A Distance There Is
Theatre of Tragedy Lyrics
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But thou ne'er step'st aside;
And I am trapp'd -
A distance there is...
None, save me and the bodkin - pitter-patter on the roof:
Behold! - 'tis not the rain; thence me it has to be -
I will not drink thy vintage wine, my dear;
Thou hast heed'd that I am of innocence, yet thou let'st thy lass into peril -
My heart is of frailty, my pale skin is hued damask.
When thou thy tears hast hidden, "Come back!", thou sayest -
There I soon am to be - but how am I to run when my bones, my heart!
Thou hast me bereaft? -
But run thou sayest; I run -
And there and then I behold that a time will come when I again dead will be.
Thou tell'st me to leave without delay -
I leave with my bodkin and my tears in my hands;
Lo! - the shadows, the sky - descending;
So by a dint of smite I gait ere I run and melt together with dusk.
In my mind in which is this event,
But it seems as if naught is to change anyway?
After all these years thou left'st me down in the emotional depths -
The sombre soaked velvet-drape is hung upon me,
Turning my feelings away from our so ignorant world:
All the beautiful moments shared, deliberatlely push'd aside -
...a distance there is...
The song "A Distance There Is" by Theatre of Tragedy tells a story of a person who is trapped in a relationship that is hurting them. The first line, "Come in out of the rain thou sayest - But thou ne'er step'st aside," shows that the singer's partner is insensitive to their needs and feelings. The singer feels trapped in their situation, as indicated by the line "And I am trapp'd - A distance there is..." The distance here refers to the emotional and physical distance between the singer and their partner.
The singer feels alone, as indicated by the line "None, save me and the bodkin - pitter-patter on the roof." The only thing they have as a companion is the sound of the rain on the roof and their bodkin. The partner offers wine, but the singer refuses, feeling that their innocence is being taken advantage of. The singer also feels that their partner is putting them in danger.
The singer is torn between leaving and staying, but ultimately decides to leave with tears in their hands. The final line, "...a distance there is..." highlights the emotional distance between the singer and their partner, and suggests that despite their efforts to leave, they will still be emotionally distant from each other. The song deals with themes of emotional abuse, fear of leaving a relationship, and the emotional distance that can come between two people.
Line by Line Meaning
Come in out of the rain thou sayest -
You ask me to seek shelter from the rain
But thou ne'er step'st aside;
But you never move out of its way
And I am trapp'd -
This entraps me
A distance there is...
There is a gap between us
None, save me and the bodkin - pitter-patter on the roof:
Only I and the knife are here, accompanied by the sound of raindrops
Behold! - 'tis not the rain; thence me it has to be -
But wait! It's not just the rain affecting me
I will not drink thy vintage wine, my dear;
I refuse to indulge in your expensive wine, my love
Thou hast heed'd that I am of innocence, yet thou let'st thy lass into peril -
You recognize my purity, but still you allow your other lover to be at risk
Thou let'st me be parched;
You let me suffer, thirsty
My heart is of frailty, my pale skin is hued damask.
My heart is weak, and my skin is as white as damask cloth
When thou thy tears hast hidden, "Come back!", thou sayest -
When you wipe away your tears, you call for me to return
There I soon am to be - but how am I to run when my bones, my heart!
I'll soon be there, but how can I run when I am weak and broken inside?
Thou hast me bereaft? -
Have you taken everything from me?
But run thou sayest; I run -
Yet you ask me to run, and so I do
And there and then I behold that a time will come when I again dead will be.
But then I realize that I will soon be dead once again
Thou tell'st me to leave without delay -
You ask me to leave immediately
I leave with my bodkin and my tears in my hands;
As I leave, I hold my knife and my tears
Lo! - the shadows, the sky - descending;
Oh! The shadows and the dark sky are closing in
So by a dint of smite I gait ere I run and melt together with dusk.
So I walk slowly before breaking into a run and disappearing into the darkening sky
In my mind in which is this event,
This memory haunts my mind
But it seems as if naught is to change anyway?
But will anything ever change?
After all these years thou left'st me down in the emotional depths -
After so many years, you have left me feeling emotionally drained
The sombre soaked velvet-drape is hung upon me,
I feel as though a heavy, black velvet curtain has been draped over me
Turning my feelings away from our so ignorant world:
Making me turn away from our ignorant world
All the beautiful moments shared, deliberatlely push'd aside -
All the beautiful moments we shared are intentionally ignored
...a distance there is...
...and so a gap remains between us
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Lawrence Klein, Till Broenner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind