Nadler studied painting at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she began her performing career after writing songs for many years.
The foundation of her sound is her haunting mezzo-soprano, and a delicate 6-string acoustic guitar, often accompanied by a variety of instruments, including electric guitar, theremin, and piano. Nadler writes strange, yet classic, melancholy songs. Her voice is often bathed in a wash of reverb and space echo and creates a ghostly, atmospheric feeling to the music.
She has American Gothic leanings; her songs often take place in an imagined, idealistic time with a cast of characters of her own creation.
Official Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marissa-Nadler/300932499775
Bandcamp: http://marissanadler.bandcamp.com/
Old Love Haunts
Marissa Nadler Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
La da da da da da da da di
Old love haunts in the evening
And the remnants of pictures come alive
I told you that I loved you
By the lake with the summer done
Come all your careless wanderers
When I first saw you in the sunshine
With the speckles and flaxen in your eyes
When I first saw you in the moonlight
It is true that I thought that I might die
I told you that I loved you
By the lake with the summer done
Come all your careless wanderers
By the lake with the days of rum
La da da da da da da da di
The lyrics of Marissa Nadler's "Old Love Haunts Me" speak of the persistence of past love and memories, which continue to linger and haunt long after the relationship has ended. The opening lines, "Old love haunts me in the morning, old love haunts in the evening," capture the all-encompassing nature of this feeling, as it seems to arise at any time of day. The second line, "And the remnants of pictures come alive," suggests that memories of the past lover are vividly remembered and conjured up by the mind's eye, even though the relationship is over.
The second verse of the song paints a picture of a romantic encounter by a lake that apparently took place in the summertime. The lyrics continue to describe how the memory of this encounter remains strong, and how the singer still carries feelings of love for their former partner. The third verse speaks of the initial attraction between the two lovers, when they first met "in the sunshine," and then later "in the moonlight." The intensity of the feelings is such that the singer feels that they might "die" as a result of their passion.
Overall, "Old Love Haunts Me" is a song that speaks to the difficulty of letting go of past love, and how our memories can sometimes hold us captive to those relationships, even when we know it is time to move on.
Line by Line Meaning
Old love haunts me in the morning
The memory of past love lingers in my mind during daytime
La da da da da da da da di
Non-verbal expression
Old love haunts in the evening
The memory of past love continues to haunt me during nighttime
And the remnants of pictures come alive
Images of past moments spent with the loved one flash before my eyes
I told you that I loved you
Expressing love to the person concerned
By the lake with the summer done
Recalling a specific moment and location when love was first proclaimed
Come all your careless wanderers
Inviting all those who roam without purpose
By the lake with the days of rum
Referring back to the same location and season, now perhaps with a tone of nostalgia
When I first saw you in the sunshine
Recollection of the first time seeing the loved one in daylight
With the speckles and flaxen in your eyes
Noticing the unique characteristics of the person's eyes
When I first saw you in the moonlight
Recollection of the first time seeing the loved one in nighttime
It is true that I thought that I might die
Exaggerating the degree of love felt for the person
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: MARISSA NADLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind