to let you go
One day I have to say goodbye




I know that I will have to leave and give up to the light
Into the light.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Fish's song "The Great Unraveling" tell the story of a relationship that goes through different stages before ultimately coming to an end. The song begins by describing how the couple initially came together, with the singer (presumably Fish himself) meeting a woman who was with someone else. However, the two eventually end up together and enjoy a period of carefree happiness, free of the constraints of traditional relationships. The lyrics describe how they wove their dreams together as they looked towards an uncertain future.


However, as time goes on, the couple begins to feel the weight of societal expectations and the fear of change. They begin to sense the "great unraveling", the gradual breaking down of the structures that once held them together. Despite this, they continue to love and support each other, with the woman taking care of practical tasks like tying laces and sewing buttons, while the man provides guidance and support. Ultimately, the song acknowledges the bittersweet reality that all things must come to an end, and the singer knows he will have to let go and "give up to the light".


Overall, "The Great Unraveling" is a poignant meditation on the joys and challenges of love, as well as the inevitability of change and loss. The song's poetic imagery and metaphorical language add to its emotional impact, creating a powerful ode to the complex and sometimes painful realities of human connection.


Line by Line Meaning

He met her, she had me, spiraling ribbons, cut the cord away
She came into his life while he was with me, twisting and turning like spiraling ribbons, until she cut the cord that bound him to me.


The twists of life the knots of dreams, this was before the great unraveling.
Life has its twists and dreams have their tangles, this was before everything started to fall apart.


In time no strings attached so wild and free, No ties to bind, a world before us We threaded hopes within the tapestries we wove So far away, the great unraveling
Over time, we became free and unattached from the ties and constraints that held us down, and we wove our dreams into the tapestry of our lives, but it all felt so distant with the impending unraveling.


The great unraveling- she tied my laces, sewed the buttons, spun the rhymes The great unraveling - he taught the ropes, he spared the rod, drew the lines The great unraveling - she slowed the blood, my beating heart the streaming tears The great unraveling.
The great unraveling was a time when she helped me with the little things, he taught me new skills, and she comforted me when I was in pain, but it was still a time of great sorrow and heartbreak.


The strands of time, the rules and chains that bind us, That holds us down till we forget just how to fly, Bound by fears, of change from old traditions Began to sense the great unraveling
The passage of time and the societal expectations that constrain us can make us forget how to be free and take flight. We fear change from old traditions and this fear began to make us sense the impending unraveling.


The lives that we played before, Stretch into our past define us, Instinctively hearts entwine Love brings us closer to carry us forward
Our past experiences shape who we are today, and our hearts are drawn to each other by instinct. Love binds us together and propels us forward through life's challenges.


The seeds that we sow today The loose ends we tie and nurture The threads that we spin and weave To uncertain futures we usher them into the light.
What we do today, the relationships we build and the dreams we pursue, will impact our uncertain futures. We must tie up the loose ends and nurture what we hope to grow, weaving together the strands of our lives as we guide them toward the light.


Into the light, into the light, into the light, into the light. Imprint the knowledge, pass the message on I know I have to let you go One day I have to say goodbye I know that I will have to leave and give up to the light Into the light.
We must move forward into the light, passing on the lessons we have learned and embracing the knowledge that we have gained. Eventually, we must let go of the past and say goodbye, surrendering ourselves to the unknown future as we walk into the light.




Contributed by Riley R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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