The Wind Cries Mary
Sting〲 Lyrics
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And the clowns have all gone to bed
You can hear happiness staggering on down the street
Footsteps dressed in red
And the wind whispers Mary
A broom is drearily sweeping
Up the broken pieces of yesterdays life
Somewhere a queen is weeping
And the wind it cries Mary
The traffic-lights, they turn blue tomorrow
And shine their emptiness down on my bed
The tiny island sags downstream
'Cause the life that lived is, is dead
And the wind screams Mary
Will the wind ever remember
The names it has blown in the past?
And with this crutch, its old age, and its wisdom
It whispers no, this will be the last
And the wind cries mary
"The Wind Cries Mary" by Sting is a psychedelic rock song originally written by Jimi Hendrix. The lyrics are a reflection on life's transience and the inevitability of change. Sting's version of the song is more mellow and melancholic, with a focus on the somber lyrics.
The first line, "After all the jacks are in their boxes, and the clowns have all gone to bed," represents the end of the day and the conclusion of a performance. The line "You can hear happiness staggering on down the street, footsteps dressed in red" describes the fleeting nature of joy and its relationship with sadness. The color red is characterized as a symbol of passion and love, the kind of emotions that vanish just as quickly as they occur.
The lyrics "A broom is drearily sweeping up the broken pieces of yesterday's life, somewhere a queen is weeping, somewhere a king has no wife" speak to the idea of broken dreams and missed opportunities. The song also contains references to death, with lines such as "the life that lived is dead" and "will the wind ever remember the names it has blown in the past?"
Overall, the song's somber tone and introspective lyrics explore the fleeting nature of happiness and the inevitability of change, death, and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
After all the jacks are in their boxes
Once everything has been put away and the day is done
And the clowns have all gone to bed
When the fun has ended and it's time to rest
You can hear happiness staggering on down the street
Sometimes happiness can be found in unexpected ways and in unlikely places
Footsteps dressed in red
The sound of someone walking who is confident and strong
And the wind whispers Mary
The breeze carries a soft, gentle message
A broom is drearily sweeping
The task at hand is tedious and boring
Up the broken pieces of yesterdays life
Cleaning up the messes and regrets of the past
Somewhere a queen is weeping
Even those who seem to have everything can experience heartbreak and sadness
Somewhere a king has no wife
Even those who seem to have it all can also feel alone and empty
And the wind it cries Mary
The wind carries a mournful, sorrowful message
The traffic-lights, they turn blue tomorrow
A sense of uncertainty and sadness for what is to come
And shine their emptiness down on my bed
A feeling of loneliness and isolation, symbolized by the emptiness of the traffic lights
The tiny island sags downstream
A feeling of despair and hopelessness
'Cause the life that lived is, is dead
Something has ended, and there's no going back
And the wind screams Mary
The wind carries a message of pain and anguish
Will the wind ever remember
Will the past always haunt us, or will we be able to move on?
The names it has blown in the past?
The memories of the past that we can't forget
And with this crutch, its old age, and its wisdom
With the knowledge and experience gained from the past
It whispers no, this will be the last
There's a sense of finality, and the knowledge that things will never be the same again
And the wind cries mary
A final, mournful cry that signifies the end of something
Contributed by Declan A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.