Traces
The Anthony Phillips Band Lyrics
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The way she moves her hair,
Footsteps in the Autumn leaves,
Turning and finding no-one there
Traces of you in the morning light
Traces of you in the night
You're haunting me still
I don't even have to try
Traces of you all around my life
Traces of you like a Knife
Twisting inside my heart
You're tearing my world apart
Don't torture me
The ring of the telephone
The quizzical hello
The glass in my hand shaking
Lying shattered in the snow
I saw a face in a picture show
Those Alborado eyes calling me
I see trees, I see indigo
I can't keep up this disguise
The Anthony Phillips Band's song Traces is a melancholic tune with lyrics that illustrate heartbreak and the inability to let go of someone who was once important to the singer. The opening lines depict a girl in a gallery whose movements catch the singer's attention. However, despite the singer's attempts to find her, she has vanished like "Footsteps in the Autumn leaves." The song builds on this imagery by describing how the singer is haunted by "Traces of you in the morning light" and "Traces of you in the night," which are omnipresent and make it difficult for the singer to move on. The song's chorus highlights this sense of hopelessness, as the singer sings of "Traces of you all around my life" and how they are "like a Knife twisting inside my heart."
The song's second verse adds to the overall theme of longing and loss, with the singer describing how even everyday things like the "ring of the telephone" or the "glass in my hand shaking" can remind him of the person he can't forget. The singer then mentions "Those Alborado eyes calling me," which could either refer to a memory or a hallucination brought on by the singer's unresolved feelings. The lyrics conclude with the singer admitting he can't keep up his "disguise," likely referring to his attempt to appear as if he is moving on from the past.
Overall, Traces is a poignant song that effectively conveys the pain of heartbreak and the difficulty of letting go. The lyrics use vivid imagery to illustrate the singer's sense of loss and isolation, making the song relatable to anyone who has ever experienced the pain of unrequited love.
Line by Line Meaning
The girl in the gallery,
Referring to a girl who was once in a picture or painting hanging on a wall in a gallery
The way she moves her hair,
The girl in the painting makes it look like she is motioning her hair in a particular manner
Footsteps in the Autumn leaves,
The sound of footsteps on fallen autumn leaves
Turning and finding no-one there
Turning around to find no one else present
Traces of you in the morning light
Seeing imaginary remnants of someone after waking up in the morning
Traces of you in the night
Appearing to see signs of someone during the night, even though they are not physically present
You're haunting me still
Someone's memory is still affecting and emotionally tormenting the singer
I don't even have to try
The memory of the person haunts the singer involuntarily, without any conscious effort
I always find those...
The singer always observes and senses those traces of the person
Traces of you all around my life
Feeling like the person is still a part of the singer's life, despite not being physically present
Traces of you like a Knife
The traces of the person are painful and cutting like a sharp knife
Twisting inside my heart
The feeling of the person's absence is causing emotional pain and turmoil
You're tearing my world apart
The person's absence is having a devastating effect on the singer's life
Don't torture me
The singer doesn't want to be emotionally tormented like this anymore
The ring of the telephone
Hearing the sound of a ringing telephone
The quizzical hello
Answering the phone and saying 'hello' in a curious manner
The glass in my hand shaking
The singer is trembling or shaking with emotion, holding a glass in their hand
Lying shattered in the snow
The broken pieces of something that was shattered are lying in the snow
I saw a face in a picture show
Seeing someone's face in a movie or TV show
Those Alborado eyes calling me
The memory of the person's eyes is haunting the singer
I see trees, I see indigo
The singer sees nature or the world around them, with a sense of melancholy
I can't keep up this disguise
The singer can no longer hide their emotions or pretend like everything is okay
Lyrics © Budde Music Publishing GmbH, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANTHONY EDWIN PHILLIPS, RICHARD BERRY SCOTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind