Sites: Wikipedia and Facebook
Earth
Second Person Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a sphere of a clearing in a navy light
There are no stars, just the bars of a car's headlights
On the leaves in the dead of the night
Silhouette suits step out of the shadows
Into the arena where the cameras roll
See their shoulders strain below the weight of the spades
Stereo plays for a funeral
They say the moon is nearly full
They see their eyes are nearly dry
They know how wonderful, how wonderful it is
To be alive tonight
I leave myself to the earth
To the air
To the ashes
It's my time
It's my design
It's my turn
And I know I won't be loved
Won't be saved
Won't be noticed
Until I learn to love
I hate to learn
To my best beloved I do bequeath
All the anguish and the irony
And all the things we never meant
And those we set out to prevent
I leave myself to the earth
To the air
To the ashes It's my time
It's my design
It's my turn
And I know I won't be loved
Won't be saved
Won't be noticed
Until I learn to love
I hate to learn
This is my early grave
Where I wait for the light to let me in
Here it comes around again
And I say
Let the light shows and the sounds
Of the orchestra begin
My eternal requiem
For an early grave.
The lyrics of Second Person's song Earth paint a picture of a surreal and mysterious setting. The Clock strikes twelve as the singer finds themselves in a clearing, lit by the headlights of a car. This is a unique and eerie environment, as there are no stars to be seen. In this setting, silhouette suits step out of the shadows and into an arena where the cameras roll, and the stereo plays for a funeral. There's a sense of tension and heaviness with the "shoulders strain below the weight of the spades" line, which adds to the haunting and mysterious vibes.
The second verse talks about the wonders of life, acknowledging that the moon is nearly full and how beautiful it is to be alive tonight. However, the chorus shows a sense of acceptance of mortality and a desire to pass the torch as the singer leaves themselves to the earth, air, and ashes. They acknowledge that it's their time, their design, and their turn. But they also acknowledge that they won't be noticed, saved, or loved until they learn to love. They hate to learn but understand that it's necessary to leave something meaningful behind.
The final verse touches on the idea of leaving something behind, such as anguish, irony, and the things that didn't go as planned. It's a melancholic and touching acknowledgment of mortality and the importance of accepting it, learning from it, and passing something valuable on to loved ones. The chorus repeats, emphasizing the acceptance of one's time and the desire to leave something meaningful behind.
Line by Line Meaning
And so the clock strikes twelve as we find ourselves
In a sphere of a clearing in a navy light
It's midnight, and we're in the middle of a clearing surrounded by darkness
There are no stars, just the bars of a car's headlights
On the leaves in the dead of the night
The only light is from passing headlights, illuminating the leaves of nearby trees
Silhouette suits step out of the shadows
Into the arena where the cameras roll
Shadowy figures emerge and enter an arena where cameras are rolling
See their shoulders strain below the weight of the spades
Stereo plays for a funeral
They carry shovels, and funeral music plays in the background
They say the moon is nearly full
They see their eyes are nearly dry
They know how wonderful, how wonderful it is
To be alive tonight
They acknowledge the beauty of the full moon, and despite their sadness, they appreciate being alive
I leave myself to the earth
To the air
To the ashes
It's my time
It's my design
It's my turn
And I know I won't be loved
Won't be saved
Won't be noticed
Until I learn to love
I hate to learn
The singer surrenders themselves to their fate and reflects on the fact that they won't be appreciated until they learn to love - something they currently struggle with
To my best beloved I do bequeath
All the anguish and the irony
And all the things we never meant
And those we set out to prevent
The singer leaves their loved one with all the pain and irony of their situation, as well as regrets and unfulfilled intentions
This is my early grave
Where I wait for the light to let me in
Here it comes around again
And I say
Let the light shows and the sounds
Of the orchestra begin
My eternal requiem
For an early grave.
The artist reflects on their own death and waits for it to come, embracing it as their final performance and leaving behind a musical legacy
Contributed by Mila O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.