Simple thing
Paul Waters Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

The sun sinks into a sea of light
It is drowned by the coming night
Crystal clear in every shade
Like all the lines there that we made

It's a simple life
It's a simple ground
It's the, the only thing there that I found

Let me down sweet child
Let me down now on your hands
Let me down sweet child
Oh, let me down

You can break the silence with a heavy ring
You can make me some music so I can sing
Mmm...And what is coming,
Yeah, it was never really gone
Just like every key now of every song

It's a simple life
It's a simple ground
It's the, the only thing there I found

Don't fade on me
Don't fade on me
Don't fade on me
Don't fade on me

Yeah uh huh
Oh oh
Mmm mmm
Don't fade

Every line of this never ending sky

Is all around you tonight
I see flowers bloom in these gardens of pain
It is washed away now by the rain

It's a simple life
It's a simple ground
It's the, the only thing there I found

Let me down now sweet child
Oh let me down now on your hands
Let me down sweet child
On your ground

What stands before you is shadows left behind
You know they, they live in places hard to find
Yeah well the, the truth is I never really knew
You can search forever then it finds you

It's a simple life
It's a simple ground
It's the, the only thing there I found

Let me down now sweet child
Let me down now upon your hands
Let me down sweet child
On your ground

Mmm-mmm
Singin Mmm-mmm




Mmm-mmm
On your ground

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Paul Waters's song "Simple Thing" are open to interpretation as they evoke a sense of nostalgia and simplicity that could be applied to many situations. One possible reading of the song is that it describes a desire to return to a more innocent and uncomplicated time, symbolized by the image of the sun sinking into a "sea of light" and being "drowned by the coming night." The singer longs for a simple life and a simple ground, something that he has only found in the company of a sweet child. The repetition of the phrase "let me down" suggests that the singer is asking to be released from the burdens of adulthood and allowed to return to a childlike state of wonder and simplicity.


The second half of the song seems to acknowledge the impossibility of returning to the past, even as it insists on the value of simplicity. The singer describes how the present moment contains echoes of the past, as every key of every song and every line of the sky is connected to what has come before. The repeated plea "don't fade on me" suggests a fear of losing touch with these connections and returning to a state of isolation and confusion. In the end, the singer seems to find solace in the fact that, even though the past is hard to find, it will always find you if you keep searching.


Line by Line Meaning

The sun sinks into a sea of light
The sun sets in a beautiful way


It is drowned by the coming night
The darkness of the night swallows up the light


Crystal clear in every shade
The colors of the sunset are bright and clear


Like all the lines there that we made
The sunset is like all the lines drawn in the sky


It's a simple life
Life is uncomplicated


It's a simple ground
The world we live in is simple and humble


It's the, the only thing there that I found
The simplicity of life is the only thing that has been discovered


Let me down sweet child
Please help me, young one


Let me down now on your hands
Take me under your care and nurture me


You can break the silence with a heavy ring
You can disrupt the quiet by making a loud noise


You can make me some music so I can sing
You can create art that inspires me to express myself


And what is coming,
The future is uncertain


Yeah, it was never really gone
The past is still present


Just like every key now of every song
Each note of each piece of music


Don't fade on me
Don't disappear on me


Every line of this never ending sky
The horizon is endless


Is all around you tonight
It surrounds you this evening


I see flowers bloom in these gardens of pain
There is beauty in suffering


It is washed away now by the rain
The beauty is now gone and faded away


Let me down now sweet child
Please help me, young one


On your ground
On the simple world you inhabit


What stands before you is shadows left behind
The obstacles you face are remnants of the past


You know they, they live in places hard to find
The challenges are not easily overcome


Yeah well the, the truth is I never really knew
The reality is that there is much I do not know


You can search forever then it finds you
The answers may come after a long search, or they may come unexpectedly


Singin Mmm-mmm
Singing a tune of expression and emotion


On your ground
In the simple world you inhabit




Contributed by Nicholas R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Klek328

i first saw this video about 2 years ago when i was receiving lessons from the missionaries and i have been looking for it since. the last scene with the guy being baptized wih his family makes me cry because i hope my family will join me in the Church someday soon. thank you so much for posting it!!!

CJ

Are you still in the church today?

Breanna Berchtold

I have been looking for this video for over 2 years now! thank you so much for making this! this is the video that confirmed to me that i am supposed to go on a mission and i find it kind of ironic that i am going to california too

mistensup

me encanta este video!!!gracias muchas gracias por subirlo...lo veo todos los dias me recuerda cuando como familia conocimos este maravilloso evangelio y tambien cuando fui misionera y enseñaba familias sobre el plan de Salvacion...amo este evangelio es lo mas lindo de mi vida, yo se que las familias pueden ser eternas...

Victoria

my brother is one of the misionaries in here his name was elder harbin and im so proud of him being in here!!

eRCaGuy

Such a great song and message! I loved playing and watching this on my mission in San Antonio, TX from 2005 to 2007!

Roberts Family Videos

I love this song and the movie they put together goes with it so well!!! The church is great!!! When ever you're having a rough day or a hard week, pop this on!!!

Martin L

I remember this video back in 2006 almost 12 years ago when I was still investigating the church. This is one thing of many that inspired me to join. Just this past stake conference, this same video was being shown. (It's been 12 years since I saw it last!) I literally had to keep myself together while I was on the stand with our stake choir so that I wouldn't burst out in tears after seeing it again. It brought back such fond memories. I love this church and how the Book of Mormon helps us to strive to better our lives for our fellow brothers and sisters.

Martin L

Not yet. I'll have to check those out

CJ

@Martin L I've been a member for over 30 years, I used to be a missionary for the Church as well, that's how I know about this video. Have you read any of the Church's gospel topics essays on DNA, Polygamy, BOM translation and Book of Abraham translation?

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