Lights of Cincinatti
Scott Walker Lyrics


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I remember still, I guess I always will
That winters day I took the west bound flight,
As I looked down from the plane
You were standing in the rain,
You waved goodbye,
Till I was out of sight.

And I can see them shining
Through the Willows and the Pines,
The lights of Cincinatti
Oh, so many miles behind,
I could build myself a new life
And make it on my own,
But the lights of Cincinnati
Will keep calling me back home.

Sometimes late at night,
I watch the fire light make pictures
of a life that used to be,
For a moment I'm back there
In that same old rocking chair,




You look across the room
And smile at me.

Overall Meaning

The song Lights of Cincinnati by Scott Walker tells the tale of a nostalgic soul who remembers the day he left his home in Cincinnati, Ohio for a new life elsewhere. The singer remembers looking down as he flew away and saw someone close to him standing in the rain, waving until he was out of sight. However, despite the distance and his determination to make it on his own, the singer can't forget the city where he grew up. The lights of Cincinnati continue to shine brightly in his mind, calling him back home, even if just for a moment. The song's final verse paints a bittersweet picture of the singer reminiscing about his past and imagining himself back in his old home with someone special.


The lyrics of this song evoke a sense of yearning and nostalgia, with the singer torn between the desire for a new beginning and the comfort of the familiar. The references to the lights of Cincinnati and a life that used to be are symbolic of the pull that memories and places can have on our hearts, even as we move forward into the future. Scott Walker's tender vocals and the lilting melody of the song give it a melancholic beauty that speaks to the human experience of longing for what we've left behind.


Line by Line Meaning

I remember still, I guess I always will
I vividly recall that particular moment, which will remain etched in my memory for a long time.


That winters day I took the west bound flight,
I flew west on a winter day.


As I looked down from the plane
Looking out of the window of the aircraft, I cast my gaze downwards.


You were standing in the rain,
In the rain, you stood there.


You waved goodbye,
You said farewell with a wave.


Till I was out of sight.
You didn't stop waving until you could no longer see me.


And I can see them shining
I can still envision the twinkling lights.


Through the Willows and the Pines,
The lights are visible, even through the trees.


The lights of Cincinatti
The city lights of Cincinnati, Ohio - United States.


Oh, so many miles behind,
The lights may be far away in the distance, miles behind me.


I could build myself a new life
I have the potential to construct a new life for myself.


And make it on my own,
I believe that I could succeed without any assistance from others.


But the lights of Cincinnati
However, the city lights of Cincinnati continue to appeal to me.


Will keep calling me back home.
These lights have a unique quality that draws me back to the city of Cincinnati again and again.


Sometimes late at night,
On occasion, late at night,


I watch the fire light make pictures
I enjoy staring at the patterns created by the firelight.


of a life that used to be,
I reminisce about a time in my past when things were different.


For a moment I'm back there
For a brief moment, I am transported back to that previous time.


In that same old rocking chair,
Back in that familiar rocking chair.


You look across the room
You glance up and see me.


And smile at me.
And flash me a smile.




Contributed by Brayden Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@LudwigvonDrake

@Richie Hoyt Thank you for taking your time and a serious and thoughtful reply. First of all, as you might have already noticed, the English language is not my mother tongue, and perhaps this may cause misinterpretation of my thoughts. Reading your response, including your most recent comment on this vid, your notion on tear-jerk kind of things twice or three times, I think lots of stuff though I cannot write them all. But let me tell you some.

1) In my first comment, I only tried to mean the SW’s songs were too sad and dark for a kid like me who’s mainly into bright bubblegum and not imply you/we cannot understand his coolness until getting older.

2) In reply, I wrote that ‘regardless of how you think of them. But there might be no need to leave comments if you say so too strong’; the first ‘you’ is ‘you’ for generalisation used typically in English, while the second ‘you’ is for yourself.

I should have written that ‘Every great artist is great in their own way no matter how you/we think of them. But there might be no need to leave comments if you emphasise this too much. Sorry for the lengthy excuse, but let me add that a French teacher once said I should use ‘Nous’ instead of ‘Vous’ when I meant “you and I or people in general.” in the French language class. I sometimes make this sort of mistake. I guess native speakers might use a different expression.

Does the above make it clear? Yes, I know some people hate the comments on the writer’s personal experience, but I like to read that kind of thing. I enjoy reading how and why the vids are attractive (or not) to them in most comments. Perhaps it’s not only me. Here, we should respect the right-not-to-be-known and the right-to-be-forgotten unless you/we have any specific purpose. But I think that society does not grant these rights to some people ☹.

3) In the recent comment, you pointed out the rumour that SW was sick and tired of the sales policy. But his bass voice seems to suit it. I must tell you that I am sometimes touched by stuff like that, knowing so for the tear-jerks.

4) Mockery? Yes, at first, I felt your tone was a bit cynical in a way I sometimes do myself. I have to apologise for the misunderstanding.

As for the rest, I thought you were talking about profound and delicate things to let me think further. Thank you 😉😉😉



All comments from YouTube:

@lindsaypeterholden2701

This is going to sound Naf, I know,Back in the late 60.s we trained on Cincinnati machine tools We all sang this fabulous song all day long takes me right back to those great times.50 Years ago. Never will lose its magic Thanks.

@101brydon

I did too brilliant 👏

@joelmayo8210

I was born and raised in Cincinnati and that comment alone made me wistful. It's a strange, wonderful and, at times, contentious place to live.

@Daniel_G_W_Sec9

Thanks for still havin' this one up on here.

My spiritual father
Scott Walker.

@user-vu8jy4wc7w

This is the song that my elder sister loved. She passed away three years ago.
I missed Scott and my sister listening this beautiful song.
Thank you Scott and my sister from a Japanese fun.

@alwynphillips8987

Sorry for your loss x

@rachelar

Having fun?

@CJBW335

Phenomenal. Always in my top 20 songs of all time.

@reaganwiles_art

Thinking of my friend Jack, many years homeless, charm for miles, he had been a Cincinnati city councilman, dead at forty-four in his recently acquired apartment in a mountain city in NC and which he could afford with his wages from Waffle House where he was a beloved host. When he died they named a sandwich after him.

@itallia666

WHY do people with such beautiful faces have to grow old? Scott was so utterly beautiful. His talent & magnificent voice only got richer , better , more diverse over the yrs so it's a Bliddy rotten damn shame he couldn't be allowed to keep his GORGEOUS face ! He will always be Scott Angel to me

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