Everything's Turning To White
Kasey Chambers Lyrics
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They took provisions and bottles of bourbon to last them all through the weekend
One hundred miles they drove just to fish in a stream
And there's so much water so close to home
When they arrived it was cold and dark; so they set up their camp quickly
Warmed up with whisky they walked to the river where the water flowed past starkly
In the moonlight they saw the body of a young girl floating face down
When he hold me now I'm pretending
I feel like I'm frozen inside
And behind my eyes, my daily disguise
Everything's turning to white
It was too hard to tell how long she'd been dead, the river was that close to freezing
But one thing for sure, the girl hadn't died very well to judge from the bruising
They stood there above her all thinking the same thoughts at the same time
There's so much water so close to home
They carried her downstream from their fishing; between two rocks they gently wedged her
After all they'd come so far, it was late
And the girl would keep; she was going nowhere
They stayed up there fishing for two days
They reported it on Sunday when they came back down
There's so much water so close to home
When he holds me now I'm pretending
I feel like I'm frozen inside
And behind my eyes, my daily disguise
Everything's turning to white
The newspapers said that the girl had been strangled to death and also molested
On the day of the funeral the radio reported that a young man had been arrested
I went to the service a stranger; I drove past the lake out of town
There's so much water so close to home
When he holds me now I'm pretending
I feel like I'm frozen inside
And behind my eyes, my daily disguise
Everything's turning to white
The song "Everything's Turning to White" by Kasey Chambers is a haunting ballad that tells the story of a group of men who go fishing in the mountains and discover the body of a young girl in the river. The lyrics convey a sense of shock and disbelief as the men struggle to come to terms with what they have found. The chorus, "When he holds me now I'm pretending, I feel like I'm frozen inside, and behind my eyes, my daily disguise, everything's turning to white," suggests a deep sense of trauma and numbness felt by the singer as she tries to cope with the aftermath of the tragedy.
The song is based on a short story by Raymond Carver called "So Much Water So Close to Home," which was later adapted into a movie by director Robert Altman called "Short Cuts." The story explores themes of guilt, responsibility, and the ways in which people deal with trauma and grief. The song captures these themes beautifully, with its spare, evocative lyrics and haunting melody.
Line by Line Meaning
Late on a Friday my husband went up to the mountains with three friends
Kasey Chambers narrates how her husband went to the mountains with his friends on a Friday night.
They took provisions and bottles of bourbon to last them all through the weekend
Kasey emphasizes how the group was prepared for their weekend away in the mountains by taking provisions and alcohol.
One hundred miles they drove just to fish in a stream
The group traveled quite far just to fish in the stream and enjoy the outdoors.
And there's so much water so close to home
Kasey notes how there is a lot of water and many outdoor opportunities for them to enjoy near their home.
When they arrived it was cold and dark; so they set up their camp quickly
The group arrived when it was still dark and made a quick campsite to get ready for the weekend ahead.
Warmed up with whisky they walked to the river where the water flowed past starkly
The group had whiskey to warm them up and walked to the river, which flowed strongly and with force.
In the moonlight they saw the body of a young girl floating face down
To their shock, they saw the body of a young girl floating face down in the river, illuminated by the moonlight.
And there's so much water so close to home
This line is repeated to emphasize how there are many bodies of water near their home and how unfortunate it is to find a dead body in it.
When he holds me now I'm pretending
Kasey talks about how she is now pretending when her husband holds her, likely due to the sadness from the events that occurred on this mountain trip.
I feel like I'm frozen inside
Kasey describes how she feels emotionally stuck and numb due to the upsetting experience.
And behind my eyes, my daily disguise
Kasey hints that she is hiding her true feelings by putting on a daily disguise.
Everything's turning to white
Kasey describes how everything is losing its color and brightness, representing the sadness and shock that she and others have experienced.
It was too hard to tell how long she'd been dead, the river was that close to freezing
The cold water made it hard to determine how long the young girl had been dead.
But one thing for sure, the girl hadn't died very well to judge from the bruising
There were visible signs of bruises on the girl's body, leading the group to believe that she did not die peacefully.
They stood there above her all thinking the same thoughts at the same time
The group stood above the girl, all of them in shock and sadness as they tried to process what they were seeing.
They carried her downstream from their fishing; between two rocks they gently wedged her
The group initially decided to move the girl's body downstream from where they were fishing and to rest it between two rocks afterward.
After all they'd come so far, it was late
The group had come so far on this weekend trip and it was getting late, so they made the difficult decision to continue enjoying the weekend and not notify anyone yet.
And the girl would keep; she was going nowhere
The group decided to leave the girl's body where it was because she was going nowhere.
They stayed up there fishing for two days
The group decided to stay in the mountains and continue fishing for two days before going back home and notifying the authorities.
They reported it on Sunday when they came back down
The group finally reported the discovery of the girl's body on Sunday when they came back down.
The newspapers said that the girl had been strangled to death and also molested
The newspapers reported that the girl had been strangled and also sexually assaulted, making the situation even more tragic and appalling.
On the day of the funeral the radio reported that a young man had been arrested
A young man was arrested in connection with the girl's death on the day of the funeral, adding to the tragedy and shock of the entire situation.
I went to the service a stranger; I drove past the lake out of town
Kasey attended the girl's funeral as a stranger, still trying to process everything that had happened on that fateful weekend trip. She drove past the lake, likely the same one where the girl's body was found, out of town.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul Maurice Kelly
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind