WOLF
lemix j. buckley Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There is a child sleeping near his twin
The pictures go wild in a rush of wind
That dark angel he is shuffling in
Watching over them with his black feather wings unfurled

The love you lost with her skin so fair
Is free with the wind in her butterscotch hair
Her green eyes bloom goodbyes

With her head in her hands
and your kiss on the lips another
Dream brother with your tears scattered round the world.

Don't belie the one who made me so old
Don't belie the one who left behind his name
Cause they're waiting for you like I waited for mine
And nobody ever came...

I feel afraid and I call your name
I love your voice and your dance insane
I hear your words and I know your pain
Your head in your hands and her kiss on the lips of another
Your eyes to the ground

and the world spinning round forever
Asleep in the sand with the ocean washing over...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Wolf" by Jeff Buckley are shrouded in mystery, with multiple interpretations possible due to their abstract nature. At first glance, the song appears to be about an angel watching over two children while they sleep. However, the mood quickly turns somber as the lyrics discuss lost love and the pain of being alone. The reference to a "dream brother" is particularly haunting as it suggests that the singer is haunted by the memory of a loved one who is no longer with them. The passage in which the singer pleads with someone not to "belie the one who made me so old" is difficult to interpret, but it is possible that it refers to a feeling of being abandoned or left behind.

As the song progresses, the tone becomes increasingly desperate. The singer calls out for someone, expressing fear and longing in equal measure. The reference to "your dance insane" may suggest that the person being called out for is someone the singer was once close to, possibly a lover or friend. The final verse depicts a scene of the singer lying in sand with the ocean washing over them, suggesting a sense of surrender and acceptance.

Overall, the lyrics of "Wolf" are filled with vivid imagery and emotion, but their precise meaning is difficult to pin down.

Line by Line Meaning

There is a child sleeping near his twin
A child is sleeping next to his sibling.

The pictures go wild in a rush of wind
Suddenly, pictures scattered around are blown away by a gust of wind.

That dark angel he is shuffling in
A dark angel is present and moving around the area.

Watching over them with his black feather wings unfurled
The dark angel is watching over the sleeping children with its black feather wings spread out.

The love you lost with her skin so fair
The love you lost was with someone who had fair skin.

Is free with the wind in her butterscotch hair
Memories of the person with fair skin are now free and scattered in the wind, much like the butterscotch hair they had.

Her green eyes bloom goodbyes
The person with fair skin had green eyes that seemed to say goodbye.

With her head in her hands and your kiss on the lips another
The person with fair skin appeared to be upset and kissed someone else.

Dream brother with your tears scattered round the world.
It feels like a dream to have a sibling crying all around the world.

Don't belie the one who made me so old
Do not disbelieve the person who has made me so old.

Don't belie the one who left behind his name
Do not disbelieve the person who left behind a name.

Cause they're waiting for you like I waited for mine
They are waiting for you just like I once waited for someone.

And nobody ever came...
Although I waited, nobody ever came.

I feel afraid and I call your name
I feel scared and call out your name for help.

I love your voice and your dance insane
Your voice and your insane dance are what I love about you.

I hear your words and I know your pain
I understand what you are going through from the words you say.

Your head in your hands and her kiss on the lips of another
You seem upset with someone else kissing the person you love.

Your eyes to the ground and the world spinning round forever
You feel down and the world seems to be turning endlessly.

Asleep in the sand with the ocean washing over...
You drift off to sleep on the sand by the beach with the ocean waves lapping at the shore.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JEFF BUCKLEY, MATT JOHNSON, MICK GRONDAHL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS