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.
The Windmills Of Your Mind
Mathilde Santing Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a wheel within a wheel
Never ending or beginning
On an ever spinning-wheel
Like a snowball down a mountain
Or a carnival balloon
Like a carousel that's turning
Running rings around the moon
Past the minutes on its face
And the world is like an apple
Twirling silently in space
Like the circles you can find
In the windmills of your mind!
Like a tunnel that you follow
To a tunnel of its own
Down a hollow to a cavern
Where the sun has never shone
Like a door that keeps revolving
In a half forgotten dream
Like the ripples from a pebble
Someone tosses in a stream
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping
Past the minutes on its face
And the world is like an apple
Twirling silently in space
Like the circles you can find
In the windmills of your mind!
Keys that jingle in your pocket
Words that jangle in your head
Why did summer go so quickly?
Was it something that she said?
Lovers walk along a shore
And leave their footprints in the sand
Was the sound of distant drumming
Just the fingers of your hand?
Pictures hanging in a hallway
Or the fragment of a song
Half-remembered names and faces
But to whom do they belong?
When you knew that it was over
You were suddenly aware
That the autumn leaves were turning
To the color of his hair
Like a circle in a spiral
Like a wheel within a wheel
Never ending or beginning
On an ever spinning wheel
As the images unwind
Llke the circles you can find
In the windmills of your mind
The Windmills of Your Mind is a song that explores the workings of the human mind through the use of various metaphors. The first stanza describes the concept of the mind as an ever-spinning wheel. The spinning of the wheel is compared to various things that go round and round, metaphorically portraying the endless cycle of thoughts in the mind. The image of the clock also reinforces this idea of things going round and round, with the world itself like an apple twirling silently in space. The circles mentioned in the last line of each stanza, and the repetition of the wheel imagery, alludes to the idea of life being cyclical.
The second stanza continues this exploration, using a door and a tunnel to paint the picture of the mind as a place where one can get lost. The line "where the sun has never shone" hints at the idea of the unknown, or the subconscious. The clock with its sweeping hands, the spinning of the world, and the circles in the windmills of the mind are all tied together to suggest that the cyclical nature of life is also reflected in our memories, where past events can come back around unexpectedly.
The final stanza uses specific examples of memories that can evoke strong emotions, such as a lover's hair turning to the color of autumn leaves as a relationship comes to an end. The image of pictures hanging in a hallway and half-remembered names and faces suggest a feeling of nostalgia, and these memories are juxtaposed with the idea that everything is always going round and round.
Overall, the song presents a complex and poetic exploration of the workings of the human mind and memory.
Line by Line Meaning
Round like a circle in a spiral
Life is like a never-ending circle with many curves, twists, and turns.
Like a wheel within a wheel
Each experience in life is layered upon one another, and one thing builds off another.
Never ending or beginning
Life is a continuum that never stops or starts; it just moves on.
On an ever spinning-wheel
Life never stops to pause or give a break, the ride always keeps moving forward.
Like a snowball down a mountain
Life can go out of control quickly and we can end up in a place we never intended.
Or a carnival balloon
Life can be full of fun and whimsy, but it can also be fleeting.
Like a carousel that's turning
Life can feel like a ride, and we can only control so much of it as we spin around and around.
Running rings around the moon
Life goals and aspirations can seem cosmic, and impossible to reach or take hold of.
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping
Time moves forward, never backward, and we can only move with it as the days go by.
Past the minutes on its face
Time passes quickly, and we must keep up with it as it ticks by on the clock face.
And the world is like an apple
The universe is something we can only observe from our small, limited perspective, much like trying to study an apple up close.
Twirling silently in space
The universe moves with its own rhythm that we will never fully understand or comprehend.
Like the circles you can find
The patterns and circles found in the natural world are everywhere around us, but we cannot always see them.
In the windmills of your mind!
Life is marked with moments of contemplation and reflection, where we can observe and make sense of experiences.
Like a tunnel that you follow
Sometimes life can be confusing, like a tunnel that seems to lead nowhere or into darkness.
To a tunnel of its own
Life can often be a tunnel we create in our minds as we work towards our goals, but it can be a confusing journey.
Down a hollow to a cavern
Life can take us to dark places that we never anticipated, much like a cavern with no light.
Where the sun has never shone
Life can be full of darkness and depresssion, sometimes making it difficult to see the light.
Like a door that keeps revolving
Life is a series of choices that lock and unlock doors, leading to new opportunities or opportunities closing.
In a half forgotten dream
Our memories of our lives can feel like they exist only in our dreams, elusive and hazy.
Like the ripples from a pebble
Small actions can create a ripple effect that can influence the course of our lives.
Someone tosses in a stream
Sometimes life can seem like it is out of our control, and we are being thrown about by the current of events around us.
Lovers walk along a shore
Love and relationships can be a beautiful part of life that we experience with others.
And leave their footprints in the sand
Memories of past relationships, good or bad, can leave permanent marks on our lives.
Was the sound of distant drumming
Sometimes life can seem like it is a far-off drumbeat, calling us towards an uncertain future.
Just the fingers of your hand?
The beat of life is sometimes entirely within our control, the beat of our own heartbeat.
Pictures hanging in a hallway
Memories, regrets, and missed opportunities can hang over us like pictures on a wall.
Or the fragment of a song
Small, musical snippets and memories can stay with us forever, shaping our experiences and emotions.
Half-remembered names and faces
People and experiences from our past can sometimes feel like they exist only partially or are lost to us.
But to whom do they belong?
Sometimes we cannot figure out the purpose behind what we have experienced or who we have loved - or why.
When you knew that it was over
Life has many moments of loss, where we must say goodbye to things that once made us happy.
You were suddenly aware
Loss, heartbreak, and pain often come when we least expect it, leaving us feeling lost and alone.
That the autumn leaves were turning
Life has many seasons, and eventually they all come to an end, like the falling leaves of autumn.
To the color of his hair
Memories and experiences can always be tainted by the feelings and emotions we have towards them.
As the images unwind
Life seems to unfold like an endless movie reel, full of twists and surprises.
Llke the circles you can find
Life is full of cyclical patterns and experiences that we can observe and learn from.
In the windmills of your mind
Our memories and experiences can act like windmills, shaping and guiding the directions our minds take in our lives.
Contributed by Zachary V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sandy .Smith
She holds the pitch of the unaccompanied opening section perfectly till the strings come in. True musicianship and heart wrenching.
Eyes Open
😁🧠👀🙏🥰
Steven Greer
I have loved the lady for over 40 years. Because she is the greatest. And even at 71 she continues to be.
Daniel Garcia
I'll probably be trolling asking folks if they have seen that life changing movie Crossroads. That was a really good movie.
Daniel Garcia
I wonder how many of this will be saying this about Britney Spears in another 20.
Robin Iveson
This is the first time I've actually seen her singing this song. I agree with everyone who has made earlier comments. She still can send shivers down the body. Song Bird
Gino Falzarano
Those aren't shivers. It's the feeling you get when someone scrapes chalk against the blackboard.
Manuel Campos Villarreal
Sophistication and refinement at its best, Barbra´s versión of this fantastic song is simply wonderful.
Lynette Nortman
What a beautiful rendition by an extraordinary singer....You touch my soul every time that you sing..
reenougle
Just sublime. This is how the composer wanted it to be sung. I get goosebumps every time I hear her. Just amazing.