February
Joan Baez Lyrics

I threw your keys in the water, I looked back
I threw away the keys symbolizing the end of our relationship, and as I left, I turned back to see their frozen state.

They'd frozen half way down in the ice
The keys found their way into the partially frozen water and froze halfway down, like our relationship that froze in bitterness.

They froze up so quickly, the keys and their owners
The keys froze quickly in the cold, just like how the relationship between us froze along with our emotions.

Even after the anger, it all turned silent
Despite the anger, our relationship ended quietly without any words.

And the everyday turned solitary
Our day-to-day life became lonely and isolated, without the companionship of each other.

So we came to February
We reached the month of February, which symbolizes the end of winter and the promise of spring and new beginnings.

First we forgot where we'd planted those bulbs last year
We forgot where we had planted bulbs in the past, signifying the way our minds forget things associated with lost love.

Then we forgot that we'd planted at all
We even forgot that we had planted bulbs, which implies that we can forget what the relationship was all about, and how little it meant in the long run.

Then we forgot what plants are altogether
We forgot everything about what we planted, indicating the complete loss of emotions and feelings for each other.

And I blamed you for my freezing and forgetting
I blamed you for my inability to move on and my forgetfulness, as if all of this was your fault.

The nights were long and cold and scary
The nights were unpleasant, dark and haunting, and something that we had to endure alone.

Can we live through February?
I wondered if we could make it through this tough time, hoping that we could rise above the pain and emotional turmoil.

You know I think Christmas was a long red glare
Christmas represents the hope of a new beginning, but all I saw was the harsh reality of our ending relationship.

Shot up like a warning, we gave presents without cards
Our relationship was fading fast, and we knew it. So much so that we gave Christmas presents without any notes or messages, as if to say ‘that is all it is.'

And then the snow
Snow represents the purity of a new beginning and the thrill of a fresh start, something that was missing in our love relationship.

And then the snow came, we were always out shoveling
We were always occupied with practical things like shoveling snow and perhaps avoiding the uncomfortable talk of our relationship and its end.

And we'd drop to sleep exhausted
At the end of the day, we were so tired that we just fell asleep without any emotional attachment or excitement for what the future held.

Then we'd wake up, and it's snowing
The endless snowing became an inevitable physical manifestation of our mood and the dark, cold place where our relationship stood.

And February was so long that it lasted into March
Our emotionally draining February felt like it would never end, even as we entered March, another month in which we hoped for some sort of rebirth.

And found us walking a path alone together
We walked down a path, but we were each alone in our thoughts and emotions, leaving the other behind.

You stopped and pointed and you said, "That's a crocus"
You tried to connect with me but I was lost in my own mind, and you tried to bring me back to the present by pointing to a crocus.

And I said "What's a crocus?" and you said "It's a flower"
I was so lost in my own sadness that I could not even recognize a simple flower, so you explained it to me as a symbol of moving on and new beginnings.

I tried to remember but I said "What's a flower?"
I had given up on our relationship, so I couldn’t relate to the idea of something new, or the possibility of a fresh start.

You said "I still love you"
Despite everything, you still loved me, and that is all that really mattered.

The leaves were turning as we drove to the hardware store
Nature was moving on, the leaves turning as a sign of change, and we too were moving on, driving to the Harware store, and beginning to take steps towards new possibilities.

My new lover made me keys to the house
I had moved on, and now had a new love, signifying the end of my past relationship with you.

And when we got home, well we just started chopping wood
We started to build something new from the ground up, showing that we were ready to let go of the emotions of our past relationship and start something new.

Because you never know how the next will be
Starting anew brings with it many unknowns and uncertainties, but we were willing to take the leap and see what happens.

And we'll gather all our arms can carry
We were ready to take on this new challenge together with a full heart, and take whatever came our way.

I have lost to February
I recognize that I have lost something in the darkness and cold of February, but I am ready to move on and embrace new opportunities.