Grace General
John K. Samson Lyrics
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Cold winces through the cardboard window
Where the cobblestone was smashed into glass.
And the bare bulb of moon swings over Portage Avenue
And lights the icy rut you sprinkled with sand
Down the dim hall of chain stores to Grace
Where the parking lot is full again.
The face before the doors slide apart
Is hers the day they took away the candy,
Left gift shop tulips to frame her alarmed.
What will I do now?
What will I do now?
What will I do now?
What will I do now?
In John K. Samson's song Grace General, we witness a bleak winter landscape and a sense of listlessness that comes with the arrival of the cold. The opening lines set the tone with "cruel snow, cracked lips, sun lost by four," which create vivid imagery of the harsh winter conditions. The lyrics go on to highlight the harshness of the winter outside a hospital known as grace. The cardboard window that lets the cold wind in and the smashed cobblestone add to this was as well.
In the chorus of the song, Samson emphasizes the character's feeling of helplessness. The singer wonders what they will do next, which can be interpreted in many ways. They could be feeling lost in their own lives, wondering what the future holds. Or given the setting of a hospital, they may be struggling with the news of someone's illness or injury.
Overall, the song sets a mood of despair with vivid imagery of a dark winter in a cold place. The singer seems hopeless and defeated, searching for any purpose or meaning to give them a sense of direction in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Cruel snow, cracked lips, sun lost by four.
The biting cold weather has left my lips painfully cracked, and the sun sets early at around four in the afternoon.
Cold winces through the cardboard window
The freezing wind seeps through the flimsy cardboard window, making the room even colder.
Where the cobblestone was smashed into glass.
The scene outside is chaotic, with cobblestone streets now covered in shattered glass.
And the bare bulb of moon swings over Portage Avenue
The only source of light at this time of night is the moon, casting a dim glow over the street below.
And lights the icy rut you sprinkled with sand
I tried to prevent slipping on the icy sidewalk by spreading sand, but the moon's light reveals a rut that could still cause a fall.
Down the dim hall of chain stores to Grace
Walking through the poorly lit and uninviting hallway of a chain of stores, I make my way to Grace.
Where the parking lot is full again.
As usual, the parking lot of Grace is full with visitors and patients alike.
I don't bother locking up.
I don't bother locking the door behind me, as I'm not concerned with anyone trying to break in.
The face before the doors slide apart
As I approach the entrance, I see a familiar face waiting on the other side of the doors.
Is hers the day they took away the candy,
Her expression is just as shocked and dismayed as it was on the day when they took away her candy.
Left gift shop tulips to frame her alarmed.
All that's left are the gift shop tulips she clings to, seemingly to calm her nerves.
What will I do now?
I am at a loss for what to do to help her in this situation.
What will I do now?
As I stand there, overwhelmed and unsure, the question repeats in my mind.
What will I do now?
Her distress and the lack of solutions to ease her pain weigh heavily on me.
What will I do now?
As I leave Grace, the question still lingers in my mind, the weight of the situation still heavy on me.
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