Heynderickx's music features a fingerstyle acoustic guitar technique inspired by Leo Kottke and John Fahey paired with introspective lyrics punctuated with "well-timed levity".
Francis
Haley Heynderickx Lyrics
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Hungover and carsick
Broken-hearted boy
Yeah that’s how it started
With the dead
Asking why you don’t confess
Father Saint Francis
Your daddy’s in a casket
But you don’t want to ask yet
You see it in her mouth
You see it in her hands
You know you got a secret that she’ll never understand
And the ghosts
Say what you already know
Yeah you had a place in the kingdom kid
Yeah the pretty people are so easy to forgive
But there’s something on your skin that you can’t get clean
There’s a fawn in the fence that you can’t get free
So you’re asking everybody who they think they really are
And you feel a little better till the sky goes dark
And the ghosts
Yeah but you already know
The song "Francis" is a haunting ballad about a broken-hearted boy who is questioning his faith and his place in the world. The lyrics describe the singer driving through the darkness, hungover and carsick, with the weight of his father's recent death on his mind. He is haunted by the image of Father Saint Francis, who he imagines asking him why he doesn't confess, adding to the boy's guilt and confusion. Throughout the song, he grapples with his secrets and his sense of isolation, feeling like he is unable to connect with others because they will never truly understand him. The repetition of the line "and the ghosts say what you already know" emphasizes the feeling of being trapped and haunted by his thoughts and memories.
The song draws on themes of grief, loneliness, and spiritual doubt. The boy's sense of being disconnected from the world around him is palpable in the lyrics, which describe his attempts to find solace and understanding in the people he encounters. Despite this, he is ultimately unable to escape the weight of his own sorrow and the sense of emptiness that pervades his life. Through the use of vivid imagery and metaphor, the song paints a bleak but powerful portrait of a young man grappling with the challenges of growing up and facing the complexity of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Driving through the darkness
The singer is in a vehicle moving in the dark
Hungover and carsick
The singer is feeling nauseous and suffering from the aftereffects of excessive drinking
Broken-hearted boy
The singer is a young man who is grieving after experiencing emotional pain
Yeah that’s how it started
The artist is describing the beginning of a painful experience
With the dead
The artist is referring to the memories of those who have passed away
Asking why you don’t confess
The singer is questioning why the listener is not admitting something
Father Saint Francis
The singer is invoking the image of a religious figure for guidance or comfort
Your daddy’s in a casket
The listener's father has passed away and is now in a coffin
You hear it in the wind
The listener is sensing or imagining something through the sound of the wind
But you don’t want to ask yet
The listener is hesitant to confront the truth
You see it in her mouth
The listener can detect a feeling or emotion through the expression on someone's face
You see it in her hands
The listener is reading something from the way someone is holding themselves
You know you got a secret that she’ll never understand
The listener is harboring a private feeling or experience that cannot be shared with another person
And the ghosts
The singer is invoking the idea of lingering spirits or emotions that follow us through life
Say what you already know
The singer is suggesting that the listener is aware of the truth even if they are not ready to face it
Yeah you had a place in the kingdom kid
The artist is acknowledging the listener's innate value and potential as a person
Yeah the pretty people are so easy to forgive
The artist is making an observation about how attractive or charming people are often given the benefit of the doubt
But there’s something on your skin that you can’t get clean
The listener is struggling with an internal conflict or trauma that cannot be erased
There’s a fawn in the fence that you can’t get free
The listener is trapped or restricted in some way, unable to escape a difficult situation
So you’re asking everybody who they think they really are
The listener is attempting to understand the nature of people's true identities, perhaps in relation to their own struggles
And you feel a little better till the sky goes dark
The listener experiences temporary relief when they confront their issues, but the feeling doesn't last
And the ghosts
The artist is again invoking the idea of lingering spirits or emotions that follow us through life
Yeah but you already know
The singer is reemphasizing that the listener is aware of the truth, even if they are not ready to fully accept it
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Max García Conover, a Singer of Songs
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind