Smoke
Shea Ng Lyrics
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As you're turning the page
You won't see your son come of age
But you know
You're not alone
You're just going home
Won't say we won't cry
We're not good at goodbyes
But you lit the cigarette, I watched you fly free
As you rose up in smoke
Dad I was too rash
No, I shouldn't have lashed
I now stand in front of your ash
Didn't know
We couldn't have known
That you were alone
That wasn't a life
Afraid that your wife
Will turn family into the edge of the knife
Bleeding you out
We let you down
Now you're not around
You carried the blame
Shouldered the shame
Returned to a house without a name
There were nights that I woke
To the faint wisp of smoke
Of a broken man at the end of his rope
But now dad, you're home
But we were too late
To carry the weight
You bore for us all yesterday
The bottle is cold
Spirit and soul
Emptied and broke
We should have asked why
Before we set fire
To the man that we loved
To the man we let die
We stand in the rain
That washed out your pain
Till we meet again
The song "Smoke" by Shea Ng is a poignant tribute to the artist's father who passed away. The lyrics paint a picture of a man who was burdened with shame and guilt, perceived by those he loved as an outcast, and succumbed to the dangers of alcoholism that eventually took his life. The opening lines of the song set the mood for what's to come as the singer refers to a last war to wage, where the man is turning the page on his life. He will not be able to witness his son coming of age, but the man is at peace, knowing he is not alone, and he is going home. The sorrow of the situation is felt as the singer admits that they are not good at goodbyes, and it has been quite a while since they spoke, but they watched the man rise up in smoke as they lit a cigarette, signifying the end of his life.
The second verse of the song is a direct conversation with the deceased, where the singer remorsefully admits that they were too rash and shouldn't have lashed out. The man had been alone, and they didn't know, but it wasn't a life, and they were afraid that their father's wife would turn the family into the edge of a knife. They let him down, and now he's not around. The chorus repeats, signifying the loss and regret felt by the family. There were nights when the singer would wake up to the faint wisp of smoke, indicative of the broken man at the end of his rope. But now, the man is finally home.
The final verse of the song reflects the singer's realization that they were too late to save their father's life. The man carried the blame and shouldered the shame, returning to a house without a name, due to his addiction. The bottle is cold, and the spirit and soul were emptied and broken, and they should have asked why before setting fire to the man they loved. The singer and their family stand in the rain, washing out the man's pain, wishing to meet him again.
Overall, the song is an emotional tribute to a lost father, highlighting the pain, sorrow, and regret felt by the ones who loved him. The lyrics are simple but powerful, evoking an image of a broken man who was ultimately let down by the ones he loved.
Line by Line Meaning
The last war to wage
The final struggles to be faced
As you're turning the page
As life's chapters come and go
You won't see your son come of age
You won't witness your kid's adult life
But you know
But rest assured
You're not alone
You're not by yourself
You're just going home
You're just destined for a peaceful place
Won't say we won't cry
We can't help but shed tears
We're not good at goodbyes
Farewells are hard for us
It's been quite a while, since we spoke
We haven't conversed in some time
But you lit the cigarette, I watched you fly free
But you set yourself loose, and I saw you soar
As you rose up in smoke
As you left this world behind
Dad I was too rash
Father, I was too impulsive
No, I shouldn't have lashed
I shouldn't have acted out in anger
I now stand in front of your ash
Now I'm in front of the remains you left behind
Didn't know
We weren't aware
We couldn't have known
We had no way of foreseeing
That you were alone
That you were lonely
That wasn't a life
That wasn't a way of living
Afraid that your wife
Scared that your spouse
Will turn family into the edge of the knife
Will turn the family against each other in conflict
Bleeding you out
Draining your energy
We let you down
We disappointed you
Now you're not around
Now you're no longer alive
You carried the blame
You took the responsibility
Shouldered the shame
Endured the embarrassment
Returned to a house without a name
Returned to a place without a sense of belonging
There were nights that I woke
There were times when I awakened
To the faint wisp of smoke
To the barely visible stream of fumes
Of a broken man at the end of his rope
Of a man who had reached his limit
But now dad, you're home
But now you're at peace
But we were too late
But we arrived after it was too late
To carry the weight
To bear the burden
You bore for us all yesterday
You carried the pain for all of us in the past
The bottle is cold
The alcohol is now unfeeling
Spirit and soul
Mind and body
Emptied and broke
Drained and shattered
We should have asked why
We should have questioned the reason
Before we set fire
Before we sparked the conflict
To the man that we loved
To the man we held dear
To the man we let die
To the man we didn't save
We stand in the rain
We endure this pain
That washed out your pain
That alleviated your sorrow
Till we meet again
Until we reunite
Writer(s): Shea Ng
Contributed by Natalie I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.