Carry Me Ohio
Sun Kil Moon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I could never love you back
I could never care enough
In these last days
Her tears
Fell on her pages found me well
On her words I don't know what
Wading through
Warm canals and pools clear blue
Where Tuscarawas flow into
The Great Lakes
Riding back
To where the highway met
Dead end tracks
The ground is now cement and glass
And far away
Heal her soul, carry her, my angel, Ohio
Green green youth
What about the sweetness we knew
What about what's good what's true
From those days
Can't count to
All the lovers I've burned through
So why do I still burn for you
I can't say
Sorry that
I could never love you back
I could never care enough in these last days
Heal her soul, carry her, my angel, Ohio
Children bless
And gather round the bed she rests
So poor and cold in their Midwest
Moon and sun
Flashes bringing on
My open eyes to lightning storm
The touch of mist felt soft, felt warm
On my face
Graving dreams
A million miles ago you seem
A star that I just don't see
Anymore
Words long gone
Lost on journeys we walked on
Lost are voices heard along the way
Sorry for
Never going by your door
Never feeling love like that
Anymore
Heal her soul, carry her, my angel, Ohio
The lyrics of Sun Kil Moon's "Carry Me Ohio" mostly focus on the singer expressing regret for his inability to return the love offered to him by a woman. He apologizes for not being able to care for her enough in these final days. The singer's feelings are further compounded when he discovers that the woman has been crying over her writings. The lyrics invoke imagery of natural beauty as well as the hard life faced by non-coastal Midwest residents. The singer reflects on memories of having to leave home and his green youth behind, and mourning the loss of past happiness. He struggles with the feeling of being unable to find a love like what he's once had.
The lyrics are an emotional reflection on the regret of letting go of love and moving on beyond youthhood. The setting of the song in the Midwest and the imagery used relate to the narrative of exploring the places and relationships left behind when moving away from home. The chorus' lyrics "heal her soul, carry her, my angel, Ohio" suggest that the singer is seeking forgiveness and help from his homeland, which he affectionally refers to as his angel. The song's lyrics are ambiguous and do not provide any specific explanation of the woman's identity or the singer's backstory, leaving much to interpretation.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm sorry that I could never love you back
I apologize for not being able to return your love.
I could never care enough, in these last days
I wasn't able to show enough concern especially in recent times.
Her tears fell on her pages found me well
The tears shed by a certain lady landed on her diary where I found out about her sadness.
On her words I don't know what to do or say
I have no idea on how to react to what she had written.
Wading through warm canals and pools clear blue
Walking through warm waterways that were serene and pure-colored.
Where Tuscarawas flow into the Great Lakes
This is where the waterway meets with the Great Lakes.
Riding back to where the highway met dead end tracks
Heading back to the place in which an open road joined with a blocked path.
The ground is now cement and glass and far away
The surface now looks different - it's now made of concrete along with glass structures being constructed in the vicinity.
Heal her soul, carry her, my angel, Ohio
I request for divine intervention to cure her spirit, please carry my beloved in Ohio.
Green green youth, what about the sweetness we knew
Memories and remnants of our joyful past when we were younger, don't they matter anymore?
What about what's good what's true from those days
Don't we value the honest and positive things that originated from that era?
Can't count to all the lovers I've burned through
I can't keep track of all the relationships I ruined by my selfish choices.
So why do I still burn for you, I can't say
It's perplexing that I still have strong feelings for you despite everything that happened, I can't explain why.
Children bless and gather round the bed she rests
Kids surround the bed where she sleeps, imparting blessings upon her.
So poor and cold in their Midwest, moon and sun
The children and her are situated in a part of the U.S. that's often described to be financially tight, combine this with an ambiance of aloofness and defeat.
Flashes bringing on my open eyes to lightning storm
Sudden bursts of light from a thunderstorm through my still active visual organs.
The touch of mist felt soft, felt warm on my face
The sensation of gentle mist on my cheeks feels smoothing, calming.
Graving dreams a million miles ago you seem
Feeling a longing for a dream that happened eons ago in time renders it unattainable now.
A star that I just don't see anymore
A former luminous sign that now vanished from my sight and perception.
Words long gone lost on journeys we walked on
Words that we once spoke have disappeared - lost and forgotten on our journey together.
Sorry for never going by your door
I regret not visiting you when I had the chance.
Never feeling love like that anymore
I can't seem to experience that sort of affection anymore.
Heal her soul, carry her, my angel, Ohio
I reiterate my plea for her to be cured and carried to safety, my angel of Ohio.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Mark Edward Kozelek
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind