Only Time
Lavender Hill Orchestra Lyrics
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Where the day flows?
Only time.
And who can say if your hope grows
As your dream chose?
Only time.
Who can say why the earth sighs
Only time.
And who can say why your face smiles
When your eyes lie?
Only time.
Who can say when the trees sing
That song might be the secret of life?
And who can say when the day sleeps
If the night keeps all your life,
Night keeps all your life?
Who can say if the rose grows
As your world chose?
Only time.
And who can say where the world goes?
Where the day flows?
Only time.
Who knows? Only time.
Who knows? Only time.
The Lavender Hill Orchestra's song "Only Time" describes the mystery and uncertainty of life, as well as the enigmatic quality of time itself. The singer poses a series of questions throughout the song, asking who can really say why things happen the way they do, and whether or not our hopes and dreams will come to fruition.
In the first verse, the singer asks who can say where the world goes and where the day flows, with the answer being "only time". This emphasizes the idea that time is an unstoppable force that we cannot control, and that ultimately it determines the course of our lives. The second verse asks who can say why the earth sighs and why we smile when we're sad, further emphasizing the mysterious nature of life.
The chorus brings together these different threads, asking who can say when the trees sing or the rose grows, and ultimately landing on the repeated phrase "only time". This suggests that despite our attempts to understand the world around us, there is an inherent mystery and unpredictability that we will never fully comprehend.
Overall, "Only Time" is a contemplative and introspective song that encourages listeners to embrace the uncertainty of life and enjoy the moments that we have.
Line by Line Meaning
Who can say where the world goes?
No one can predict or fully understand where the course of the world or life will take them.
Where the day flows?
Where time takes us throughout the day and what it brings, we cannot control nor fully know.
Only time.
Time is a mysterious and powerful force we cannot control but must accept and learn from in our lives.
And who can say if your hope grows
We cannot always know if the things we hope for will come true, or if we will be satisfied with what we gain.
As your dream chose?
We may choose what we dream of, but we cannot control the outcome or what our dreams show us.
And who can say why the earth sighs
The natural world can seem sorrowful or burdened without explanation, and even more mysterious about why.
As your bird cries?
A bird may cry or sing for many reasons, but we may not fully understand why it does so or what it represents.
And who can say why your face smiles
Our emotions can be complex and may not always reflect what we truly feel, making it hard to read faces or know why they express certain things.
When your eyes lie?
Eyes can express many things or hide others, but we may not know when or why someone's eyes mislead us.
Who can say when the trees sing
The beauty of nature may contain secrets or messages we struggle to perceive, though we are awed by its wonder.
That song might be the secret of life?
The mysteries of nature and its rhythms may hold wisdom or knowledge about life we cannot fathom or articulate fully.
And who can say when the day sleeps
Night can feel like a mystery in many ways, and we may not know the true nature of what happens to us when we sleep.
If the night keeps all your life,
Nighttime and the dreams we have may be the only time we fully confront or explore who we are or what we want in life.
Who can say if the rose grows
Even things in nature, like the growth of a flower, cannot be fully predicted or understood.
As your world chose?
We may think we know what we want, but we cannot control what the world or our environment does, even when it affects us.
Who knows? Only time.
In the end, the mysteries of time and life are too great to fully understand or predict, and only time itself can reveal what we cannot see or touch.
Writer(s): ROMA SHANE RYAN, ENYA, NICKY RYAN
Contributed by Andrew N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.