Janeway is a young man who began wailing straight out of the womb, and most folks would agree that he hasn’t stopped since. “Oh what a set of lungs that child has,” they’d say, “he must be destined for something special.” Not wishing to disappoint, and being a good southern boy, Paul began singing in church, stretching his vocal cords with an eye toward becoming a man of the cloth.
The cloth, however, didn’t appreciate young Paul’s affinity for dirty jokes, Prince, and Tom Waits, and he was inclined to search elsewhere for co-conspirators. He began plying his trade with whomever would have him. With a wholly re-imagined take on the sounds he’d grown up singing and seeking, Paul recruited a rag-tag band of like-minded weirdoes, visionaries, and hacks to help him harness the power he now knew he possessed. Under the nom du guerre St. Paul and the Broken Bones, the motley crew roams the countryside looking to get cabooses shakin’, faces meltin’, and brothers and sisters everywhere testifyin’
That Glow
St. Paul & The Broken Bones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've carried all my sorrow
To my resting place
Oh how that glow in her eyes
It lights up
When she's gone to someone else's light
How I wish it was me
Lord, set me free
There ain't no man, there ain't no man
That should carry this burden inside of me
Oh how that glow in her eye
It lights up
When she's gone in someone else's light
How I wish it was me
When she's lost I can barely go on
Oh, how I wish oh how I wish it was me
How I wish oh, it was me
The lyrics of St. Paul & The Broken Bones's song That Glow feel like a lament of a heartbroken man who is unable to come to terms with the fact that the woman he loves has left him for someone else. He is stuck in a loop of sorrow and grief, unable to let go of her memories. The opening lines, "I lost my senses for that child that went away, I've carried all my sorrow to my resting place" suggests that he is unable to shake off the pain of losing her, and is carrying it with him to his grave.
The theme of longing and unrequited love is further emphasized in the lines, "When she's gone to someone else's light, how I wish it was me. I was lost in a, oh this heartbreak, Lord, set me free." His obsession with her glow in her eyes is an indication of his love, and he is unable to come to terms with the fact that someone else has taken his place. The repeated line, "how I wish it was me," signifies his desire to be with her despite the impossibility of it.
The chorus serves the purpose of emphasizing his pain and sorrow, "There ain't no man, there ain't no man, that should carry this burden inside of me. Oh how that glow in her eye, it lights up." The use of the words "burden" and "inside of me" highlight the depth of the pain he is feeling, suggesting it is more than he can bear.
Overall, St. Paul & The Broken Bones's That Glow is a powerful song that emotes feelings of helplessness and pain that come with unrequited love, and will resonate with anyone who has experienced such emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
I lost my senses for that child that went away
I became obsessed with a person who I can no longer have
I've carried all my sorrow
I have been burdened with sadness and despair
To my resting place
Carrying my sadness with me to my grave
Oh how that glow in her eyes
The happiness and joy in her eyes is so illuminating
It lights up
It brings light into my life
When she's gone to someone else's light
When she is with someone else who makes her happy
How I wish it was me
I wish I was the one making her happy
I was lost in a, oh this heartbreak
I am consumed by heartbreak and sadness
Lord, set me free
I am asking for a release from my pain
There ain't no man, there ain't no man
No one can take the pain away
That should carry this burden inside of me
I have to bear this pain alone
When she's gone in someone else's light
When she is happy with someone else
How I wish it was me
I wish I was the one making her happy
When she's lost I can barely go on
When she is unhappy and lost, I can barely continue
Oh, how I wish oh how I wish it was me
I desperately wish to be the source of her happiness and joy
How I wish oh, it was me
I want nothing more than to be with her and make her happy
Contributed by Mila G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.