plight of th… Read Full Bio ↴levon says pup i want to write an album . . . 'bout what ?
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The Girl Left Behind
Levon Helm Lyrics
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A lingering farewell taking
Whose sighs and tears my steps delayed
I thought her heart was breaking
In hurried words her name I blest
I breathed the vows that bind me
And to my heart in anguish pressed
The girl I left behind me
Then to the east we bore away
To win a name in story
And there where dawns the sun of day
There dawned our sun of glory
The place in my sight
When in the host assigned me
I shared the glory of that fight
Sweet girl I left behind me
Though many a name our banner bore
Of former deeds of daring
But they were of the day of yore
In which we had no sharing
But now our laurels freshly won
With the old one shall entwine me
Singing worthy of our size each son
Sweet girl I left behind me
The hope of final victory
Within my bosom burning
Is mingling with sweet thoughts of thee
And of my fond returning
But should I n'eer return again
Still with thy love I'll bind me
Dishonors breath shall never stain
The name I leave behind me
Levon Helm's "The Girl Left Behind" is a reflective piece about leaving a loved one to pursue one's dreams, ultimately finding glory but still longing for the person left behind. The first verse sets the emotional tone with its imagery of sadness, sighs, and tears. The singer leaves behind a woman who may or may not be his lover, but they share a deep connection. He hurriedly declares his love before leaving, grasping onto the girl tighter before finally letting go.
The second verse switches the focus from the girl to the singer’s journey. He travels east with the goal of achieving fame and glory. The "sun of day" is a metaphor for success, the shining light he seeks. Once he finds this, his thoughts return to the girl he left behind. The singer takes pride in his own achievement, but he is never fully able to forget her. Instead, her memory lingers, imbued with the same sense of pride that he feels from his own accomplishments.
The final verse reflects the conflicting emotions that the singer feels about his eventual return. He has found glory, but this does not dull his love for the girl he left behind. The idea of victory is mingled with thoughts of homecoming and returning to her embrace. Still, there is the possibility that he may never return, a harsh reality that he must confront. Regardless of whether or not he makes it back to her, his love for her will remain untainted and never forgotten.
Line by Line Meaning
The hours sad I left a maid
I sadly left a girl behind when I departed
A lingering farewell taking
I took a long time to say goodbye
Whose sighs and tears my steps delayed
Her crying and sorrowful state delayed my leaving
I thought her heart was breaking
I believed that her heart was shattered by my departure
In hurried words her name I blest
I quickly blessed her name
I breathed the vows that bind me
I made promises to her that will keep me tied to her
And to my heart in anguish pressed
I pressed her to my heart with pain
The girl I left behind me
I left a girl behind when I departed
Then to the east we bore away
We headed eastward
To win a name in story
To make a name for ourselves in history
And there where dawns the sun of day
And we arrived where the sun rises
There dawned our sun of glory
There we achieved our glory
The place in my sight
The place is still fresh in my memory
When in the host assigned me
When I was assigned to the army
I shared the glory of that fight
I shared in the glory of that battle
Sweet girl I left behind me
I still remember the girl I left behind
Though many a name our banner bore
Our flag bore many names
Of former deeds of daring
Of previous daring accomplishments
But they were of the day of yore
But they were from the past
In which we had no sharing
We had no part in those achievements
But now our laurels freshly won
But now we have new victories to be proud of
With the old one shall entwine me
I will forever be connected to our previous accomplishments
Singing worthy of our size each son
We will sing praises of our victories
Sweet girl I left behind me
I still remember the girl I left behind
The hope of final victory
My hope of achieving ultimate victory
Within my bosom burning
Burning deeply within my heart
Is mingling with sweet thoughts of thee
Mixed with sweet thoughts of the girl I left behind
And of my fond returning
And of my happy return to her
But should I n'eer return again
But if I never return
Still with thy love I'll bind me
I'll still be bound by her love
Dishonors breath shall never stain
My name will never be stained by dishonor
The name I leave behind me
The legacy I leave behind
Contributed by Dylan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.