It May Not Always Be So
Santing Mathilde Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I say that if your lips
Which I have loved
Should touch another's
And your dear strong fingers clutch
His heart as mine in time
Not far away
If on another's face your sweet hair lay
Or such great writing words as
Uttering overmuch
Stand helplessly before the spirit
At bay
If this should be
I say if this should be
You of my heart
Send me a little word
That I may go unto him
And take his hands
Saying, accept all happiness from me
Then shall I turn face
And hear one bird
Sing terribly afar in
The lost lands
The lyrics of Santing Mathilde's song "it may not always be so" is a poignant and melancholic reflection on the fragility of love and relationships. The singer contemplates a hypothetical situation where the object of her love moves on to someone else and experiences the same intense emotions she once shared with the singer.
The first stanza of the song expresses the singer's fear that her lover might touch somebody else's lips, and their "dear strong fingers" might clutch another's heart as they had once held hers. The second stanza juxtaposes the image of her lover having someone else's hair on their face with the singer's silent suffering or, alternatively, her overwrought attempts at expressing her feelings.
The final stanza of the song requests that, if her fears ever materialize, her lover would send her a "little word" informing her, so she may move on as well. The singer then imagines herself turning away to hear one bird's song in the lost lands, like a symbol of mourning for a lost love.
Overall, the lyrics of this song are meditative and poetic, focusing on the delicate balance of human relationships and how they may change at any given moment.
Line by Line Meaning
It may not always be so
Things may change and not stay the same forever
And I say that if your lips
The singer is about to share their thoughts
Which I have loved
The singer has a strong affection for the person they are addressing
Should touch another's
If that person's lips touch someone else's
And your dear strong fingers clutch
If that person's hands hold another's heart as they once held the artist's heart
His heart as mine in time
The depth of emotions and love that the singer had for that person
Not far away
In the near future
If on another's face your sweet hair lay
If that person's hair rests on someone else's face
In such a silence as I know
In a stillness and quietness that the artist is used to
Or such great writing words as
Or even if that person writes or says powerful words
Uttering overmuch
Expressing things too much
Stand helplessly before the spirit
Feeling powerless in the face of their own emotions
At bay
Struggling to keep their emotions under control
If this should be
If these changes happen
I say if this should be
Once again the singer is emphasizing their point
You of my heart
The person the artist is addressing that they care deeply about
Send me a little word
Write or tell the artist something
That I may go unto him
So that the singer can approach the new person in their loved one's life
And take his hands
To hold that new person's hand
Saying, accept all happiness from me
To wish that new couple all the happiness in the world
Then shall I turn face
The artist will leave and turn away
And hear one bird
And hear the sound of a bird in the distance
Sing terribly afar in
Sing so far away that it sounds both beautiful and sad
The lost lands
From a place that is long gone and forgotten
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind