Friend
Janne Westerlund Lyrics
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he said
i couldn't play your games
and that life is an arrow
aimed nowhere but up
and i take the flight as it comes
and let my ears feel the breeze
please make one so small
that a single breath of wind
would blow it away
you might find it
or then not
but you'd know it once
was there
The lyrics of Janne Westerlund's song "Friend" paint a picture of a friend down on his luck, who recognizes the futility of conventional pursuits and is content with letting life take him where it will. He declares that he cannot partake in the games people play and believes that life is a upward-bound arrow that he must simply follow. He does so with ease, allowing his senses to take in the world around him without trying to manipulate or control it. The idea of letting the breeze guide him ties in with the final stanza of the song, which speaks to the impermanence of all things. The singer desires a statue so small that a gust of wind could whisk it away - he sees this as a humbling reminder of the fleeting nature of all material things.
Overall, the lyrics of "Friend" promote a philosophy of acceptance and humility. The singer recognizes that there is no way to control the world around him and chooses instead to relax into the flow of life. He finds beauty in the small and fleeting, acknowledging that all material things will eventually be taken by the passage of time.
Line by Line Meaning
i had a friend who was down
I once knew someone who was depressed and struggling.
he said
He told me that...
i couldn't play your games
He couldn't participate in the superficial and competitive aspects of life.
and that life is an arrow aimed nowhere but up
He believed that life is a journey with only an upward trajectory, despite the hardships and challenges.
and i take the flight as it comes
He embraced life with a go-with-the-flow attitude, taking what came at him and making the best of it.
and let my ears feel the breeze
He stayed attuned to the present moment, enjoying the sensations and experiences of life as they happened.
oh you who build the statues
Addressing a figurative audience who creates cultural icons and idols...
please make one so small
He asks for a symbol of humility...
that a single breath of wind would blow it away
...something so insignificant and vulnerable that it could be easily destroyed by the slightest breeze.
you might find it or then not
The statue would be so small and unassuming that it could easily be overlooked or missed entirely.
but you'd know it once was there
Its existence would be brief, but its presence would be remembered, if only for a moment.
Contributed by Mila E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.