Parasol released her fifth album, “Tuesday Morning”, October 24th, 2023. The album captures the cool shadowy chic so often aligned with her music. A mélange of psych, yé-yé, Motown, garage and dark folk influences that were present in her third and fourth albums (Against the Sun / Color of Destruction) respectively, Parasol’s latest album continuous the steady path of opening up her sound. Listening to her work chronologically, one can hear the personal voyage in parallel to the musical one. Parasol is currently working on her 6th album ETA October 2025.
RIYL: The Velvet Underground, Nico, Lana Del Rey, Patti Smith, Jacques Dutronc
Widow in White
Rykarda Parasol Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At twenty-one I was a widow
At twenty-two I cried into my pillow
But I never thought about
what my life should've been
I don't think about that now
I just keep on living
And as so often that it can become the case
Where once the trail was so clear and so prime
The brush now overgrown and
track troublesome to find
The trees entangle
their limbs are bound to ensnare
Yet a beam or two illuminates the wooded walk
I talk of here
In lily white light
In lily white light
The ivory lace was woven as a crawler's web
The dress be bone though my sash was rose-ed red
White Henry in my hair and
Sapporo lily in my hand
At twenty and one hope is plenty
- unrest hard to fathom
And as so often that it can become the case
Where Love had presided Freedom now takes her place
In lily white light
In lily white light
Upon a time the trail had been so clear and so prime
The brush is overgrown and
more cumbersome to find
The trees entangle their limbs overlap
and sight is less clear
Yet in Lilium light shall I be bathed
- on the day that I've gone away from here
The lyrics to “Widow in White” by Rykarda Parasol paint a picture of a woman who was married at a young age and lost her husband soon after. She laments that she never thought about what her life should have been, but instead continues living without dwelling on the past. As she walks through a wooded area, she reflects on how the path she had set upon has suddenly changed and become overgrown with brush. However, even though the trees entangle and limbs ensnare her, there is still light that illuminates her way.
The song's chorus, “In lily white light,” reinforces the idea that there is still light despite the darkness that surrounds her. She describes the ivory lace of her wedding dress and how her sash was red. Even though she was full of hope at the age of twenty-one, she is now left with unrest that is hard to fathom. Love once presided, but now freedom takes its place. She ends by saying that even though the trail has become overgrown and more cumbersome, Lilium light will bathe her on the day that she goes away from here.
Overall, the song is about loss, change, and finding hope in the midst of darkness. The woman in the song lost her husband at a young age, and now she faces challenges and uncertainty as she tries to move forward. The lily white light serves as a symbol of hope, and even though the path ahead may be difficult, she will find her way through it.
Line by Line Meaning
Married at twenty.
I got married when I was just twenty years old.
At twenty-one I was a widow
Unfortunately, my husband died a year later, when I was only twenty-one.
At twenty-two I cried into my pillow
It was a difficult time and I spent many nights crying.
But I never thought about what my life should've been
Even though my life was not what I imagined, I didn't dwell on it.
I don't think about that now I just keep on living
I choose to focus on the present and keep moving forward.
And as so often that it can become the case The path you've set upon has suddenly changed
Life can be unpredictable and the plans we make can shift unexpectedly.
Where once the trail was so clear and so prime The brush now overgrown and track troublesome to find
The path I was on used to be easy but now it's more difficult to navigate.
The trees entangle their limbs are bound to ensnare Yet a beam or two illuminates the wooded walk I talk of here
There are obstacles in my way but there is still some light to guide me through the darkness.
In lily white light In lily white light
The image of something pure and beautiful, perhaps representing hope or a brighter future.
The ivory lace was woven as a crawler's web The dress be bone though my sash was rose-ed red White Henry in my hair and Sapporo lily in my hand
The details of my wedding attire, which contrast with the darkness and grief that followed.
At twenty and one hope is plenty - unrest hard to fathom
When I was twenty-one, I still had hope despite the difficulties I was facing.
And as so often that it can become the case Where Love had presided Freedom now takes her place
My husband's death left me feeling freer but also more alone.
Upon a time the trail had been so clear and so prime The brush is overgrown and more cumbersome to find The trees entangle their limbs overlap and sight is less clear
The obstacles in my life have become more difficult to navigate as time goes on.
Yet in Lilium light shall I be bathed - on the day that I've gone away from here
There is still a sense of hope and comfort that I will experience, even after I leave this life.
Contributed by Taylor D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.