First Love
The Goblin Market Lyrics
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Just out of sight
Through the insects and animals
In the weird summer light
Down toward the water
Through the bamboo
Where yellow eyes
Are waiting for you
It's cold in the grass
And slithering there
You're eleven years old
And gasping for air that won't come
Down by the river
Impossibly thin
He leads you under the bridge
To cleanse away your sin
He leads you under the bridge
To the secret place
Washes the sweat the stickiness
Off of your face
And he's holding you down
His hands in your hair
Your arms swinging wild
You're craving the air that won't come
The Goblin Market's song "First Love" is a hauntingly beautiful and disturbingly powerful reminiscence of the singer's first love. The song's imagery is seemingly innocent and romantic - an idyllic summer day, a walk through the woods, a dip in the river - but as the lyrics progress, it becomes clear that something much darker is going on. The opening stanza sets the scene, describing a journey "down through the wood / just out of sight" and "toward the water / where yellow eyes / are waiting for you." This imagery is ominous and foreboding, suggesting the presence of danger or evil lurking just out of view.
As the song progresses, we learn that the singer is only eleven years old and is being led by an "impossibly thin" man who is cleansing away her sin. This is a disturbing image, suggesting abuse or exploitation, and it is made even more unsettling by the fact that the man is described as holding her down and washing the sweat and stickiness off her face. The final lines of the song, "He's holding you down / his hands in your hair / your arms swinging wild / you're craving the air that won't come," paint a vivid picture of a child struggling and suffocating under the weight of an adult predator.
Overall, "First Love" is a haunting and unsettling reflection on the dark side of childhood innocence and the power dynamics that can exist between adults and children. It is a powerful reminder that not all first loves are happy or healthy, and that some memories are better left buried.
Line by Line Meaning
Down through the wood
Walking through the dense forest
Just out of sight
Where no one can see you
Through the insects and animals
Amongst the buzzing and crawling creatures
In the weird summer light
During an eerie summer evening
Down toward the water
Following the path that leads to the river
Through the bamboo
Walking through clusters of bamboo trees
Where yellow eyes
In a place where eyes are watching
Are waiting for you
Someone or something is waiting for your arrival
It's cold in the grass
Feeling the chill on the ground below you
And slithering there
Witnessing movement of something that crawls
You're eleven years old
At the tender age of eleven
And gasping for air that won't come
Struggling to breathe despite the effort
Down by the river
At the bank of the river
Impossibly thin
Shockingly skinny
He leads you under the bridge
Someone takes you below the bridge
To cleanse away your sin
To absolve you of wrongdoings
He leads you under the bridge
The person takes you under the bridge one more time
To the secret place
To a hidden spot unknown to others
Washes the sweat the stickiness
Cleans the sweat and stickiness from your body and face
Off of your face
Removes the dirt and grime from your face
And he's holding you down
Someone is pinning you down
His hands in your hair
Feeling someone's grip in your hair
Your arms swinging wild
Your arms moving uncontrollably
You're craving the air that won't come
Struggling to breathe, feeling suffocated
Contributed by Joshua F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
kristina ciminillo
Fabulous reading. Thank you.