Whatever Remains
Rose Polenzani Lyrics
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In your smock of red.
I'm falling all over
My old friend
You visit these waters
On the wings of a dream,
And I'll wait ‘til the morning
As a test of your will.
That cannot be smart.
But how can I live with what I desire
Without breaking your heart?
How I am devoted,
How I am callen,
To wait on your answer
Even as I am fallen.
To the passing eye
I've been known to fly.
It's a matter of breath,
And life, and death,
And riding the will of the sky.
My love is an anchor
That sinks in your sound.
Oh, feed me to the water,
Oh, give me to the ground.
Oh, render my lover
Delivered from shame,
As I have no harbor
And a desperate name.
Oh, tear me asunder,
And break all my chains,
And leave me to anchor
Whatever remains.
The lyrics to Rose Polenzani's song "Whatever Remains" are open to interpretation, as they paint a vivid and abstract picture of two individuals at the river's edge. It seems as though the singer is addressing their partner or an old friend who frequents the river in their dreams. They wait for this person to arrive in the morning to see if they will deny their "danger" and take a leap of faith into the unknown. The singer grapples with desiring something that could potentially break their partner's heart, but still feels devoted to waiting for them nonetheless. It's unclear what the phrase "It's a matter of breath, and life, and death, and riding the will of the sky" means, but it adds to the mystique of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Come kneel by the river
Join me by the flowing water
In your smock of red.
Wearing your red dress.
I'm falling all over
I'm losing my composure.
My old friend
I know you well.
You visit these waters
You dream of coming here.
On the wings of a dream,
In your imagination,
And I'll wait ‘til the morning
I'll keep waiting until daylight.
As a test of your will.
To see if you're strong enough to resist.
To deny your danger—
Ignoring the possible harm.
That cannot be smart.
That isn't wise.
But how can I live with what I desire
How can I deal with my wants
Without breaking your heart?
And without hurting you?
How I am devoted,
How much I give to you,
How I am callen,
How I keep calling out to you,
To wait on your answer
To expect an answer from you
Even as I am fallen.
Even though I'm feeling weak.
To the passing eye
To someone who doesn't know me,
I've been known to fly.
I seem like I can do anything.
It's a matter of breath,
It's all about focus,
And life, and death,
About living and dying,
And riding the will of the sky.
And going wherever the wind takes me.
My love is an anchor
My love is strong and steady,
That sinks in your sound.
That resonates within you.
Oh, feed me to the water,
Let me go into the river,
Oh, give me to the ground.
Let me lie in the earth.
Oh, render my lover
Please free my beloved
Delivered from shame,
Relieved of guilt and shame,
As I have no harbor
Since I have nowhere to go,
And a desperate name.
And a terrible reputation.
Oh, tear me asunder,
Rip me apart,
And break all my chains,
And release me from all my burdens,
And leave me to anchor
Let me be held down
Whatever remains.
By whatever is left.
Contributed by Aaron T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.