Charcoal
John McIntyre Lyrics
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I woke up and cried
It's the only house I ever had
It's where my mother died
The yellow paint peeled off the sides
And scattered in the yard
I went to pick the pieces up
But they'd blown away too far
Than anywhere in the world
The fire came, drank them up
And cracked the old floor boards
There's still charcoal on my skin
Couldn't help but to breathe it in
Soot will stain my lungs
Till the day I die
I looked in through the window
To see the kitchen painted red
A tear fell in the ashes
The soot fell on my head
The flames climbed up the sycamore
Black smoke obscured the stars
I looked upon my brother's face
We both had matching scars
There's still charcoal on my skin
Couldn't help but to breathe it in
Soot will stain my lungs
Till the day I die
Charcoal on my skin
Couldn't help but to breathe it in
Soot will stain my lungs
Till the day I die
There's still charcoal on my skin
Couldn't help but to breathe it in
Soot will stain my lungs
Till the day I die
Charcoal on my skin
Couldn't help but to breathe it in
Soot will stain my lungs
Till the day I die
Last night I dreamt my house burned down
I woke up and cried
It's the only house I ever had
It's where my mother died
As the smoke descended slowly
On my brother's bed and mine
We called out our father's name
He'd been waiting this whole time
The song "Charcoal" by John McIntyre is a poignant reflection on the memories of a childhood home, and the tragedy of losing it in a fire. The dream of the singer's childhood home burning down, the home where the singer's mother died, is a metaphor for nostalgia and a yearning for a past that can never be recovered. The yellow paint flaking off, the tears left in the house, the cracked floorboards all symbolize the fragility and transience of life. Through the dream, the singer is transported back to the house, and the vivid imagery of the fire and smoke engulfing the home underscores the emotions the singer carries with them.
The refrain "There's still charcoal on my skin, couldn't help but breathe it in, soot will stain my lungs till the day I die" is a powerful reminder of how memories and experiences become a part of us, and stay with us forever. The charcoal residue from the fire becomes a permanent mark, much like how memories and experiences leave a lasting impression. The singer recognizes the inevitability of these marks, no matter how painful, and accepts that they will carry them for the rest of their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Last night I dreamt my house burned down
The singer had a dream that his childhood home was destroyed
I woke up and cried
The singer was upset by the dream
It's the only house I ever had
The house has sentimental value as the only home the singer has ever known
It's where my mother died
The artist's mother passed away in the house
The yellow paint peeled off the sides
The house was in disrepair
And scattered in the yard
Pieces of the house were scattered around the property
I went to pick the pieces up
The singer attempted to gather the pieces of the house
But they'd blown away too far
The pieces were too scattered and difficult to gather
I left more tears inside that house
The artist has emotional attachments to the house
Than anywhere in the world
The house holds the most emotional significance to the artist
The fire came, drank them up
The singer's tears were consumed by the fire that burnt down the house
And cracked the old floor boards
The fire caused damage to the structure of the house
There's still charcoal on my skin
The aftermath of the fire left residue on the singer's skin
Couldn't help but to breathe it in
The singer couldn't avoid inhaling the smoke and soot from the fire
Soot will stain my lungs
The singer's respiratory system was affected by the fire
Till the day I die
The effects of the fire will stay with the artist indefinitely
I looked in through the window
The artist surveyed the damage of the house
To see the kitchen painted red
The destruction of the house was apparent in the charred remains of the kitchen
A tear fell in the ashes
The singer was emotional about seeing the destruction of the house
The soot fell on my head
The aftermath of the fire was still present and affecting the artist
The flames climbed up the sycamore
The fire spread to nearby trees
Black smoke obscured the stars
The fire created smoke that blocked out the starry sky
We both had matching scars
The singer and his brother are both scarred emotionally by the destruction of the house
As the smoke descended slowly
The smoke from the fire was still present and affecting the artist
On my brother's bed and mine
The singer and his brother were affected by the aftermath of the fire
We called out our father's name
The singer and his brother sought comfort from their father in the aftermath of the fire
He'd been waiting this whole time
The father was present and ready to provide comfort to his sons
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: John McIntyre
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind