Life is like a patchwork quilt. Like a qu… Read Full Bio ↴Life is a Patchwork Quilt
Life is like a patchwork quilt. Like a quilt, many pieces fit into a life. Hoping to fit into his, his hope is that the young lady fits into his life...Again like many pieces fit into a 'Patchwork Quilt '...
Actually this song is about Jerry Garcia - it is written by Warren Haynes who AFAIK never met the legendary guitarist. There are numerous references in the song but the last verse kinda gives it away:
But there's a banjo moon in a tie-dyed sky
Hippies dance and babies cry
Church bells ring as a silver-haired angel look down
And the blood of his music runs through the veins of our guitars
Bright lights, Dark Star
Patchwork Quilt
Phil Lesh & Friends Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But then who really did?
If you were at all like me
You managed to keep yourself hid
A patchwork quilt of a life
Memories embroidered
On your soul
For putting you in my song
But the spirit she moves me
In fact she pushes me along
It's a patchwork quilt of a life
Can't stop the river
Just let it roll
We were at Jones Beach
When we got the word
Saddest sound that I ever heard
The bluest note that nobody could play
Ravens sang with us that night on the stage
Tears of sadness, tears of rage
But nobody spoke, we all felt old
And in the way
So walk beside me
Or above me, I don't know
These days it sure seems
I'm lost where ever I go
God, how could you, I heard someone say
And what do we do with our lives now anyway?
Now that our North Star can no longer be found
But there's a banjo moon in a tie-dyed sky
Hippies dance and babies cry
Church bells ring as a silver-haired angel look down
And the blood of his music runs through the veins of our guitars
Bright lights, Dark Star
I never knew you
But then who really did
If you were at all like me
You managed to keep yourself hid
The lyrics of Patchwork Quilt by Phil Lesh & Friends speak to the experience of grieving someone who was not well-known by anyone except themselves. The singer acknowledges that they did not know the person who passed away, but they still feel compelled to honor them by weaving their memory into a patchwork quilt, symbolic of the fragmented nature of most people's lives. The quilt is embroidered with memories, not physical images, so it represents the emotional depth that the singer feels for someone who was an enigma, yet shared their humanity. In a way, the quilt is a metaphor for the human condition, where everyone is made up of different pieces that collectively create the whole.
Line by Line Meaning
I never knew you
I have no personal connection to you
But then who really did?
No one knew the true essence of who you were
If you were at all like me
Perhaps we had similar experiences
You managed to keep yourself hid
You kept your true self hidden from the world
A patchwork quilt of a life
Your life was made up of many different experiences and memories
Memories embroidered
Your vivid memories were sewn into your soul
On your soul
Your soul carried the weight of your experiences and memories
So please forgive me
I ask for your forgiveness
For putting you in my song
For immortalizing you in this piece of music
But the spirit she moves me
It is the spirit within me that inspires me to create
In fact she pushes me along
This spirit is a driving force in my creativity
Can't stop the river
We cannot change the course of life, only allow it to flow
Just let it roll
We must allow life to take its natural course and accept what comes with it
We were at Jones Beach
I recall being at Jones Beach in a specific moment of time
When we got the word
When we received the news
Saddest sound that I ever heard
This news was the most heartbreaking sound I have experienced
The bluest note that nobody could play
This news was so devastating, even the most skilled musician couldn't capture its melancholic nature
Ravens sang with us that night on the stage
We found solace and unity with nature as the ravens sang their own song that night
Tears of sadness, tears of rage
We were overwhelmed with sadness and anger
But nobody spoke, we all felt old
We were unable to articulate our feelings, and the weight of the moment made us all feel aged and exhausted
And in the way
We were in the way of something---perhaps the flow of life or the natural order of things
So walk beside me
I implore you to accompany me on this journey called life
Or above me, I don't know
Your fate may lead you somewhere separate from mine
These days it sure seems
Currently, it appears
I'm lost where ever I go
I feel directionless in every aspect of my life
God, how could you, I heard someone say
In this moment of sorrow, someone questioned the actions of a higher power
And what do we do with our lives now anyway?
Our purpose in life feels unclear and uncertain in the wake of this tragedy
Now that our North Star can no longer be found
In the absence of guidance, we are susceptible to feeling lost and disoriented
But there's a banjo moon in a tie-dyed sky
There is still beauty to be found in the world, symbolized by the banjo moon in a sky of vivid colors
Hippies dance and babies cry
Each individual is affected in their own way by life's experiences, whether it be dancing carefree or expressing their emotions through crying
Church bells ring as a silver-haired angel look down
Religious symbols alert us to a higher power's presence, represented by the angelic figure watching over us
And the blood of his music runs through the veins of our guitars
We channel our emotions and experiences into our music, allowing it to become a part of us
Bright lights, Dark Star
The highs of life are accompanied by the lows
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: WARREN HAYNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind