Mandolin Orange’s music radiates a mysterious warmth —their songs feel like whispered secrets, one hand cupped to your ear. The North Carolina duo have built a steady and growing fanbase with this kind of intimacy, and on Tides of A Teardrop, due out February 1, it is more potent than ever. By all accounts, it is the duo’s fullest, richest, and most personal effort. You can hear the air between them—the taut space of shared understanding, as palpable as a magnetic field, that makes their music sound like two halves of an endlessly completing thought. Singer-songwriter Andrew Marlin and multi-instrumentalist Emily Frantz have honed this lamp glow intimacy for years.
In the last three years, the group has toured throughout the U.S and Europe, including appearances at Austin City Limits, South by Southwest, Edmonton Folk Music Festival, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Newport Folk Festival, Pickathon, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Rooster Walk, and MerleFest and the Omagh Bluegrass Festival. Mandolin Orange was the featured artist on CBS This Morning's Saturday Morning Sessions on December 7, 2019.
They signed to Yep Roc Records in 2013 and have produced four albums under their umbrella, This Side Of Jordan, Such Jubilee, Blindfaller and Tides of a Teardrop.
Until the Last Light Fades
Mandolin Orange Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No longer than your years
If heaven and earth are both on the market
Then hell will be nothing to fear
So where oh where have the lights gone lately
As the sun returns for the day
Or has the light found good in these eyes of mine
Father oh my father I'll be standing in line
To face what faults are mine
It;'s not these old bones that I'll miss in my dying
It's the girl I'm leaving behind
Love of mine sweet love of mine I'll soon return
To the land to make room for the new
I'll give hell my worst and good to this earth
As for heaven it was found in you
The opening lines of Mandolin Orange's "Until the Last Light Fades" paint a foreboding picture of the natural order of things - every living being is born with an expiration date. The singer warns that death is inevitable, and that despite our struggles and achievements in life, our time on earth is finite. However, in the second half of this stanza, the singer takes a twist as they ponder the paradoxical concept of morality. If not heaven nor earth are eternal, then perhaps hell is nothing to fear.
The second verse takes a more hopeful tone. The singer is searching for a light, searching for meaning, something to hold onto in this mortal life. They speculate on whether the light is within them, whether the "good" they seek is inside. With a heartfelt plea, the singer implores the light to stay with them until the "last light fades."
The final lines are poignant, particularly when one knows that the band has cited their own experiences with death and loss as influences on their lyrics. In the last verse, the singer addresses their father and their lover. In acknowledging their mortality, the singer is asking for understanding and forgiveness, and expressing their love and gratitude for those important people in their life. They pledge to do their best on earth and hope for a heavenly reunification with those they love.
Overall, the song's theme reflects on the transience of life, the cyclical nature of existence, and the importance of love and family in the face of life's brevity.
Line by Line Meaning
Born to die Born to die darling you'll live
Your life is finite, but you will never truly die because you will live on in the memories of those you love.
No longer than your years
You will not live forever, and it is important to make the most of the time you have.
If heaven and earth are both on the market
In the grand scheme of things, life is temporary and everything we know will eventually come to an end.
Then hell will be nothing to fear
When we recognize that everything is temporary, our fear of the unknown is lessened.
So where oh where have the lights gone lately
The world can be a dark and difficult place, and it is easy to lose sight of the good things in life.
As the sun returns for the day
There is always hope for a new day, and every dawn brings new opportunities.
Or has the light found good in these eyes of mine
Sometimes the light and joy we seek can be found within ourselves and the people we love.
Please stay until the last light fades
Hold on to hope and stay strong until the very end, because there is always more light to be found.
Father oh my father I'll be standing in line
We all have faults and it is important to take responsibility for them and seek forgiveness before it is too late.
To face what faults are mine
Acknowledging our mistakes can be difficult, but it is necessary for personal growth and healing.
It's not these old bones that I'll miss in my dying
When we are nearing the end of our lives, it is not material possessions or physical attributes that matter, but the people we love.
It's the girl I'm leaving behind
The love and connections we make in life are what truly matter and what live on even after we are gone.
Love of mine sweet love of mine I'll soon return
Even when we are gone, our love can still be felt by those we leave behind.
To the land to make room for the new
Just as we make room for new growth in nature, our passing makes room for new opportunities and growth in the lives of those we love.
I'll give hell my worst and good to this earth
In life, it is important to give it your all and make the world a better place in the ways you can.
As for heaven it was found in you
The people and relationships we cherish in life can bring us a sense of heaven and peace even in the darkest of times.
Contributed by Thomas K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@stephenwindom3010
"Until The Last Light Fades"
Born to die, born to die darling you'll live
No longer than your years
Heaven and earth are both on the market
Hell is nothing to fear
So where oh where have the lights gone, love
Has the sun retired for the day
Or has life outlived these eyes of mine
Please stay until the last light fades
Father oh my father I'll be standing in line
To face what faults are mine
It's not these old bones that I'll miss in my dying
It's the girl I'm leaving behind
So where oh where have the lights gone, love
Has the sun retired for the day
Or has life outlived these eyes of mine
Please stay until the last light fades
Love of mine, sweet love of mine I'll soon return
To the land to make room for the new
I give hell my worst and good to this earth
As for heaven it was found in you
So where oh where have the lights gone, love
Has the sun retired for the day
Or has life outlived these eyes of mine
Please stay until the last light fades
@cleanslate2004
I love the simplicity of her voice, nothing pressed, just natural with effortless phrasing. His voice is the perfect compliment to hers.
@user-fk1dl6sl4o
Such sweet harmonies. Love you guys!
@Kazakor
I just like the world a little bit more every time I hear these two play.
@jdodson1093
Amen!
@Nairb5972
Tony Wyman amen to that
@tammypaar4946
Me too
@rodneycaupp5962
I hate the world more every day without their spirits
@Joe_Jacobs
I'd say after listening to a lot of their material that Emily and Andrew are a couple of old souls... and we are the better for it.
@jeffm5808
beautiful song
@reilneal
Just love acoustic talent, harmonies, it's really great to know it's alive n well n thriving. thanks guys!!