Passing Afternoon
Iron %26 Wine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like some passing afternoon
Summer warmed the open window
Of her honeymoon
And she chose a yard to burn
But the ground remembers her
Wooden spoons, her children stir
There are things that drift away
Like our endless numbered days
Autumn blew the quilt right off
The perfect bed she made
And she's chosen to believe
In the hymns her mother sings
Sunday pulls its children
From their piles of fallen leaves
There are sailing ships that pass
All our bodies in the grass
Springtime calls her children
'Til she lets them go at last
And she's chosen where to be
Though she's lost her wedding ring
Somewhere near her misplaced jar
Of bougainvillea seeds
There are things we can't recall
Blind as night that finds us all
Winter tucks her children in
Her fragile china dolls
But my hands remember hers
Rolling 'round the shaded ferns
Naked arms, her secrets still
Like songs I'd never learned
There are names across the sea
Only now I do believe
Sometimes with the windows closed
She'll sit and think of me
But she'll mend his tattered clothes
And they'll kiss as if they know
A baby sleeps in all our bones
So scared to be alone
The song "Passing Afternoon" by Iron & Wine is a contemplative reflection on the passage of time and the fleeting nature of memories. The first stanza describes a summer day that has passed by like a passing afternoon, as the singer reminisces about a woman who burned her yard and grew bougainvillea. In the second stanza, the singer reflects on the impermanence of life and how everything eventually fades away, like the quilt that was blown off the perfect bed the woman had made. The woman in the song has chosen to believe in the hymns her mother sang, and the idea that Sunday pulls its children from piles of fallen leaves, suggesting a connection to something greater than oneself.
The third stanza speaks to the passing of generations, as sailing ships pass by as bodies lay in the grass. Springtime calls her children until she lets them go, just as life leads us on paths that move us forward. The woman in the song has chosen to be somewhere, even though she has lost her wedding ring, and somewhere her misplaced jar of bougainvillea seeds still remains. The fourth stanza speaks to the things we cannot recall, like the darkness of night that covers everything. Winter tucks her children in and protects them, just as the woman's secrets are still rolling around like songs the singer never learned. The final stanza speaks to the idea that there are names across the sea, and that sometimes the woman will sit with the windows closed and think of the singer. The woman will mend her partner's tattered clothes and they'll kiss each other like they know something, as they recognize that all our bones hold a sleeping baby that is scared to be alone.
Line by Line Meaning
There are times that walk from you
Moments come and go, leaving us behind
Like some passing afternoon
Like a warm summer day quickly slipping away
Summer warmed the open window
The window was open to let in the warmth of the season
Of her honeymoon
During the beginning of her marriage and new life
And she chose a yard to burn
She decided to start a fire in the yard
But the ground remembers her
The earth has not forgotten her presence
Wooden spoons, her children stir
Her children still use the wooden spoons she once used
Her bougainvillea blooms
The flowers she planted and nurtured are still blooming
There are things that drift away
Time has a way of making things fade away
Like our endless numbered days
Our limited time on Earth is constantly ticking down
Autumn blew the quilt right off
The fall winds took the blanket away
The perfect bed she made
The bed that she had neatly put together
And she's chosen to believe
She has faith in something greater than herself
In the hymns her mother sings
She is comforted by the religious songs her mom taught her
Sunday pulls its children
People feel drawn to religious gatherings on Sundays
From their piles of fallen leaves
Leaves fall in the autumn, like time passing by
There are sailing ships that pass
Life moves on and people come and go
All our bodies in the grass
We will all eventually end up in the ground
Springtime calls her children
Spring represents new beginnings and growth
'Til she lets them go at last
Spring will eventually give way to summer
And she's chosen where to be
She knows where she belongs
Though she's lost her wedding ring
Physical objects can be lost, but love remains
Somewhere near her misplaced jar
The jar containing bougainvillea seeds has gone missing
Of bougainvillea seeds
She wants to plant some new flowers to watch grow
There are things we can't recall
Memories fade over time
Blind as night that finds us all
We are all vulnerable to the unknown
Winter tucks her children in
Winter represents an end to things, including life
Her fragile china dolls
Representing the fragility of life
But my hands remember hers
Memories can live on in our physical being
Rolling 'round the shaded ferns
Recalling a past moment in nature
Naked arms, her secrets still
She revealed things to him that no one else knows
Like songs I'd never learned
Her stories were unique and new to him
There are names across the sea
People and places exist far from us
Only now I do believe
The artist has had a change of heart
Sometimes with the windows closed
Alone with her thoughts
She'll sit and think of me
She still remembers him
But she'll mend his tattered clothes
She still cares for him despite their distance
And they'll kiss as if they know
Their love remains despite time and distance
A baby sleeps in all our bones
The possibility of new life existing in all people
So scared to be alone
The fear of being alone is something we all share
Contributed by Harper S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@dr.aromakalra92
"In my whole life, I've been forced to choose between love and self respect. And I chose self respect. With Wilson, I can have both. " When some girl like Amber falls for a Boy like Wilson. It's so beautiful and pretty. Amantadine is and will always be my most hated drug because it's not Amber who died, It's Wilson's heart that died. And Why? Why does it always Hurt to listen this song, but I always listen to this to cherish that last moment between those two. Because that's not the last feeling I want to feel. ❣️💔❣️
P. S. I have grown up under Bougainvillea blooms!
(Edit: If someone reads this, just ping the like so that I can come here and listen to this masterpiece again, Thank you in advance) ✨
(Edit part 2: I always listened to this song and thought about Amber and Wilson. How he gave her love and respect both. How I never dated guys who would ask me to choose either of the two. It made me stay single for a very very long time in my life. But then after I made this comment, and I had listened it so many times and I jotted down what I actually want in my man. And you know, I manifested him. A guy with who, I can have both. It's been 6 months since we are talking. And it's amazing.✨)
(Edit Part 3: It has been 1 whole year since i wrote the edit part 2. And we are engaged now. He asked me out to marry right when he asked me to be his girlfriend. He told his parents and rest of the family and friends about me and waited for me for 4 months to even tell my side of the family. Months later, our families agreed for us being together as in India, they still are a little new to that. Now we have been engaged since April (now july, 2023) and everyday he is falling more for me. And even more than i can even express, i am falling for him more every minute. He is the most amazing man to walk on the face of Earth, and he makes me the happiest woman alive. He is respectful, loving and Godly. We are just waiting for the long distance to get over (because we are both doctors, getting our Postgrad degrees), and then we will marry. 🖤 Till then, the life is in the process of making itself more beautiful.
(Edit Part 4:
Song Recommendation: Choo Lo by The Local Train
I know this is a sad song but it reminds me of my boyfriend (now fiancé) because it feels like for all the traumas I have had in my life, family, and career, it is like God actually sent a piece of himself in his disguise. He is a wonderful man who makes my soul happy.
He is the kind of man who makes a robotic person like me feel.
After having a trauma train in family, and career, forced to be mature at a young age because you lost most important family memeber, you forget to feel a single thing.
He came along and somehow softened my heart.
This song is so beautiful and it reminds me of him. Everytime I listen to it. We are both doctors and currently in long distance because of our specialities (only for 1.5 year more), so whenever we meet, after a month or so, the moment he leaves, this song always starts buzzing in my head.
It was his birthday 5 days back and we were together and celebrated it in the best way possible, did everything he likes, even went to Gaming arcade.
And it was one of the best memories for us.
After I dropped him to Airport and came back to my empty apartment, and i all that could think was, "Khada hun aaj bhi wahin, lagi teri hi aas hai..Kaisi hai ye bebasi, ye kaisi dil ki pyaas hai..Choo lo jo mujhe tum kabhi.. Kho na jaau main raat din..Nazaro me ho tum base... Keh do jo ab tum ek baar..mere ho bas tum mere... "
He is the most perfect man. He is human version of galaxies. And he makes every single day, beautiful just by existing.
I recently resigned my PG degree as 8 months into the course I realized that I want to pursue another specialty, and guess what? Who made me believe that I can crack the exam again and in better way. He is my strength and he is beauty. He is everything that God makes for peace. He is like Halley's Comet. You see that, only once in your lifetime. He is that person. ✨❤✨)
✨✨✨
@saranshbajpai9377
There are times that walk from you like some passing afternoon
Summer warmed the open window of her honeymoon
And she chose a yard to burn but the ground remembers her
Wooden spoons, her children stir her Bougainvillea blooms
There are things that drift away like our endless, numbered days
Autumn blew the quilt right off the perfect bed she made
And she's chosen to believe in the hymns her mother sings
Sunday pulls its children from the piles of fallen leaves
There are sailing ships that pass all our bodies in the grass
Springtime calls her children until she let's them go at last
And she's chosen where to be, though she's lost her wedding ring
Somewhere near her misplaced jar of Bougainvillea seeds
There are things we can't recall, Blind as night that finds us all
Winter tucks her children in, her fragile china dolls
But my hands remember hers, rolling around the shaded ferns
Naked arms, her secrets still like songs I'd never learned
There are names across the sea, only now I do believe
Sometimes, with the window closed, she'll sit and think of me
But she'll mend his tattered clothes and they'll kiss as if they know
A baby sleeps in all our bones, so scared to be alone
@christophergargaro959
“Get off the bus”
“I can’t”
“Why not?”
“Because it doesn’t hurt here...I don’t want to be in pain, I don’t want to be miserable...and I don’t want Wilson to hate me”
“Well...you can’t always get what you want”
Such a powerful scene and amazing acting by Hugh
@JoseGonzalez-fd3fs
What movie?
@mariambouorm9377
Jose Gonzalez it’s a series called house
@lyndenmaluleke8085
I'm here because of House
@leonardoiujo5355
@@lyndenmaluleke8085 i'm here for house too lol
@knopflerfan9069
Hugh Laurie is such a brilliant actor, he's just so weirdly incredible at portraying both physical and mental pain. Also RSL is underestimated imo, his acting in Wilson's Heart as Amber is dying was sublime, totally destroyed me
@pekpekplz
"Why aren't you angry?"
"That's not the last feeling I want to experience."
@DaithiDeNogla
<3
@Arsonist_Clown
This is a historical landmark right here
@medzik5412
True