Born Kimberley Tyler Rhodes but called "Happy" since infancy, she legally changed her name to Happy Tyler Rhodes at the age of 16. The title of her 1987 album has provided a name to what some have begun to call "Ecto" music.
There are several You Tube vids of Happy and, if you want to sample the 'two-voices-in-one' phenomenon, then her stunning version of Peter Gabriel's 'Here Comes the Flood' should be a pleasing introduction.
Lay me Down
Happy Rhodes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bloom no flower
Call the voices off
Send the angels to shelter
The dark rolls in
Lay me down
Encompass me
With violets
Where there was hope
Let there now be sorrow
Let no sparrow sing
Light the candles and incense
The clouds roll in
Lay me down
Encompass me
With lilacs
Steal my sight away
Spare no smile on me
Let the wells run dry
Tell my guardian it's over
The night crawls in
Lay me down
Encompass me
With darkness
Lay me down
Encompass me
With silence
The lyrics to Happy Rhodes's song Lay Me Down are dark and introspective. The first stanza requests the removal of all traces of light, life, and divinity, with the hope of succumbing to the darkness. The singer seeks to be "encompassed" with violets as if to be buried among the flowers. The second and third stanzas continue this theme of resignation, despair, and fading hope. The request for "no sparrow sing" seems to be a final attempt to encourage an appropriate level of mourning. The embrace of darkness and silence appears to be a desire for the quieting of a restless mind or a wish for final rest.
The somber tone and vivid imagery of Lay Me Down invites the interpretation of grief, depression, or perhaps even suicide. Happy's unique voice and poetic lyrics sometimes leave listeners feeling ambiguous in their interpretation of the many intense themes present in her music. However, the overriding themes of the song convey a sense of hopelessness and resignation in the face of inevitable darkness.
Line by Line Meaning
Take the sun away
Remove any happiness or light from my life
Bloom no flower
Let nothing good or beautiful grow or come into my life
Call the voices off
Silence any positive, encouraging or uplifting words
Send the angels to shelter
Remove any protection or care I might have
The dark rolls in
Bring the gloom and misery
Lay me down
I submit and give up
Encompass me
Fully surround me, there's no way out
With violets
Symbolic of sadness and befitting a mourner's procession
Where there was hope
Where once there was a chance of happiness
Let there now be sorrow
Now, let me embrace deep grief and despair
Let no sparrow sing
Let nothing sing or chirp about love, happiness or goodness
Light the candles and incense
Prepare for mourning and remembering what has been lost
The clouds roll in
The overbearing sadness intensifies
Encompass me
Fully surround me, there's no way out
With lilacs
Symbolic of new beginnings and remembrance
Steal my sight away
Make me unable to see any hope, happiness, or love ahead
Spare no smile on me
Let there be no joy, laughter or happiness occurring around me
Let the wells run dry
Deplete all that is good or hopeful in my life
Tell my guardian it's over
Inform anyone who cares for me that there is no hope left and I'm giving up
The night crawls in
The misery and bleakness continues into the darkness of the night
Encompass me
Fully surround me, there's no way out
With darkness
Symbolic of not only the absence of light but also hope, joy and love
Lay me down
I submit and give up
Encompass me
Fully surround me, there's no way out
With silence
Let there be no sound, not even the sound of my own despair
Contributed by Arianna L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
xenussister
This is so wonderful, beautiful! I've now watched some of your other videos and I'm so honored that you chose Happy to add to your channel. Thank you!