Her self-titled debut album, Mathilde Santing, came out in 1982 and she gas released well over fifteen studio albums since, most of them sung in English, although she sometimes performs and records in her mother tongue as well. Known for her whispery and vulnerable vocal style, Santing is a prominent gay role model in The Netherlands. She sang at the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1998 Gay Games in Amsterdam.
Santing's biggest chart success came in 1999 with the lush ballad 'Wonderful Life', which hit #6 in the Dutch Top 40. The song was taken from the 1999 album To Others To One, which is her highest charting album in her native Netherlands to date, reaching #4 in the Dutch album charts.
Pictures
Mathilde Santing Lyrics
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Put them in the fire
The light shines almost brighter than before
One more time
Was it out of cruelty
You said goodbye today
The pictures are turning yellow
A wind picks up the pieces
Blows them all around
Breathing the smoke and breath it out
And tear all the pages one by one
Put them in the fire
The light shines almost brighter than before
One more time, one more time
These times were so cruel
Their hopes and fears, so I thought and stopped them
Before they got to near
Scratch out your memories, whispering in the dark
They are everywhere, but they are nowhere
When I tear all the pages one by one
And I put them in the fire
The light shines almost brighter, brighter than before
One more time, one more time
When there is time of explaining
You are still around,
There are no more excuses to be made, no!
These times of past
It would be unkind
It wasn't so graceful
In these days
So tear all the pages one by one
And put them in the fire
The light shines almost brighter than before
One more time, one more time
The song "Pictures" by Mathilde Santing talks about moving on from a past relationship and the act of letting go of all the memories associated with it. The first stanza talks about tearing out all the pages, one by one, and putting them in the fire. This could be interpreted as getting rid of old photographs, love letters, or any other physical reminders of the relationship. The act of burning them represents a metaphorical cleansing or letting go of the past. The repetition of "one more time" at the end of each stanza could indicate a struggle to completely let go of the past.
The second stanza suggests that the breakup may not have been mutual or amicable, with the line "Was it out of cruelty, you said goodbye today." The pictures turning yellow could represent how memories of a relationship can fade over time. The wind picking up the pieces and blowing them all around could symbolize how emotions and memories can be unpredictable and uncontrollable. The line "Breathing the smoke and breath it out" could suggest taking in the pain and then exhaling it, letting it go.
The final stanza seems to suggest that the singer is addressing their ex-partner directly, saying "you are still around" and "there are no more excuses to be made." It ends with a repetition of the chorus, indicating that although it may be difficult, the act of letting go of the past must be repeated until the light shines brighter than before.
Line by Line Meaning
Tear out all the pages one by one
Let go of everything, leave nothing untouched.
Put them in the fire
Destroy them completely, obliterate all traces of the past.
The light shines almost brighter than before
After letting go, there is clarity and newfound strength to move forward.
One more time
Repeat the process as many times as needed in order to heal and move on.
Was it out of cruelty
Questioning the motives behind a sudden separation or ending of a relationship.
You said goodbye today
The impact of a sudden loss and the struggle to process it.
The pictures are turning yellow
The memories and emotions associated with the past are fading and losing their original vividness.
I helped them on their way
Allowing the memories to fade through acceptance and letting go.
A wind picks up the pieces
The unpredictable nature of life and how it can pick up and carry away the remnants of the past.
Blows them all around
The lingering echoes and reminders of the past that can never be fully escaped.
Breathing the smoke and breath it out
Acknowledging the pain and healing through a process of purification or release.
These times were so cruel
Reflecting on a particularly difficult period in the past.
Their hopes and fears, so I thought and stopped them
Blocking out the negativity and doubts that prevented progress or growth in the past.
Before they got too near
Avoiding the potential harm or danger that may have arisen from internalizing those fears.
Scratch out your memories, whispering in the dark
Erase the hurtful memories and thoughts that can infiltrate the mind at any moment.
They are everywhere, but they are nowhere
The remnants of the past and the pain it caused can linger, but they are not as prominent or consuming as before.
When there is time of explaining
The need for closure or understanding in order to truly move on and let go.
You are still around,
The lingering presence or effect of the past on the present.
There are no more excuses to be made, no!
The realization that excuses or explanations will not change the past or the present reality.
It would be unkind
The acknowledgement that clinging to the past, or hurting others in an attempt to do so, is ultimately unproductive and harmful.
Contributed by Jack L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.