The Great Valerio
Richard Lyrics
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The great Valerio is walking
The rope seems hung from cloud to cloud
And time stands still while he is walking
His eye is steady on the target
His foot is sure upon the rope
Alone and peaceful as a mountain
And certain as the mountain slope
We falter at the sight
We stumble in the mire
Fools who think they see the light
Prepare to balance on the wire
But we learn to watch together,
And feed on what we see above
'Til our hearts turn like the seasons
And we are acrobats of love
How we wonder, how we wonder
Watching far below
We would all be that great hero
The great Valerio
Come all you upstart jugglers
Are you really ready yet?
Who will help the tightrope walker
When he tumbles to the net
So come with me to see Valerio
As he dances through the air
I'm your friend until you use me
And then be sure I won't be there
How we wonder, how we wonder
Watching far below
We would all be that great hero
The great Valerio
The Great Valerio by Richard & Linda Thompson is a song about a daredevil tightrope walker named Valerio. The opening verse describes Valerio's high altitude act, the rope appears to hang from cloud to cloud, and time seems to stand still as he walks on it. The singer paints the picture of Valerio with a steady eye on the target, walking with surefooted confidence. He also compares Valerio's solitary and peaceful demeanor with that of a mountain, certain and unmoved.
The second verse brings a contrast between Valerio's grace and the fumbling attempts of the audience, who try to walk the tightrope after him. The futility of their attempts leads them to eventually join together and watch Valerio as a group. With time, they become like "acrobats of love," their hearts turning like the seasons.
In the final verse, the singer calls out to other performers, asking if they are ready to watch Valerio, and if they are willing to help him if he falls. The singer also warns that he is a friend until he is no longer useful, and then he will not be present. The song concludes with the repetitive chorus, expressing the desire of the audience to be just like Valerio.
Line by Line Meaning
High up above the crowd
Valerio is walking on the rope at a height that is above the crowd's level.
The great Valerio is walking
Valerio is walking on a tightrope while capturing the attention of everyone around him.
The rope seems hung from cloud to cloud
The tightrope looks like it is suspended from one cloud to the other clouds in the sky.
And time stands still while he is walking
As Valerio walks on the tightrope, the time appears to be standing still.
His eye is steady on the target
Valerio is focused on the target with great stability and certainty.
His foot is sure upon the rope
Valerio's foot is steady and certain as he walks on the tightrope.
Alone and peaceful as a mountain
While walking on the rope, Valerio is alone and appears unshaken like a mountain.
And certain as the mountain slope
Valerio possesses the same degree of certainty in his walk as a mountain slope.
We falter at the sight
As onlookers, the sight of Valerio walking on the tightrope can make us falter and become unsteady.
We stumble in the mire
The sight of Valerio can make us unsteady and lose focus like people walking in mud.
Fools who think they see the light
People who think they understand what Valerio is doing are foolish.
Prepare to balance on the wire
People prepare themselves to walk the tightrope like Valerio.
But we learn to watch together,
As onlookers, we learn to watch Valerio's performance together.
And feed on what we see above
We derive satisfaction by watching Valerio's performance above us.
'Til our hearts turn like the seasons
Our emotions change and become different like the various seasons while we watch Valerio.
And we are acrobats of love
By watching Valerio perform, we become acrobats of love.
How we wonder, how we wonder
We are filled with wonder while watching Valerio's performance.
Watching far below
We are watching Valerio from a distance below the tightrope.
We would all be that great hero
We all desire to be like Valerio, performing with great skill and precision.
Come all you upstart jugglers
People who are just beginning to juggle are invited to watch Valerio's performance.
Are you really ready yet?
The onlookers called upon to be ready before watching Valerio's performance.
Who will help the tightrope walker
People are concerned about who will assist Valerio if he falls.
When he tumbles to the net
People are worried about Valerio falling and being caught by the net below.
So come with me to see Valerio
People are invited to come and watch Valerio's performance.
As he dances through the air
Valerio's performance on the tightrope is like he is dancing through the air.
I'm your friend until you use me
The singer is willing to be supportive, but only as long as they are not being used.
And then be sure I won't be there
Once the singer has been used, they will no longer be there to provide support.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Richard John (Gb1) Thompson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind