Exile
Good Harvest Lyrics
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by Good Harvest
Borders closing one by one
Land and country disappear
The early years all ran away
One of these days I'll wake up middle aged
Tired to the bone
I'm not welcome here
As the years spin by I lose myself
Suspicious stranger to what my poor heart hoped
And I'll break out from all I know
Till another world shines down
Once a rebel of my own
In a town that no one ever knew
I used to dance away into the sun
and one of these days
I thought I'd be the one
to fight and stand there strong
The angels sang their song
Until my time had come
As the years spin by I lose myself
Suspicious stranger to what my poor heart hoped
And I'll break out from all I know
Till another world shines down
I'm an emigrant
no longer greeted in my home
I'm a foreigner
I'm left out all alone
I'm an emigrant
no longer greeted in my home
I'm a foreigner
I'm left out
The first stanza of Good Harvest's "Exile" describes a sense of loss and displacement. The singer notes the gradual closing of borders and the disappearance of land and country. The early years, it seems, have vanished, and the singer now finds themselves middle-aged and exhausted, estranged from themselves and their surroundings. The final line "I'm not welcome here" hints at a sense of exclusion and alienation, as if the singer is no longer at home in their own life.
In the second stanza, the singer speaks of losing themselves as the years go by. They feel like a stranger to themselves and their own hopes and dreams. However, they also express a desire to break out of their current existence and find a new world to inhabit. There is a sense of rebellion and longing, as if the singer is searching for something that has been lost or denied to them. The final line "Till another world shines down" suggests a kind of cosmic or spiritual quest, as if the singer is seeking a new and better reality.
The final stanza reiterates the theme of exile, with the singer calling themselves an emigrant and a foreigner. They are no longer greeted in their home, and they feel left out and alone. The repetition of these lines highlights the sense of isolation and displacement that pervades the song. However, there is a note of defiance in the singer's voice, as if they are determined to find a new place in the world and define themselves on their own terms.
Overall, "Exile" is a powerful meditation on loss, displacement, and the search for a new identity. The song speaks to anyone who has felt like a stranger in their own life and longs for something more.
Line by Line Meaning
Borders closing one by one
Countries and territories are restricting entry and creating harsher borders
Land and country disappear
The feeling of belonging to one's homeland is slowly vanishing
The early years all ran away
The youthful and carefree days are now gone
One of these days I'll wake up middle aged
The sudden realization that time has slipped away and age has caught up with the artist
Tired to the bone
The artist is exhausted, in body and mind
Rejected by myself
The singer is disappointed in their own life choices and behavior
I'm not welcome here
Feeling out of place and unwelcome in one's own society
As the years spin by I lose myself
The passage of time is causing the artist to feel lost and disconnected from their identity
Suspicious stranger to what my poor heart hoped
The artist has become wary and distrustful of their own hopes and dreams
And I'll break out from all I know
Feeling the need to break free from the constraints of their current life
Till another world shines down
Searching for a new and better life that offers more hope and possibility
Once a rebel of my own
A former free spirit who lived life on their own terms
In a town that no one ever knew
A place of obscurity and anonymity, far removed from the mainstream
I used to dance away into the sun
In the past, the singer enjoyed carefree and joyous moments in life
And one of these days I thought I'd be the one
The singer held onto dreams of greatness and standing out from the crowd
To fight and stand there strong
Fighting against adversity and standing up for what one believes in
The angels sang their song
Symbolic of a hopeful and inspirational moment
Until my time had come
The realization that all good things must come to an end
I'm an emigrant
The singer has left their homeland to settle in a new place
No longer greeted in my home
Feeling disconnected from one's former community and no longer receiving a warm welcome
I'm a foreigner
Feeling like an outsider and not belonging in the new place either
I'm left out all alone
Feeling completely isolated and without support or companionship
Contributed by Scarlett F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.