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The Music Box
Mark Lenover Lyrics
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In his mother's antique jewelry box
And she'd always spin when he called
Like a good little girl
She'd remind him of his mother and
The pin-up girls his father kept
A secret in the bottom of his dresser drawer
The gentle way she'd tilt her head
And that sad-eyed grin she wore
With her hair tied back, she would pirouette
Across her mahogany course
He'd tell her it could be worse
Then he'd shut her up in the dark again so that he
Could say his prayers
And he'd search for God in a darkening room
But God's not in the dark, and He's not in the gloom
He's not in the fire that follows you home
Every day after school, when you're walking alone
He's not in those tremors that shake you from bed
And He's not in those hideous dreams in your head
But He waits in the silence
That great guilty silence that falls
When the music stops
The lyrics of Mark Lenover's song The Music Box paint a dark picture of a man who keeps a woman trapped in an antique jewelry box, reminiscent of the pin-up girls that his father kept a secret in the bottom of his dresser drawer. The woman spins when he calls, reminding him of his mother, and the gentle way she tilts her head and her sad-eyed grin endear her to him. He tells her it could be worse, but then shuts her up in the dark again so that he can say his prayers. He searches for God in a darkening room, but doesn't find Him in the dark or the gloom, nor in the fire that follows him home every day after school, or in the tremors that shake him from bed. But He waits in the silence, the great guilty silence that falls when the music stops.
The lyrics of this song suggest that the man who keeps the woman in the jewelry box may be suffering from some deep-seated emotional trauma, potentially stemming from his relationship with his mother and/or father. He appears to have an idealized and perhaps unhealthy view of women, as represented by the pin-up girls in his father's drawer and the woman in the jewelry box who reminds him of his mother. His search for God in a darkening room could be interpreted as a desperate attempt to find meaning or solace in his troubled life, but ultimately it is the music that provides the most profound connection to something greater than himself.
Line by Line Meaning
He kept her locked, In his mother's antique jewelry box
The singer kept a woman locked in an antique jewelry box that belonged to his mother.
And she'd always spin when he called, Like a good little girl
When the singer called the woman, she would spin as a way to please him, like a well-behaved child.
She'd remind him of his mother and, The pin-up girls his father kept, A secret in the bottom of his dresser drawer
The woman reminded the singer of both his mother and the pin-up girls his father kept hidden in his dresser drawer. The singer likely had an unhealthy relationship with both of his parents.
He'd always loved her for, The gentle way she'd tilt her head, And that sad-eyed grin she wore
The artist loved the woman in the jewelry box for the way she tilted her head and for her sad expression.
With her hair tied back, she would pirouette, Across her mahogany course
The woman in the jewelry box would dance with her hair pulled back and spin in circles on the surface of the box, which was likely made of mahogany wood.
He'd tell her it could be worse, Then he'd shut her up in the dark again so that he, Could say his prayers
The singer would comfort the woman in the box by telling her that things could be worse, but then he would lock her up again so he could pray.
And he'd search for God in a darkening room, But God's not in the dark, and He's not in the gloom
The singer would search for God in the dark room where he kept the woman, but he couldn't find Him because God is not in darkness.
He's not in the fire that follows you home, Every day after school, when you're walking alone
God cannot be found in the fear or danger that the artist experiences every day when they walk home alone from school.
He's not in those tremors that shake you from bed, And He's not in those hideous dreams in your head
God is not present in the artist's fearful experiences, such as trembling in bed or the nightmares that haunt him.
But He waits in the silence, That great guilty silence that falls, When the music stops
God can be found in the quiet, guilt-induced silence that comes after something terrible happens and everything stops. The music stands for life and happiness, that abruptly stop making any sense in the aftermath of something awful.
Contributed by Mateo H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.