(Article from: http:… Read Full Bio ↴Story One: "The Shadow Line" Deserves the Limelight
(Article from: http://slcwritinginfaith.blogspot.com/2007/07/story-one-shadow-line-deserves.html)
Chance emails, a children's church choir concert, YouTube posts of those concerts, more chance emails, and before you know it, Lyra, the Russian a cappella group from the St. Petersburg Conservatory of Music in Moscow, is part of a magical, wonderful song called "Russian Dolls" on the English indie rock group Story One's second album, The Shadow Line. It's a wonderful album. A preview copy arrived today, and I've played it five or six times. It gets better every time. "Russian Dolls" is my new theme song.
That's the world we live in when it works well. Lyra had sung at St. John's Episcopal Church on the Green in Waterbury last September in a fund-raiser concert for the Chorister Academy, and I filmed pieces of it for the group's blog. Story One picked up on the video and contacted me via the blog's email address for permission to use it. (How and why they picked up on that obscure video remains a mystery to me.)
The original video's from Lyra performing at St. John's Episcopal Church can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTlwoyAlkFs
The song was also featured in the soundtrack to the 2009 Horror Movie 'The Telling'
Russian Dolls
Story One Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What have I done with my life, life.
Rivers run wide and I'm swept with the tide
Why I am I feeling so tired, tired.
Well nothing is easier and nothing is harder that passing the time.
A woman walks by with a look in her eyes
There's a look in her eyes, eyes.
She's been playing with fire, fire.
Well nothing is easier and nothing is harder than passing the time.
So she's packing it all away
Starting over again
She's starting over again
She's packing it all away
And putting it to the test
She's starting over again.
Sometimes life is a punch in the face
It's a punch in the face, life.
Walls that are strong and they stand in your way
And they stand in your way, whoa.
And nothing is easier and nothing is harder than living a lie.
So she's packing it all away
Starting over again
She's starting over again
She's packing it all away
And putting it to the test
She's starting over again.
She's packing it all away
And starting over again
She's starting over again
She's packing it all away
She's putting it to the test
She's trying to do her best
She's packing it all away
And starting over again
She's starting over again
She's packing it all away
And putting it to the test
She's trying to do her best
She's packing it all away
And starting over again
She's starting over again.
The opening lines of the song Russian Dolls by Story One, "Time goes by in the blink of an eye, What have I done with my life, life" set the tone for an introspective tune about life passing by too quickly. The lyrics delve into themes of starting over, feeling tired of the daily routine, and the feeling of being stuck in a rut. The song captures the sentiment of wanting to make a change, but not knowing how to go about it. The repetition of the line, "nothing is easier and nothing is harder than passing the time" highlights the feeling of being stuck, and the difficulty of making a change.
The introduction of a woman in the second verse adds a new layer to the storytelling. The woman is described as having a "look in her eyes" that suggests she is "playing with fire." The lyrics suggest that the woman may be packing up and starting over, which gives the song a bit of hopefulness. This is further reinforced in the chorus, where the woman is described as starting over again, putting things to the test, and trying to do her best. The chorus is upbeat and sets the pace for the song's optimistic tone.
Overall, Russian Dolls is a hopeful and uplifting song that acknowledges the difficulty of making a change. The repetition of the lyrics reinforces the feeling of being stuck, while the chorus highlights that it is possible to start over and try again.
Line by Line Meaning
Time goes by in the blink of an eye
Life passes by quickly, without warning
What have I done with my life, life.
Reflecting on past accomplishments and regrets
Rivers run wide and I'm swept with the tide
Feeling overwhelmed by life's challenges
Why I am I feeling so tired, tired.
Exhausted from trying to keep up with life's demands
Well nothing is easier and nothing is harder that passing the time.
Life can be both easy and difficult at the same time
A woman walks by with a look in her eyes
Observing the world around us
There's a look in her eyes, eyes.
The woman's eyes reveal something about her emotions or thoughts
Eyes wide open like she's playing with fire
The woman is taking risks and living on the edge
She's been playing with fire, fire.
She has been engaging in dangerous or exciting behavior
So she's packing it all away
Starting fresh and moving on from the past
Starting over again
Embarking on a new chapter of life
And putting it to the test
Challenging herself to achieve her goals
Sometimes life is a punch in the face
Life can be brutal and painful
Walls that are strong and they stand in your way
Obstacles and challenges that seem insurmountable
And they stand in your way, whoa.
These obstacles are difficult to overcome
And nothing is easier and nothing is harder than living a lie.
Being true to oneself can be difficult, but pretending to be someone else is even harder
She's putting it to the test
Challenging herself to overcome life's obstacles
She's trying to do her best
Putting forth her best effort to succeed
Contributed by Hunter F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.