song
John Ashbery Lyrics
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Of life in former times. Fragrance of florals,
How things merely ended when they ended,
Of beginning again into a sigh. Later
Some movement is reversed and the urgent masks
Speed toward a totally unexpected end
Like clocks out of control. Is this the gesture
Of frustrated denials, like jungle foliage
And the simplicity of the ending all to be let go
In quick, suffocating sweetness? The day
Puts toward a nothingness of sky
Its face of rusticated brick. Sooner or later,
The cars lament, the whole business will be hurled down.
Meanwhile we sit, scarcely daring to speak,
To breathe, as though this closeness cost us life.
The pretensions of a past will some day
Make it over into progress, a growing up,
As beautiful as a new history book
With uncut pages, unseen illustrations,
And the purpose of many stops and starts will be made clear:
Backing into the old affair of not wanting to grow
Into the night, which becomes a house, a parting of the ways
Taking us far into sleep. A dumb love.
The lyrics of John Ashbery's Song in 2-3 present a reflection on the past and the present, using imagery and metaphors to convey a sense of nostalgia and uncertainty. The opening line already sets the tone for this reflection, as it affirms that the song will be about our "old way of living" and "life in former times". The use of the plural pronoun "our" suggests a collective reminiscence, a shared memory that the song will evoke.
The second line brings specific sensory information, the "fragrance of florals", which may evoke the beauty and fleetingness of nature, as well as the transience of human experiences. The third line, "How things merely ended when they ended", seems to express resignation or fatalism, as if life's endings are inevitable and unchangeable. This thought is then transposed into a poetic image of "beginning again into a sigh", suggesting a cyclical or repetitive quality of life.
The second stanza introduces a contrasting mood, with the phrase "Some movement is reversed" evoking a sense of instability, confusion, or even chaos. The simile "like clocks out of control" emphasizes this lack of direction, as well as the mechanized and artificial nature of our society. The question "Is this the gesture/That was mean, long ago" implies a moral judgement, a sense that something went wrong in the past and continues to affect the present. The metaphor of "frustrated denials, like jungle foliage" suggests a struggle to adapt or survive, as well as the complexity and richness of life's diversity. The last line of the stanza, "In quick, suffocating sweetness", is ambiguous but may suggest a bittersweet or dangerous pleasure that comes at a cost.
The final stanza returns to the perspective of the present or near future, with the bleak image of a faceless building "rusticated brick" and the lament of the "cars" (which may symbolize modernity or progress). However, there is a glimmer of hope in the phrase "the pretensions of a past will some day/Make it over into progress", which implies that we can learn from our mistakes and create a better future. The image of "a new history book/With uncut pages, unseen illustrations" suggests the potential for discovery and innovation, as well as the importance of preserving and acknowledging the past. The last two lines, "Taking us far into sleep. A dumb love", are enigmatic but may suggest a peaceful or desired oblivion, as well as a sense of acceptance or surrender.
Line by Line Meaning
The song tells us of our old way of living,
The song is about life in former times and how it was different from the way we live now.
Of life in former times. Fragrance of florals,
Life in former times had a distinct fragrance of flowers and nature.
How things merely ended when they ended,
Things in the past had a way of ending without much fuss or drama.
Of beginning again into a sigh. Later
After something ended, it was often followed by a sigh and a sense of starting anew.
Some movement is reversed and the urgent masks
Sometimes things go in reverse or unexpected ways, leaving us feeling urgent and wearing masks.
Speed toward a totally unexpected end
Things can often come to a sudden and surprising end.
Like clocks out of control. Is this the gesture
This sudden end can feel like everything is out of control.
That was mean, long ago, the curving in
This feeling of being out of control is similar to a past experience of feeling frustrated and helpless.
Of frustrated denials, like jungle foliage
This past experience can feel like being lost in a dense jungle and unable to move forward, despite denying the frustration.
And the simplicity of the ending all to be let go
Despite the frustration and complexity, when things end, it feels simple and it's time to move on.
In quick, suffocating sweetness? The day
Despite the simplicity, there can be a feeling of suffocating sweetness - a bittersweet sense of moving on.
Puts toward a nothingness of sky
The day seems to be heading towards a bleak and empty future.
Its face of rusticated brick. Sooner or later,
The future is bleak and dark, with a rough exterior.
The cars lament, the whole business will be hurled down.
Despite this, there's a sense of hope that the past will be left behind and something new will emerge.
Meanwhile we sit, scarcely daring to speak,
In the present, we're afraid to speak and move forward, because it's so uncertain.
To breathe, as though this closeness cost us life.
Even breathing and being close to others feels risky and life-threatening.
The pretensions of a past will some day
One day, the illusions and false ideas of the past will give way to something new.
Make it over into progress, a growing up,
This new thing will be a sign of progress and growth.
As beautiful as a new history book
This progress will be as beautiful and exciting as a brand new history book.
With uncut pages, unseen illustrations,
This progress will be so new and fresh that we won't even know what to expect.
And the purpose of many stops and starts will be made clear:
All of the confusion and false starts will eventually make sense and the purpose will be clear.
Backing into the old affair of not wanting to grow
Despite this progress, there will still be some reluctance to move forward and grow.
Into the night, which becomes a house, a parting of the ways
This reluctance feels like moving into a dark and uncertain house, and making a choice to go a different way.
Taking us far into sleep. A dumb love.
This choice takes us far away, into sleep and forgetfulness, but it's a necessary and powerful choice born out of love and growth.
Contributed by Layla A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.