This Mortal Coil was a project of Ivo Watts-Russell (from Northamptonshire,… Read Full Bio ↴This Mortal Coil was a project of Ivo Watts-Russell (from Northamptonshire, England), president of the British 4AD record label, which began in 1983 and lasted until 1991. This Mortal Coil (TMC) is an example of a supergroup, and performers include members from bands on 4AD's roster, such as Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, Colourbox, The Wolfgang Press, Dif Juz, X Mal Deutschland and Modern English. The records consist mostly of dark and moody interpretative cover versions of a wide variety of artists ranging from Big Star and Talking Heads to The Apartments and Tim Buckley. The group recorded three albums; It'll End In Tears, Filigree & Shadow and Blood.

The group takes its name from Shakespeare. In particular Hamlet's soliloquy To be, or not to be, where it refers to dying; "coil" is used in its archaic sense of "disturbance, trouble":

"What dreams may come, when we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause."
Hamlet, Act III, Scene 1, line 67.

Carolyn's Song
This Mortal Coil Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I heard that you said that you feel all alone
do you think that they could understand
when they told you go ahead

is it in your head are you upside down
You drive around feeling sad

and I wish you everything i ever said

do you understand ? are you feeling dead ?
are you lost ? are you sad ?
did i leave you alone ?

do you think that i don't understand
what you it's like to feel all alone?

Overall Meaning

The song "Carolyn's Song" by This Mortal Coil speaks about the pain of feeling alone and misunderstood. The opening line "I heard that you said that you feel all alone" communicates that the singer is not directly interacting with Carolyn, but rather found out through others that she is struggling. However, the second line "do you think that they could understand when they told you go ahead" implies that people may have given Carolyn unhelpful advice, lacking the full understanding of what she is going through.

The chorus of the song asks Carolyn a series of questions that highlight her emotional state, with the repetition of "are you" emphasizing the depth of her pain. The singer is expressing their desire to understand Carolyn and to be there for her, as shown in the line "and I wish you everything I ever said." The final line "do you think that I don't understand what it's like to feel all alone?" shows that the singer has also experienced loneliness and is reaching out to comfort Carolyn.

Line by Line Meaning

I heard that you said that you feel all alone
I was told that you expressed your loneliness

do you think that they could understand
Do you believe that others are capable of comprehending your emotions?

when they told you go ahead
When they advised you to proceed

is it in your head are you upside down
Are these feelings solely in your mind? Are you feeling disoriented?

You drive around feeling sad
You go for drives while feeling sorrowful

and I wish you everything i ever said
I hope everything I told you comes to fruition

do you understand ? are you feeling dead ?
Do you comprehend? Are you feeling lifeless?

are you lost ? are you sad ?
Are you directionless? Are you unhappy?

did i leave you alone ?
Did I abandon you?

do you think that i don't understand
Do you believe that I can't empathize?

what you it's like to feel all alone?
What it's like to feel entirely isolated?