Season 1 of his television show, Sex, God, Rock 'n Roll, was filmed in Boulder, CO in the fall of 2008. It aired on HDNet in the US and Canada in late spring 2009 and has since been released on DVD.
Whisper
Stuart Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Behind my eyes
It said "whoever sees me dies"
I heard a whisper
Behind my throat
Saying "no words now, only notes"
And I cannot know what
Keeps whispering these darts
I am at the mercy
Of the voice behind my heart
I heard a whisper
Behind my will
Saying "I pour into what is still"
I heard a whisper
Behind my fear
Saying "come here"
Chorus
Wounding me
With all these
Little arrows
Somehow grace can take the deaf
And put an ear inside their chest
Chorus
The Stuart Davis song, "Whisper," is a hauntingly beautiful song that begs to be interpreted. The lyrics are poignant, and it's a challenge to decipher their true meaning. The song starts by saying, "I heard a whisper behind my eyes/It said 'whoever sees me dies.'" This line is particularly powerful and can have different meanings depending on how you interpret it. Is the whisper a voice that's telling the singer that something terrible will happen if they keep looking? Or is the whisper a metaphor for the powerful emotions that can affect us if we allow ourselves to open up and be vulnerable?
The second verse is just as powerful, with its lyrics, "I heard a whisper behind my throat/Saying 'no words now, only notes.'" The line is speaking to the power of music as a form of expression. Sometimes, the things that we feel can be too big for words, and music can be an outlet that allows us to express those emotions. The chorus is particularly poignant with the words, "And I cannot know what/Keeps whispering these darts/I am at the mercy/Of the voice behind my heart." This line is powerful because it's relatable - we are all at the mercy of our emotions and the many things that affect them.
The song's final verses speak to overcoming fear and embracing grace. "Wounding me/With all these/Little arrows/Somehow grace can take the deaf/And put an ear inside their chest." These lyrics are a reminder to keep going even when we are wounded, and that grace will ultimately heal us. The song ends with another chorus which reminds us that we are all at the mercy of our emotions, and it's ultimately up to us to decide how we will react to them.
Line by Line Meaning
I heard a whisper
The singer heard a subtle voice or message
Behind my eyes
The message was received internally, somewhere within their mind or consciousness
It said "whoever sees me dies"
The message conveyed by the whisper was ominous and potentially deadly
I heard a whisper
The artist received a second message
Behind my throat
The second message came from within their vocal cords or speech center
Saying "no words now, only notes"
The message instructed the singer to communicate musically, rather than with language
Chorus:
This is the chorus of the song, which repeats throughout
And I cannot know what
The artist expresses confusion about the nature of the whispers
Keeps whispering these darts
The whispers inflict pain or harm upon the artist
I am at the mercy
The artist has no control over the whispers or their effects
Of the voice behind my heart
The source of the whispers is felt to be located within the singer's emotional or spiritual core
I heard a whisper
The third message is received
Behind my will
The message seems to subvert the singer's ability to control their own choices or actions
Saying "I pour into what is still"
The message suggests that the singer should let go of resistance or conflict and allow a sense of calm or passivity
I heard a whisper
The fourth message is received
Behind my fear
The whisper comes from within the artist's sense of dread or anxiety
Saying "come here"
The message seems to be beckoning the artist to face or overcome their fear
Chorus
The chorus repeats
Wounding me
The whispers continue to hurt the singer
With all these
The whispers come in abundance
Little arrows
The whispers seem to inflict pain like sharp objects piercing the artist's skin.
Somehow grace can take the deaf
Despite the painful whispers, the artist holds onto hope that a greater force or power can provide healing
And put an ear inside their chest
This healing takes the form of gaining wisdom or understanding, as if the singer can suddenly hear what is going on within themselves
Chorus
The chorus concludes the song
Contributed by Claire T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.