Trees
Max Richter Lyrics
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The above lyrics are from Max Richter's song "The Trees," and it is a powerful commentary on the ephemeral nature of human existence and memory. The first few lines speak of a person (presumably the singer) receiving some news from a friend named Thomas about their family home being destroyed - this news causes the singer to have a dream about returning to the house of their childhood. In the dream, everything is multicolored and happy, and the singer is able to fly - but the trees are also higher than they were when the singer was a child, because they have been growing even after they were cut down.
The lyrics suggest that even though the physical structures of our past may disappear, the memories and emotions that we associate with them continue to grow and shape us. The fact that the trees are still growing even after they were cut down represents this idea that our past is always with us, even if it seems to have been erased. The dream of flying suggests that the singer feels liberated from their physical limitations and able to revisit the past in a new way.
Overall, "The Trees" is a song about the importance of memory, and how our past experiences shape who we are. It is a poignant meditation on the fragility of human existence, as well as the resilience of the human spirit in the face of loss and change.
Line by Line Meaning
When Thomas brought the news that the house I was born in no longer exists - neither the name, nor the park sloping to the river, nothing -
Upon hearing from Thomas that my birthplace, its name, and the park that led down to the river were gone, I realized that everything I knew and held dear was lost.
I had a dream of return.
After this jolting realization, I dreamed of returning to a place that no longer existed. This was a fantasy, a desperate desire to experience the past once again.
Multicoloured.
My dream was filled with vivid colors, alive with the beauty that had once surrounded me in childhood.
Joyous.
This dream was a happy one, a memory of a time before the loss and heartache.
I was able to fly.
In my dream, I had the power to soar above my troubles, above the pain of my current reality.
And the trees were even higher than in childhood,
In this dream, not only did I fly, but the trees that had been cut down in my youth had regrown to immense heights, the perfect symbol of my subconscious desire for rebirth and renewal.
because they had been growing during all the years since they had been cut down.
These trees had grown despite the adversity they faced in being cut down. Just as they had regrown and thrived, I too wanted to find a way to heal and move forward despite my losses.
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