A longer version, recorded in 1972, subsequently appeared on 1998's 'The Philosopher's Stone' double album of (mostly) previously unreleased material.
However the song first saw the light of day as part of the soundtrack to Martin Scorsese's 1982 movie 'The King of Comedy'. The title of John McCarthy, the Beirut hostage's biography 'Some Other Rainbow', is a phrase from this song.
Wonderful Remark
Van Morrison Lyrics
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That pervades when we all cry?
How can you watch the violence
That erupts before your eyes?
How can you tell us something
Just to keep us hangin' on?
Something that just don't mean nothing
When we see it, you are gone
While we're standing, waiting in the cold
Telling us the same old story
Knowing time is growing old
That was a wonderful remark
I had my eyes closed in the dark
I sighed a million sighs
I told a million lies, to myself, to myself
How can we listen to you
When we know your talk is cheap?
How can we ever question
Why we give more and you keep?
How can your empty laughter
Fill a room like ours with joy?
When you're only playing with us
Like a child does with a toy?
How can we ever feel the freedom
Or the flame lit by the spark
How can we ever come out even
When reality is stark?
That was a wonderful remark
I had my eyes closed in the dark, yeah
I sighed a million sighs
I told a million lies, to myself
To myself
Baby, to myself
Baby, to myself, to myself
To myself, to myself
The lyrics of Van Morrison's "Wonderful Remark" address the frustration and disillusionment with those in power who make empty promises and fail to make a lasting impact on their followers. It highlights the disparity between the experiences of the leader and the followers, with the latter being left out in the cold while the former chases other pursuits. The opening lines question how someone can remain silent and ignore the suffering and violence that surrounds them, and how they can offer false hope and meaningless words. The use of the phrase "something that just don't mean nothing" emphasizes the emptiness and worthlessness of such promises.
The song then takes on a more personal tone as Morrison addresses the individual's struggles to reconcile their own desires and aspirations with reality. The repetition of the line "I told a million lies, to myself" suggests that we often deceive ourselves and create illusions to maintain hope or a sense of control in our lives. Morrison's vocal inflections and the use of pauses in the chorus also convey a sense of resignation and weariness. The final lines of the song further emphasize the impossibility of achieving true freedom or equality in a stark and unequal world.
Overall, "Wonderful Remark" provides a critique of both societal and personal disillusionment and the disconnect between words and actions. It highlights the difficulty of reconciling idealism with reality and speaks to the universal experience of disappointment and disillusionment.
Line by Line Meaning
How can you stand the silence
That pervades when we all cry?
How can you ignore the cries of others in the midst of silence?
How can you watch the violence
That erupts before your eyes?
How can you witness violent acts and do nothing to stop them?
How can you tell us something
Just to keep us hangin' on?
Something that just don't mean nothing
When we see it, you are gone
Why do you feed us empty words, only to leave us disappointed when they prove to be meaningless?
Clinging to some other rainbow
While we're standing, waiting in the cold
Telling us the same old story
Knowing time is growing old
Why do you chase after unattainable things, while we are left waiting for you in the midst of our struggles?
That was a wonderful remark
I had my eyes closed in the dark
I sighed a million sighs
I told a million lies, to myself, to myself
Despite your shortcomings, your words have still moved me deep inside, and I will continue to deceive myself into believing in what you say.
How can we listen to you
When we know your talk is cheap?
How can we ever question
Why we give more and you keep?
Why should we continue to listen to your meaningless words, when they hold no value, and you continue to take more than you give?
How can your empty laughter
Fill a room like ours with joy?
When you're only playing with us
Like a child does with a toy?
Why do you pretend to care about us, when all you do is use us for your own amusement, like a child would with a toy?
How can we ever feel the freedom
Or the flame lit by the spark
How can we ever come out even
When reality is stark?
How can we find true freedom and happiness, when we are constantly faced with the harsh realities of life?
That was a wonderful remark
I had my eyes closed in the dark, yeah
I sighed a million sighs
I told a million lies, to myself
To myself
Baby, to myself
Baby, to myself, to myself
To myself, to myself
Even though I know deep down that your words hold no true value, they still have the power to move me in a way that I cannot explain, and I will continue to deceive myself into believing in them.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: VAN MORRISON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind