Kathryn Dawn Lang, OC (born November 2, 1961), better known under her stage… Read Full Bio ↴Kathryn Dawn Lang, OC (born November 2, 1961), better known under her stage name, k.d. lang, is a Grammy Award-winning Canadian singer and songwriter. She is regarded as one of Canada's foremost female vocalists, as well as a champion of legal equality for LGBT people.

Her singing talent has lent itself to a wide range of genres, although earlier works, such as 'Angel With a Lariat' and 'Absolute Torch and Twang' (the last of which won her a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance) were predominantly country, with hints of jazz and salsa. Later works, including Ingénue and All You Can Eat, were more pop-ish in execution. No matter the genre, all left her talent undeniable. She has since garnered four grammys and many other awards, and was even made an officer of the Order of Canada in 1996, Canada's highest civilian honour.

Wash Me Clean
k.d. lang Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You swim
Swim through my veins
Drown me
In your rain

My desire
Carries no shame
My will

Will harbor no pain

Wash
Wash me clean
Mend my wounded seams
Cleanse my tarnished dreams

Swim
Swim through my veins
Drown me
In your rain

Wash
Wash me clean
Mend my wounded seams
Cleanse my tarnished dreams

Drink, drink from my spell
Quench, love's drying well

Wash, wash me clean

Mend my wounded seams
Cleanse my tarnished dreams

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to k.d. lang's song Wash Me Clean expresses the emotional connection between two people in a relationship. The first two lines reflect the depth of how one partner affects the other by swimming through their veins, allowing the other person to be drowned in their rain which could mean the intensity or the love that the other person showers them with. The singer then admits her desire for the person and that it doesn't carry any shame. The next line mentions how the singer's will or determination will harbor no pain, which may indicate that she is willing to give herself entirely to the other person, but she would not want to be hurt in the process.

The chorus "wash me clean, mend my wounded seams, cleanse my tarnished dreams" is a plea from the singer to the other person to wash away all her doubt, pain, and guilt, and make her whole again. The repetition of these lines emphasizes the importance of feeling liberated from the past, and starting anew. The following lines "drink from my spell, quench love's drying well" suggests that the singer's love is a powerful elixir for the other person, and he should take it in to quench his diminishing love repository.

In conclusion, k.d. lang's song Wash Me Clean is a beautiful expression of love and vulnerability. The lyrics paint an image of two people, completely intertwined in their emotions, and the singer trusts the other person to heal her wounded heart and cleanse her tarnished dreams.

Line by Line Meaning

You swim
You flow smoothly and freely through me

Swim through my veins
Move through every part of me, completely enveloping me in your presence

Drown me
Overcome and consume me in a way that takes my breath away

In your rain
In the depths of your emotions and your soul, in the essence of your being

My desire
My longing for you

Carries no shame
I feel no guilt or embarrassment about the intensity of my feelings

My will
My determination to follow my heart and my passions

Will harbor no pain
Will not allow the pain of past experiences to stop me from pursuing what I truly desire in the present

Wash
Cleanse me of all impurities

Wash me clean
Purify me, rid me of anything impure or undesirable

Mend my wounded seams
Heal the parts of me that are broken or damaged