Performing Songwriter calls Hutchinson, "...A master of introspective ballads filled with understated yearning and an exquisite sense of metaphor." The twenty-six year old describes her style as "lyric-based, folk-pop, with a whole lot of small town idealism and one devastating break up thrown in for good measure." Among her influences she is quick to include poet Mary Oliver along with the likes of David Grey, Patty Griffin, Greg Brown and Shawn Colvin. Her songs are characterized by a weathered but unselfconscious optimism, a love of language and of the natural world. Having grown up in a town of 5,000 people, "just outside the National Historic District," her songs possess all the charm of Lake Wobegon, tempered by a sweet and timeless voice.
Osa
Meg Hutchinson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I knew your mind
You never said any words
But I heard you every time
You turned me back to the smallest beauty
You turned me back to life
You turned me back to the smallest beauty
I was never lonely, now I'm always lonely
Take me back to our path through the dappled light
Through the pine wood, through the fern grove, always a step ahead of me
Take me back to our golden hour, til you pull every white stone from the dark sky
Meg Hutchinson's song Osa is a beautiful composition of hope and longing that depicts the pain of a broken love and the yearning to reconcile with the loved one. The opening lines "You never said anything, but I knew your mind. You never said any words, but I heard you every time" showcases the relationship between the two lovers that goes beyond words, where they can communicate with each other without having to verbally express themselves. The poet then reminisces how her lover helped her find solace in the little things in life, the "smallest beauty," after she was lost in her despair. However, now that she is no longer with her love, she feels lonely all the time.
The poet then pleads with her lover to take her back to the happy times they spent together, "through the dappled light, through the pine wood, through the fern grove." She wants to go back to the moment when they were under the "golden hour" and could pull every white stone from the dark sky. This emphasizes how the poet wants the same feeling of enchantment they shared together back in their lives.
Overall, Meg Hutchinson's Osa is an evocative and emotional song that showcases the longing of a broken relationship and how the little things can make us appreciate life more.
Line by Line Meaning
You never said anything
You never spoke a single word
But I knew your mind
But I could understand what you were thinking
You never said any words
You didn't need to say anything
But I heard you every time
I could hear your thoughts with clarity
You turned me back to the smallest beauty
You helped me appreciate the simple things in life
You turned me back to life
You brought new meaning to my life
You turned me back to the smallest beauty
You made me feel alive again
Can I turn you back to life?
Can I help you find meaning in your life?
I was never lonely, now I'm always lonely
I used to be content, but now I am constantly lonely
Take me back to our path through the dappled light
Take me back to the place where we walked through the sunlight filtering through leaves
Through the pine wood, through the fern grove, always a step ahead of me
We explored together, always moving forward, but you were leading the way
Take me back to our golden hour, til you pull every white stone from the dark sky
Take me back to the moment where everything was perfect, until the darkness overwhelmed us
Contributed by Lincoln P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.