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.
We Could Send Letters
Mathilde Santing Lyrics
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You're free to push me and I'm free to fall
So if we weaken we can call it stress
You've got my trust, I've got your home address
And now the only chance that we can take
Is the chance that someone else won't make it all come true
We're making tracks, they show our touch and go
But then four years won't mean that much to me
When I've been smothered in the sympathy you bleed
Just close your eyes again
Until these things get better
You're never far away
But we could send letters
While you were gone I reached another town
They couldn't help me but they showed me round
And now I've seen what you can't understand
I'd try to lead you but I'd crush your hand
Because the people in the village know
It doesn't matter where you choose to go
The end's the same
Just close your eyes again
Until these things get better
You're never far away
But we could send letters
I found some blood I wasn't meant to find
I found some feelings that we'd left behind
But then some blood won't mean that much to me
When I've been smothered in the sympathy you bleed
Just close your eyes again
Until these things get better
You're never far away
But we could send letters.
The lyrics to Mathilde Santing's song We Could Send Letters describe the complexity and intricacy of relationships. The first verse suggests that the singer and the person they are addressing have a relationship that is free and unrestricted. However, they acknowledge that there may be moments of weakness and stress, and that they will have each other's backs through it all. They trust each other, as evidenced by the shared home address, but there is a sense of caution, that they are wary of someone else coming in and making everything fall apart.
In the second verse, the singer talks about their travels and experiences in new places. They have seen and felt things that the person they are addressing may not understand or relate to. Trying to explain it to them would be like crushing their hand, as they cannot fully comprehend what the singer has experienced. The singer is realistic in acknowledging that, ultimately, everything ends the same way, no matter where one goes.
The chorus brings it all together with the idea that, despite physical distance, there is still a connection between the two. The singer suggests that they can stay in touch through letters, and even though things may not be ideal at the time, they can hold on to the hope that things will get better.
Line by Line Meaning
You said you're free, for me that says it all
You claim to be free, which means you're able to pursue me without limitations
You're free to push me and I'm free to fall
You're allowed to take risks with me, and I'm willing to accept the consequences of those risks
So if we weaken we can call it stress
If we falter under pressure, we can justify it as simply being stressed out
You've got my trust, I've got your home address
I trust you completely with my personal information, and in return I have access to where you live
And now the only chance that we can take, is the chance that someone else won't make it all come true
Our only option is to take a leap of faith, hoping that no one else will interfere with our relationship
We're making tracks, they show our touch and go
We're leaving behind a trail that displays our fleeting interactions
But now it's touch and come and you should know
Our encounters are becoming less fleeting and you should be aware of that
But then four years won't mean that much to me
Our age difference won't have a significant impact on me later on
When I've been smothered in the sympathy you bleed
Although you give me empathy and compassion, it's starting to become overwhelming
Just close your eyes again, until these things get better
Ignore the problems we're facing and hope that they'll improve on their own
You're never far away, but we could send letters
Even though you're not physically present, we can communicate through written correspondence
While you were gone I reached another town
During your absence I experienced new surroundings
They couldn't help me but they showed me round
The people there were unable to provide assistance, but they were still accommodating
And now I've seen what you can't understand
I've gained insights that you're incapable of comprehending
I'd try to lead you but I'd crush your hand
I would attempt to guide you, but in doing so I might harm you
Because the people in the village know, it doesn't matter where you choose to go, the end's the same
The locals are familiar with the outcome of any path you might take, as the ending is predetermined
I found some blood I wasn't meant to find
I discovered some evidence that was meant to be hidden from me
I found some feelings that we'd left behind
I stumbled upon some emotions that we thought we had abandoned
But then some blood won't mean that much to me
The blood I found is insignificant in comparison to the flood of emotions I'm experiencing
When I've been smothered in the sympathy you bleed
Your compassion is becoming too much for me to handle
Just close your eyes again, until these things get better
Again, we're tempted to ignore our problems and hope that they'll resolve themselves
You're never far away, but we could send letters
We can still communicate despite any distance between us
Contributed by Penelope H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.