Landslide
Sheryl Crow and Stevie Nicks Lyrics

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I took my love and I took it down
Climbed a mountain then I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well the landslide brought me down

Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above

Can I sail through the changing ocean tides
Can I handle the seasons of my life

Uh ah
Uh ah
Uh ah

Well, I've been afraid of changin'
'Cause I built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
I'm getting older too

Well

Well, I've been afraid of changin'
'Cause I built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
I'm getting older too

Well, I'm getting older too

So, take this love and take it down
Yeah, and if you climb a mountain and ya turn around
And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well the landslide brought me down

And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills

Well maybe
Well maybe
Well maybe

The landslide will bring you down.

Overall Meaning

The song Landslide by Sheryl Crow and Stevie Nicks is a hauntingly beautiful ballad about the inner conflict that arises when facing life's challenges and changes. The song begins with the lines "I took my love and I took it down, climbed a mountain then I turned around, and I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills." The mountain and the snow-covered hills are symbolic of life's challenges and changes. The reflection seen in the snow is symbolic of seeing oneself clearly in the midst of these challenges.

The chorus of the song asks the question, "Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love? Can the child within my heart rise above? Can I sail through the changing ocean tides? Can I handle the seasons of my life?" These questions are all about the ability to face the unknown and the difficult seasons of life, and to do so with grace and courage.

The final verse deals with the fear of change and the repercussions of not accepting change in life. "Well, I've been afraid of changin' 'cause I built my life around you, but time makes you bolder, children get older, I'm getting older too." The repetition of the line "I'm getting older too," is a reminder that life is constantly changing, and that we all must face the inevitable changes that come with aging.

Line by Line Meaning

I took my love and I took it down
I ended my love and removed it altogether.

Climbed a mountain then I turned around
I reached the summit of the mountain and looked back.

And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills
I saw my appearance reflected in the hills covered in snow.

Well the landslide brought me down
The landslide caused my downfall.

Oh, mirror in the sky
Oh, sky mirror.

What is love?
What is love like?

Can the child within my heart rise above
Can the child inside of me overcome.

Can I sail through the changing ocean tides
Can I make it through the turbulent sea currents of change.

Can I handle the seasons of my life
Can I manage the different stages of my life.

Uh ah
Expressing a verbal shrug or uncertainty.

Well, I've been afraid of changin'
I have been scared of change.