In September 2011 Wilson declared on his Facebook-page that Abandoner is one of the 20 songs he's most proud of.
Steven Wilson - vocals, electric piano, bass, electric guitars, glockenspiel, drum programming
Theo Travis - wah-flute
Sand Snowman - acoustic and processed acoustic guitars
Gavin Harrison - drums
Abandoner
Steven Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A play in the dark,
Whines like dogs.
I am restless, I am lost.
Time freezes all. Flawless eyes.
Your rope you used to tie yourself,
I reach for you, denied your touch.
Snow starts to blind, I confide.
The lyrics of Steven Wilson's song "Abandoner" describe the feeling of being lost and abandoned in a relationship. The title itself already gives this away, referring to one who abandons or leaves the other. The first line conveys that the other half of oneself or the partner is no longer present or unavailable, causing a sense of emptiness and longing. The second line, "a play in the dark, whines like dogs," is a metaphor that represents the painful memories that keep replaying in one's mind, much like how a dog simply whines without knowing how to vocalize its distress.
The following lines, "I am restless, I am lost. Time freezes all. Flawless eyes," depict the feelings of the singer. His thoughts are about being unsettled and uncertain, making him feel like time has stopped. However, this is interrupted momentarily by the "flawless eyes," which may indicate the remembrance of the love he once shared with the person he has lost or left. In the next stanza, he tries to reach out to his former partner. He reminisces about the rope they tied themselves with, but now only remains of their dreams scatter in the wind. He remains saddened by the fact that his attempts to reach out are denied, and the final line of the song, "Snow starts to blind, I confided," seems to reflect his inability to see the future and his desperation to keep moving forward.
Line by Line Meaning
The other half is somewhere else.
A part of me is missing and I cannot feel whole.
A play in the dark,
A melancholic representation of my life.
Whines like dogs.
My hopeless view of society.
I am restless, I am lost.
Feeling aimless and devoid of purpose.
Time freezes all. Flawless eyes.
The beauty of a moment captured, but unattainable.
Your rope you used to tie yourself,
The self-imposed limitations you created.
dreams into planes, scatter remains.
Ambitions shattered and lost, leaving fragments behind.
I reach for you, denied your touch.
Longing for connection, but unable to make it happen.
Snow starts to blind, I confide.
The overwhelming feeling of despair and hopelessness.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: STEVEN JOHN WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind